Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Marshall, Michigan USA

12 oz. bottle, blurbs on sides and bottom on the four pack carton (including with what I am guessing is a misprinting by listing the ABV as 9.5%), sampled in a snifter. Fine sediment is visible in the bottom of the bottle. Poured a chocolate brown with an tight, compact head of pale beige that slowly dissipated into a fine bubbly, sudsy lacing, the most minimal amount of laced sticking. The fruity aromas are the first smells I noticed, green apples, pineapple and strawberries. Further whiffs reveal roasted caramel and butterscotch, and if you draw in the smell really hard, smoked wood. Moderate bodied with a smooth light feeling in the mouth, the carbonation is soft, but doesn’t hinder the drinkability. Mildly tart, fruity tastes of apples, sour cranberries and a subtle pineapple. The smoked malt flavors are pretty light, butterscotch and sweet caramel with a little roasted earthiness coming out in the end. Towards the finish a delicate citrus hop taste emerges, adding to the gentle bitter finale. The alcohol is barely detectable, just a low grade spicy warmth in the palate. A nice Scotch Ale with the Dark Horse twist on the style, quite enjoyable and an easy quaffer, a bit dangerous, consume with caution.

Bottle. Dark caramel pour with a very small mocha colored head. Aroma was sweet, a little bit of dried fruit, but it seemed thin and lacking complexity. Same can be said about the flavor. One dimensional sweetness with some alcohol bite as the liquid warmed up a bit. I enjoy scotch ales, but this is a l ess than stellar showing.

A nice Scots ale, if less than amazing. Pours a dark caramel color, with a very thin head. Nose is sweet and malty. Flavor is similar, with malt dominating a barley-wine-esque sweetness, and some alcohol notes.

A very sweet aroma. I taste sweet malt, a little fruit, and a little smoky flavor. Doesn’t taste like a 10% brew, very smooth. Personally, I am not a huge fan of Scotch ales though.

Dark malts sweet aroma. Toasty almost to the point of burnt toast. Brown sugar and the faintest whiff of smoke. Full-bodied, malty and sweet. Appley yeast character with some spicy hints. Very fruit laced. Spicy candied apple finish, and a bit of alcohol, though not too much as this is 9.75%. This is really weird. I don’t know if this is the yeast throwing all the wild spiciness or whether this is spiced. It’s not bad, spiciness is well integrated. I still am not completely sure what to make of it.

(bottle) Pours dark amber with no head. Aroma is sweet and caramelly with slight fruit, but it’s not very strong, also some alcohol Taste is sweet malt, caramel, light fruit and not too much else.

[Bottle] Pours dark reddish amber with no head, even with agitation. Aroma is toasted malt with a light sweet fruitiness and a bit of spice. Taste is loaded with malt, with some alcohol and some fruitiness also evident. Pretty good, but didn’t blow me away.

What a Scotch ale should be. Dark brown and full of malty goodness. No perceivable hops and the high abv is well hidden from the aroma and flavor. Some red wine character in the sweet malt flavor, as well as oak and a little smoke. Low carbonation.