Church Brew 120 Shilling Smoked Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Tap Pours a dark reddish tan, with a thin white head. Aroma has an iron smoke quality, with some sweet malt. Slight smoke flavor, with iron tones that annoy and overwhelm the other flavors. Some chocolate, little booze. Tastes and feels more like a smoked brown ale than a scotch ale. Boring on the tongue, palate, and nose.

medium brown appearance with mild white head. not a great deal of flavor, really lacking in the toasted malt character of a good scotch ale. a rather mundane version

Poured from growler courtesy of zebracakes at 1/27/08 Pittsburgh gathering. Slightly hazy brown in color, nominal head and not much to speak of in the lacing area. Big smoked malt aroma, not the usual smoked meat style smokiness either, almost a woody smokiness. Flavor is big and malty, again with the VERY nice smokiness without getting too meaty. Very nice stuff.

Had the pleasure of sampling this at the 1/27/2008 Pittsburgh ratebeer.com gathering and festival upstairs, Sharp Edge Creekhouse. It will be a long time, if ever I am invited again and I see a spread of bottles like I did there - ever again. I am not good enough for the beers that were that we sampled! For example, how about this beer; 120 smoked schilling from zebracakes, you are the woman! Good refreshing typical Church Brew aroma. Hazy orangish brown color. More brown that orange I think. Barely any carbonation, but it is there. Strongish smoked flavors that are not over the top, but could use some manners. Woody rasty wood and smoke attributes. Overall, perhaps more than my lager loven taste buds care for, but I was really glad to have had a chance to taste this rare local beer. Thanks Joyce!

Sampled at the RBPG; growler courtesy of zebracakes. Light grainy smoky aroma - sweetish, with no hops contribution to the aroma. Decent smell, with just a bit of smoke. Hazy light brown in body with a off-white thinly laced head. Medium heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Starts sweet with some light smoke, predominantly malty beer. Caramel and sweet finish, with light nutty after and a mild smoky presence. Not too bad, but really is a bit too sweet.

Aroma was weak. Could pick up some smoke with just a tad of malt. Pour was a flat dark amber with no head. Taste was very alcoholic. Heavy caramel malt with a strong underlying smokiness and a sausage/beef jerky aftertaste. Very little carbonation in this one which would have helped the flavor come out a bit. Decent.

Growler from CBW. Almost opaque orange amber, no head. Aroma is caramel, vanilla, sweet red wine. Flavor is smoky, meaty, sweet & sour, slightly tangy and bitter.