Cottonwood Lift Your Kilt Scottish Ale

Brewed by Carolina Beer Company
Style: Scottish Ale
Mooresville, North Carolina USA

8.5 % ABV bottle and served in my Unibroue tulip: Pours a deep coppery brown with a beautiful creamy off-white head that left excellent lace upon the glassware. The aroma has notes of walnut, toffee, slight bakers chocolate, juniper berry, apple, and pear esters. Additionally there is a solid earthiness and wild flower about the nose.

The taste starts with the expected heavy sweet and smoked malt overtone that is nicely supported by some twangy fruit and meaty notes. The finish has a touch of spice and grassy bitterness. The mouth feel hides the alcohol pretty well and is smooth. I like the fact this isn’t heavy and rich on the palate, much more drinkable.

This is one solid brew indeed and I am surprised by the low scores honestly. I am digging this and should another bottle ever make it’s way to me then I would be happy to put it to rest. THX Ken for the bonus bottle! - Where is your rating?

Bottle. This is a beautiful pour: deep oak brown color, off-white head. Deep malty and sweet aroma - actually smells like fresh malts at a distillery - slightly smoky as well. Flavors are sweet but not one-dimensional. Malt flavors somewhat like corn flakes, also dark fruits like figs and raisins, maybe chocolate-covered raisins. Some scotch/malt flavor, but not exactly whisky. Sweet fruits come out even more as it warms up. Very tasty, even if the littlest bit sticky.

Found this in bottles at Total Wine in Cary. The pour was brownish deep copper with 1-finger tan head. The aroma was of bog corn flakey malt, some toffee, nuts, figs, and a rauchy element. The taste hit me with a solid sweet rauchy malt flavor up front, then yielded to a dark chocolate, faint coffee, some brown sugar, and subdued hops. The alcohol was well hidden, and the palate was medium with decent complexity. Still, this one is rather interesting, and worth a try if you like corn flakey or rauchy beers.

12 oz. bottle via trade with TURDFERGUSON - Pours a slightly hazy light brown color with a one finger thick light tan head. Very light spotty lacing. Aroma is esters and a doughy caramel malt. Flavor is sweet esters (apple) and light malt. Medium body. Not your typical Scottish ale. Still, very drinkable. Thanks Sam.

Thought I was cracking the lower ABV Scottish, and turned out to enjoy this pleasant brew. Big, malty, and amber, of course, but what I really like is the interplay between peat and caramel here. A bit more body could help but this is quite nice.

this beer smells and taste like watered down scotch, slightly sweeter with a hint of fruit. very mild fror the 8.5 abv

Bottle. Pours out a nice deep brown body with a light tan head. Nose is malty and sweet. Soft peat notes. Light nuttiness as well. Taste is sweet and malty with light fruit notes, soft peat note, caramel, light toffee, and light alcohol. Body is medium and has a moderate carbonation feel. Finishes with more caramel, sweet malts, light peaty flavors, dark fruits and light toffee. Not bad!

This is, I think, my favorite Cottonwood yet. Had it after a brewery tour. Packed with rich malty flavor. I will be looking for this in bottles.