Blue Ridge (SC) Scotch Ale

Growler sampled at Noog Four-0 5/31/08: Pours a transparent copper amber mahogany with a spotty-lacing wispy white head. Aroma of lightly sweet grainy caramel malts and a hint of peat and light fruits. Starts with good carbonation and fullness with a semi-sweet sticky caramel and toffee flavor. Finishes crisp and bittersweet. A pretty good Scotch ale.

A dark brown appearance with a moderate white head. The aroma contains some caramel, nutmeg, and brown sugar. The flavor is rather dry, I NEED WATER, with some nutty aspects, caramel, and toffee. A bit of alcohol in the finish. I didnt get much in the way of a true scottish ale but it was ok anyhow.

Pours a hazy amber red color with a tan head. Aroma is malty, smoky, green apple, and toasty notes. Flavor is malty, caramel, biscuit, a hint of smoke, and a sweet caramel finish.

Noogfest ’08, growler. The body was deep copper. Smells of strong malt and caramel. There was also some fresh bread. The taste was caramel with some wood. Fairly dry in the finish for the style.

Clear brown, nice sized head. Smooth and rich, with notes of - well my notes seem to say "peach", but I tink I meant "peat", ’cause that makes more sense. Slight medicinal note. Not bad. Sampled from a growler at Noogfest 4.

Tasted at Noogfest 4.0 (2008). This scotch ale poured a medium amber color from a growler. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is caramel, sweet and smoky. A medium bodied scotch ale. The malts are caramel and sweet. The hops are earthy. There is just a touch of smoke, but mostly dark bread. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Date: 05/17/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

Appearance: muddy brown, frothy beige head, lots of patterned lace,
Aroma: sweet chocolate aroma with a light earthy smokey character,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: sweet chocolate malt flavor with a bready fruity character, touch of caramel and brown sugar sweetness, light earthyness,
Overall: a lot of richness with the chocolate and caramel but not a scotch ale, a great beer whatever it is

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Draught. Now that South Carolina has raised the 6% cap on beer, brewers can make offerings like this. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a SC beer over 6% to really write home about. This one is a murky red-brown pour with a sweet, malty nose. I get hints of cola, caramel, and grains. The mouthfeel is medium and is not too sticky as I had feared it may be. Flavors of Coca-Cola, far away peat, earth, and pumpernickel are noted. The finish is just slightly bittersweet to add some level of depth to the brew. It’s a drinkable enough beer.