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Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

Percentile
93
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
3353.62/5.03.61/5.0Autumn9.75%85.7Thistle
Commercial Description:
For those of you who don't know who "Scotty Karate" is... He is a local one man band who plays an amazing slurry of honky tonk influenced, punk country songs. His voice is amazing as well as his high energy shows. (Check him out @ www.scottykarate.com) So, we decided to make a beer and name it in his honor. This beer is a big, full bodied Scottish ale. It is 9.75% alc. but it is very smooth and balanced. Since Scotty is also very passionate about beer I asked him to write a description for you, so from the man himself... Aroma: Smells like A fresh caramel apple with a hint of cinnamon inside of cranberry shortbread. Or maybe fresh home made hard candy (from home economics class-7th grade). Flavor: Tastes like a smokey chocolate chip cookie, wild roadside cherry-asparagus, woody, crispy leaf on a fall day.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 jstraw (767), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/510/105/518/20
Feb 6, 2008  
In bottle at Jerry’s. Mahogany with good, creamy beige head / Sweet, caramel and dark fruit nose / Full, thick, winey body with some chewy hops, long finish and big alcohol kick / Flavors of raisins, port, nuts, smoke, cloves, and orange peel / Close to a monster - smokey barleywine.


 21iceman40 (1731), vienna, West Virginia, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/517/20
Feb 9, 2008  
I absolutely love this scotch ale. Darkhorse knows how to make dark beers that are not porters or stouts. Lots of alcohol infused power driven by caramel and more caramel maltiness. Solid beer.


 craftbeerdesign (754), Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20
Apr 18, 2009  
’06 bottle shared with TheBeerSommelier - thanks Matt... Pours a deep caramel color... Little head... medium body, sweet and aged malt aromas as well as some dark fruit... a touch of smoke... feels nice through the mouth... a bit of alcohol in the back... as well as some bitterness on the finish which is surprising for a 2-3 yr old bottle ... really enjoyed this one. very well balanced.


 WakeandBake (430), Greenville, Michigan, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/517/20
Apr 27, 2009  
Bottle. A muddy dark reddish/brown color with a medium sized slowly fading off-white head, spotty lacing,medium carbonation. Aroma is big and malty,toasty caramel,sweet,smokey dark fruits. Flavor is complex and balanced, earthy,rich malty ,some dark fruit like rasins,dates,a slight spicy hop note,caramel apple,cookies,creamy,smooth mouthfeel,slight warming effect,with the alcohol taste well hidden, VERY balnced, I would call this sessionable but look out Scotty will kick your furkin arss ! Every other drink I was thinking or saying out loud "Damn this is good ! " Dark Horse rocks, Scotty Karate rocks !


beercamel (84), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/517/20
Oct 29, 2009  
pours dark amber / brown with hardly any head. The aroma is great and sweet, cherry scent. Has white chunks floating around. The taste is awesome.


 frankenkitty (1902), Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/518/20
Jun 27, 2007  
Pours with a deep, thick mahogany body. A slow effervesce predicts viscosity. A minimalist beige heads forms on a gentle pour. This has really lush, deep aromas: peat & brandy, charred oak, cherries & peaches. Full-flavored... a lot of smoky roasts fueled by an undertow of brandied fruits. High ABV is obvious and welcome. Full-bodied and warming with light astringence to coax you into taking another sip. I can’t wait for Dark Horse to get into Illinois, now let’s work on getting them into Chicago.

<font size=-4>Single bottle from Wacky Willy’s... in front of <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/michigan/marsha Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI 49068</font>


 DocLock (4648), Lower Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/517/20
Apr 6, 2007  
Bottle from sliffy via Mystery Swap 2.0. Wow, I didn’t realize this one was 9.75% ABV. Turbid dark brown pour with 1-finger tan head and a lot of floaties, which quickly sunk. The aroma is rich caramel/scotch malt, corn flakes, brown sugar, some figgy and pruney fruit. Tastes caramel malty, with a rich, complex palate, and flavor notes of figs and brown sugar. Gets a bit barleywiney as it warms in both mouthfeel and flavor perspectives


 joe1510 (501), Illinois, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Oct 2, 2007  
12oz Bottle $7.69 4-pack Village Dell and Wine Shop, Rice Lake Dark Horse Brewing’s Scotty Karate pours a burnt caramel with tiny particles of sediment suspending throughout. A two finger creamy ecru head formed on the pour and faded rather quickly to a solid cap. Leaves some patchy lacing after each sip. When held to the light the carbonation looks almost non-existent. Great aroma, something I expect from a good Wee Heavy. Deeply caramilized malts kick off the big aroma of this beer. A peat like smokiness soon follows along with a slight lactic quality. There’s a hint of pine needles in there as well but it just kind of flashes in and out. Smells extremely enticing. Flavor is not as deeply caramilized as the nose would suggest but is in an excellent place. Peat smokiness comes through mid palate along with a touch of the milkiness that was present in the smell. Toffe and a big hint of brown sugar, some caramel coming toward the backend with a very welcomed and balancing pine hop bitterness. Absolutely zero alcohol detected except the warming in the gullet after each sip. Body is on the heavy side of medium and absolutely velvety smooth. So creamy and rich it’s a pleasure to taste. Unbelievably easy drinking for such big abv. If this bottle didn’t state the alcohol I would have never believed it. Scotty Karate, up until this point in my journey into beerdom, is the best Wee Heavy I’ve come across. It’s absolutely delicious with every aspect being spot on. Another superb beer from the guy at Dark Horse. Find a distributor in Chicagoland guys! 9/23/07



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