Highland Gaelic Ale

I have heard about this brewery for a couple of years but have yet to find any their beers offered in New England. I found this one at a restaurant in Atlanta. Traditional neutral amber color. Mild head with no specific lace. The aroma most closely resembles warmed milk to me. I don’t detect any specific malts or hops but it is overall appealing. The taste is better than most. I particularly enjoy the balance. There’s a solid (lighter) malt base with a pleasant hop counterpoint--not really bitter or biting. The body is okay, but the carbonation seems to be a little high.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a reddish amber with a thin-moderate tan head that faded by the second sip and left a spotty film on the glass. The aroma is sweet malt along with some notes of syrupy orange. The flavor is sweet malt that has a bit of earthiness to it along with some iced tea and brown sugar. Mild bitterness at the finish. Although I like malty beers and I like sweet beers, this one just doesn’t quite do it for me.

Copper color, tan head. A bit of fruity malt, an earthy finish. Certainly not bad, but just not that much to it either.

Pours a clear deep rusty amber with solid tan head. Nose is very malty with hints of hops. Flavor is similar, but a little musty and dusty. Old bottle I guess. Lingering floral semi-bitterness on the finish. This is actually pretty tasty fresh though.

Tasted at old Chicago in Wilmington, nc. Pours a very dark reddish amber color with a small off white head. Slightly nutty, hoppy aroma. Not much to go on really. Flavor is of nuts and wet cardboard, not really all that appetizing. It scores higher marks for an interesting hop finish.

Pours amber red with minimal off white head. Smell is maple, sweet malt, brwon sugar. Taste more of same little hop presence. Very pleasant drinkable beer.

Well, it looks like Rate #500 will be a Scottish-style red on draft at Bull McCabes in Durham. Deep amber hue with thick off white head. Smooth crisp caramel malts with light hop presence in the nose and flavor. Malt sweetness transitions to modest hop bitterness before fading. Easy drinking with a hint of alcohol presence, a nice solid red ale to kick off my vacation weekend!

poured amber with not much of a head but laing that stuck to the edge til the end. smelled of toffee, malts and and a little sweetness. tasted pretty plain but very drinkable. small bitter aftertaste.