Brau Brothers Scotch Ale

Brewed by Brau Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Lucan, Minnesota USA

Date: 12/22/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

hazy dark red, huge frothy cream head, light dry caramel malt aroma with earthy hops, sweet caramel malt flavor, touch of growing lactic tartness, nice smoky character, earthy hops for balance, light bitter finish,

Aroma: 3/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 3/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 5/20
Rating: 1.7/5.0
Drinkability: 2/10
Score: 4

Pours a transparent copper orange with a small-bubbled frothy cream-colored head. Aroma of soft doughy yeast and pale malts with a touch of smoky peat. Body starts semi-sweet but has an unexpected light fruity tartness along with a mild smoky peat finish. This could very well be infected, but otherwise would be a decent Scotch ale.

Bottle courtesy of tytoanderso. Pours brown with a rocky white head. Smells of caramel, some peat, light spice. Tastes sugary and spicy with some brown sugar on the finish.

12 ounce bottle from Cellars Wine and Spirits on Larpenteur, Roseville MN (June 2007, served at cellar temperature in a Maudite glass. Uh oh. Everybody else mentions the small head....my bottle fills the glass with gouts of off-white foam, though it dies quickly; let’s hope this is just my having slightly shaken the bottle, and not infection like the Pilz I just had....the head subsides quickly though and a hazy/dirty brass-colored body takes shape....the nose is very sweet, lots of caramel and perhaps some butterscotch, cherry cough syrup, light peat, and grape juice....flavor is more attractive, again quite sweet but very rich and silky on the tongue, with smoky earth-tones throughout, more than a hint of the iodine/sea saltiness of the isles, and just enough drying woody character at the finish to keep the sweetness from overpowering....low carbonation, just a touch syrupy; a bit of paperiness midway through the sample mars things a touch. I guess I’m the low man for this brewery so far, but this one is the best I’ve had so far, decent enough to try once certainly.

Received 12-oz sample bottle to try from distributor. Another cool ACL printed bottle. Pours a slightly hazy brown amber brew with a good lasting off white head. Aroma has a hint of scotch whiskey/peat smoke, some caramel, and medium roasted malt. Taste has peat, come caramel and more malt taste. Palate is creamy, lightly carbonated, and medium body. Finish is smooth and a little sweet.

Bottle thanks to Skyview! Poured a clear coppery-red with a short-lived cap of off-white head. The aroma was unfortunately weak, even at room temperature.. deeply-toasted, smoke-accented caramel paired with dried fruits and chocolate.. very nice, but too restrained. Flavor found the toasty caramel and peaty smoke again with a very mild herbal bitterness... finished transitioned from peat smokiness to liquid smoke, which wasn’t the best way to end it. Just shy of medium-bodied on the palate with decent balance.. some sharper fusel notes hit with the liquid smoke at the finish to drop a point. Decent.

Copper color with a thin head. Butterscotchy aroma, but not in an overbearing way. Sweet malt and honey up front with a building peat smoke that gets to about middle range; it’s not big and loud, nor is it something you have to strain to find. Not nearly as strong as I expected.

Eagan, Mn. - Cellars Wine and Spirits - 12 oz bottle. Murky, medium copper pour with not much of a head. Sweet aroma with some smoky peat accents and just a hint of band-aids. Flavor is similarly sweet with the same smoked peat flavor, a hint of white grapes, some smoked meat Mouthfeel is thick enough. Overall decent.