Highland Tasgall Ale

Brewed by Highland Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Asheville, North Carolina USA

Pours a nice translucent brown in color. Decent head retention. Smell is somewhat hoppy, and enough malt to be balanced. Taste is full in body, very creamy. Plenty of toffee, and is well hopped. There is a nice amount of chocolate that adds a nice twist. This is a very good beer. Goes down really smooth and easy. Never noticed the ABV while drinking.

Wow, does this look great. A magnificently retained beige head, creamy and mid-sized, sits atop a totally nearly opaque, very thick looking deep chestnut body with crimson/mahogany underlying. The appearance is immaculate, staring into it is like looking into the mash tun while it’s being brewed. The nose is strinking, chocolate malt piling out first like there just isn’t enough room in the glass to hold it any longer. Moderate peated malt follows, complete with mild smoke notes and light peppery spice. Also present are caramel, dry toffee, cherries, aged Dominican rum, toasted grain and oily nuts. Alcohol is almost entirely masked. Chocolate is foremost in the flavor as well, followed succinctly by caramel, nut oils and ancient peat. Sweetness is medium and masterful for this style and particularly for this recipe, which seems to pay homage to faraway origins and remains fresh and inventive. The chocolate note is marvelous, neither bitter nor too sweet, but full and rich. Bitterness is low, spiciness low to mild, acidity very low but presented in such a way that sweets are dispersed evenly across the tongue. This provides a very full bodied mouthfeel and accelerates the involvement in a velvety texture. Carbonation is low(in feeling, most must have faded into the formation of the head), the mouthfeel is very smooth and rewarding. I do think if this were any thicker it would seem too syrupy but it’s just great as is. The finish is sweet and caramel-infused, light smoke and peaty spice lingering for a long while. A wonderful example of the style with no flaws and a superb display of Highland’s ability across the style spectrum.

Bomber from Ross a long time ago; Nose of chocolate, caramel, with a smoky hint; clear cherry brown with a small, but glass-lacing straw head; flavor of toffee, smoke, and some roastiness; smooth drinking as I sit here drinking these winter beers on a 108 degrre day (under the AC of course)!

Date: 10/20/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade

dark red, whispy head, light malt aroma, big rich malt flavor well balanced by earthy hops, touch of peat, low bitter finish,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Score: **+/4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Thanks MikeTD. Dark brown pour, almost no head. Aroma is smokey. Flavor is smoked malt, caramel, toffee, some roasted and chocolate malt. Sweet caramel, butterscotch and biscuits. Easy drinking scotch ale.

220z - Thanks Jay and Jen - Rusty brown, creamy tan head. Peat smoked chocolate nose that fades into notes of caramel, cherry, and toasted toffee brittle. Flavor is a well balanced malt bomb with smokey chocolate and nut flavors that lay on beds of cherry toffee brittle and plum. Full bodied, medium carbonation, rich malty finish. A well crafted brew that’s perfect for mid-winter late night sippin by the fireplace...

22 oz. Deep copper brown in color with a roasty aroma. Malty smoky aroma. Toffee and light hoppy notes. Malty and roasty flavor. Caramel roasty smoky notes. Finish is malty. Medium bodied. Drinkable.

22 oz. Nice and roasty, brown with just a bit of red highlights. Flavor is toffee and caramel with some mellow smokiness. 8% masked very nicely.