Cottonwood Scottish Ale

Orangish-brown in color with little off-white head. Big malty aroma with a bit of nuttiness and alcohol in there. Flavor is more of the same with a sweet creamy mouthfeel that makes this an easy ale to drink. Finish is a little sour and earthy with just a touch of alcohol warming. A pleasant take on a scotch ale.

From notes 3/24/03: Creamy. That’s the one description I couldn’t get out of my head while tasting this. Creamy. An all-malt Scottish style ale with all the thickness and creaminess one could hope for. The aroma is heavy with malt scents. Heavy enough to wonder if you are in the brewery’s inner lair with the aroma of freshly cracked malt in the air. The smell just screams "brewery tour". Impressive. The all-malt taste is slick and malty, with a divine creaminess that slides down your throat. The inside of my glass is not only laced with each sip, but the most recent sip has a wonderful upside-down "v" shape that proves to all you are drinking this beer. This occurs with every taste. Pretty. The aftertaste is smooth and, dare I say again, creamy. No hops to be found here, but in a Scottish ale, that’s OK by me. Creamy malt goodness.

Thanks to Ryan for sharing this at HWOH. Again- this one is 8.5%, not 6%. Pours a deep amber with ruby highlights and a thin head. Aroma is sweet with lots of caramel malts, and hints of burnt wood or peat. Flavor is a bit astringent but sweet upfront and malty. Kind of sour in the end actually- and finished dry and woody.

Pours rich amber color with tan head that vanishes in a flash. Aroma is of wet dog ( or dog bathed in wort). Flavor is malty with rich earthy notes. Not bad for one bottle, would not invest in a six pack.

A nice brown coloured ale with a malty taste. Nice finish and decent aroma.

Pours hazy brown with aroma of roasty malt, chocolate, nuts, scotch. Tastes malty with a chocolate, scotch, slight nutty finish. Pretty good.

Roasty and chocolately, This might be the best Cottonwood Brew I’ve had. Maybe the Scottish Ale’s just hit me in the right spot. This is very very good. Nice malt and hop mix. Great flavor and a smooth drinking beer. Another great Beer courtesy of North Carolina’s finest, Ross. Traded twice with Ross, #3 I’m sure won’t be that far away in the future. I really liked this. I think you will too.

Like Beer God, I also had this at the Bier Garten in Portsmouth. Ruddy brown color with nearly non-existant head. Aromas of brown sugar and general sweetness, not complex. Flavor is completely one dimensional - general brown sugar sweetness. Body/mouthfeel is insepid, would be considered thin even for a pale ale, and is totally disappointing. Lingering butterscotch aftertast refused to go away. I found this beer utterly lacking in every quality except appearance.