Granite City McKs Scottish Ale

Brewed by Granite City Food & Brewery
Style: Scottish Ale
St. Louis Park, Minnesota USA

On tap at the Orland Park,IL, brewpub. It poured a deep browjn body with some red around the edges and a short head that disappeared pretty quickly. The aroma was faint - roasted malt, chocolate, and some dark caramel. The chocolate dominated the flavor with a light nuttiness, not exactly bitter, coming in near the finish. Not bad.

On draught during the Winterfest 2008 in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. Pours a clear brownish amber brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a fine film. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, some toffee and a light roasted nut character. Taste is well-carbonated, medium bodied with some flavors of light caramel malt, toffee and a light raisin. Finish is slightly dry and metallic with some aftertaste flavors of light caramel malt and some roasted nuts.

This draft brew from the brew pub poured a small sized head of foamy with a frothy top tan colored bubbles that were quickly diminishing and left behind a opaque no visible carbonation and a poor lacing. The weak aroma was malty. The crisp mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish with a lingering mild malt hop brown malt aftertaste. The flavor contained notes of toasted, mild burnt and brown malts. A decent one but not one that I would consider buying again.

Draft at GCF&B, Fort Wayne, IN. Small tan head with good retention, opaque, no visible carbonation, good lacing, and a brown hue. The aroma was nutty, roasty, burnt, and brown malts, and a hint of sweetness. The flavor was roasty, burnt, brown malts, nutty, some fuggle hops, and had a sharp taste to it. Fairly smooth mouthfeel and medium in body. This beer has a very prominent aroma and flavor to it, lingering roasty aftertaste, fairly easy to drink, but was missing the true characteristics of a Scottish Ale.

Draft at the Cedar Rapids, IA location. Poured a clear dark brown-orange color. Head was one finger high and reduced quickly to a thin khaki film with a yellow tint. Aroma was of chocolate, toffee, and subdued coffee grounds. There was delicate malty sweetness with a decidedly malt dominated flavor profile. I detected some chocolate, coffee, and raisin, but alas, no smoke. Pretty good beer, but was hoping for some peated malt flavor.

Finally, A granite city seasonal. Sad having to go to a festival to get it when there’s a brewpub a mile from home. Brown body with faint head. Caramel aroma and malty body.

draft at Fort Wayne location. This beer pours dark brown with a medium sized fizzy head. It smells mainly of toasted caramel malt. The flavor is more of the toasted malt along with some mild hops presence that adds to the roast finish. It is simple and okay though reminded me more of a brown ale than a Scottish ale.

On tap at the Madison location: Pours a semi cloudy dark brown colour with a full tan head. Rich roasted malt flavors with a hint of smoke. Caramel, nuts and apple on the palate.