Highland Tasgall Ale

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

22oz bottle acquired in trade with aracana (thanks!). Poured a dark, dark brown color with a very small sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, and lightly earthy. Tastes of bitter chocolate, lighter roast, and some caramel. Alcohol content well hidden.

Thanks to hopdog. Pours a dark brown with some ruby red when held to the light with a small off white head that went away fairly quickly. Aroma of dark fruits, toffee, caramel and vanilla. Flavors of the same with some light roast, some coffee in the tail along with some bitter chocolate.

This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a medium sized head of foamy finely sized light brown colored bubbles that was mostly lasting and left behind a semi-opaque typically carbonated dark red brown colored body and a fair lacing. The aroma was mild chocolate and dark malt. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and strongly tingly at the finish. The flavor contained notes of roasted malt mild well hidden vinousness, dark malts and was mediumly hopped. Delicious and one I would certainly buy again.

Any first impressions?
-A veil of foam rests atop the dark red.
-Beany maltiness and earthy caramel herald sweet simplicity.
-Its creamy caramel maltiness is definitely my favorite feature, helped by meditative carbonation.
-Sweet maltiness doesn’t evolve into complexity, but manages to grab the attention of the malt lover.

What if you dig deeper?
-Some roastiness is found amongst the earthy soil.
-Supporting hop bitterness tickles the back end, but can easily be forgotten.
-Sweet maltiness develops light fruitiness, as raisins or dates.
-This is a very comfortable scotch ale which lacks the wit and intricacies of Corne de Brume or Alesmith Wee Heavy (for example), but which remains an enjoyable strong brew for malt heads.

Bottle; no date.

Bottle Pours a deep redish brown with a small off white head and spotty lacing. Woody, earthy fairly sweet aroma. Flavor was similar woody carmel wioth some grassy bitterness. Very low on the hops, and a decent full palate. A nice example of a style that I like. Thanks Jordan

Bottle: Dark brown mahogany color, light tan head and lacing. Nose of light fig and sweet olive crusted rye bread and kalamata. Light cheese. The flavor is sweet and rye with a nice sweet pumpkin seed, caramel and roast note. Moderate alcohol and sweet nice melanoidins. Finishes caramelly and chewy with lots of umami. Good!

22oz bomber from NachlamSie, no date. Pours a deep red with some brown highlights with a small beige head. Aroma of unsweet caramel malts, some bitter chocolate malts, a little roasty malts and light charred wood--though not really smoky. If I picked up on any hops, they were more earthy. Flavor is much more sweet and raisiny, but that doesn’t mean the roasty bitterness has gone. There is also some sweet toffee and a faint sour acidity. Finishes lightly chalky and roasty grainy. Alcohol is covered well, but still a little warming. Full bodied, very creamy with light carbonation. Very good beer.

22 oz bottle (thanks to acertain!) into a Snifter style glass. Pours a deep ruby red brown color with a fairly foamy tanned head...the brew looks heavily carbonated. The aroma is a blast of huge carmalized and roasted malts with hints of chocolate and bittered hops thrown in the mix. A tiny bit of alcohol is hidden in the nose very well as well. Just a tiny hint to let you know its there - but nothing overpowering. When this one hits the toungue at first a lovely and sweet carmalized malt swoops over the palate, which slowly (with huge, dense bubbles dancing over the tongue) progresses into a roasted grain and hopped game, the two with equal balance, but both trying to take over. In there somewhere as the sip goes into the throat is a well done chocolate taste that gives in to an also well done alcohol singe that will leave the palate with a highly complex aftertaste. This one has a thick and chewy body throughout the whole thing. I’m really beginning to enjoy Scotch style ales more and more - especially when they’re done as well as this! Thanks again to acertain...hopefully I can find another one of these soon!