Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Tap at Blind Tiger. Deep brown beer. Aroma is sweet and very caramelly. There is a bright note of butterscotch on the nose as well. A touch of molasses, dark malts and treacle. There is a kiss of plummy character and even a little bit of cocoa. It’s quite smooth and pretty easy to put back. Very malty and chewy.

On tap at Publick House. Pours brown with small head. Aroma is roasted yet sweet upfront, later revealing more nutty notes. Flavor is soothingly malty, along with earthy and nutty notes. Remains creamy but surprisingly light on the palate, perhaps a perception aided by light hopping for balance? Overall, a good drinking beer.

August maroon-amber with a ruby underpinning topped by cloudy, faded head. Beautiful color, but a rather flat looking body. Wafts of deep malt, wood barrell, and caramel greet the nose. Pitch perfect for a Scotch ale. A touch of alcohol wiggles through. Flavor is a meld of caramel malt, and, unexpectedly, roast barley, lending some coffee grain to the body. Nutty caramel finish with a touch of dry wood and stickiness. One of the better scotch ales I have enjoyed for a while, and you would never guess it packs such a wallop.

12 oz. bottle. Pours thin pale head of poor duration over a dark (SRM 25) clear reddish brown body.....nose is mild coffee, mild molasses, mild caramel.....taste is primarily sweet malts, with caramel, molasses and coffee predominating, mild smokiness drifted through, finishes with mild hop bitterness....mouth fell is medium, carbonation low. There are some "chemically" flavors that do not quite fit.

Deep dark brown with a tall, creamy tan head that cascades downward. Rich caramel malt aroma. Roast malts and caramel and molasses make up the flavor profile.

Sampled at the GD tasting at Blacklick Wine and Spirits on 3.26.09. Pours dark brown with a medium tan head. Super malty aroma with some roasty character, nuts and sweet caramel. Flavor is caramel up front, with a touch of hop in the finish.

Deep mahogany appearance with a large tan head that faded quickly but left good lacing. Caramel malt aroma, some roastiness, some dark fruit. Rich, malty, earthy taste, gently hopped, with toffee and nuts in the background. Medium bodied, modestly carbonated mouthfeel with a long lasting finish.

What follows is a conglomeration of three separate tastings: a 10 ounce goblet at the Brick Store Pub, a pint at a nearby Taco Mac, and a 12 ounce bottle (bottled on Feb. 17, 2009). Apparently, I just can’t get enough of GD Claymore. Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with some reddish tones when held aloft to the light. Smallish, ivory-colored head. Smell: Pleasant blend of roasted, toasted, and smoked malts. Distant background note of over-cooked plums. Taste: Sound dark malt base, a tad bit nutty and bready, with tastes of chocolate, dark caramel, and a tiny pinch of brown sugar. Medium-high sweetness throughout. Well-integrated smoke component replete with hints of earth and tobacco. Very slight fruitiness. Earthy bitterness, though fairly light. Touch of alcohol warmth on the drying, earthy finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: A very competent and enjoyable scotch ale, IMHO. Recommended. I can fully envision myself snatching up a six-pack of the stuff.