McNeills Tartan Export Ale

Brewed by McNeills Brewery
Style: Scottish Ale
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Pours amber. Aroma of bread, marshmellows, and tabasco. Flavor is much the same. Odd but I am glad I tried it.

Crystal clear, dark, caramel-colored ale with a large, tan, rocky head. Nice lacework. Terrific nose. Notes of dates, hazelnuts, molasses, earth, toffee, sweet bread and alcohol. The flavor doesn’t stand as tall as the aroma. A bit of caramel, hazelnut, smoke and cocoa. Fairly nondescript, but not at all offensive. Medium-bodied with a lightly creamy mouthfeel and mild carbonation. Moderately dry finish.

Brought this to the DC gathering: Amber brown color with a small tan head. Light smoke, peat, sweet malts, caramel, cereal grains, slightly bitter and very dry. Medium bodied.

Poured a clear copper color with a small, light tan head, and no lacing on the glass. Butterscotch, and sweet caramel malt aroma. Taste overall was bland with some more roast, sweet caramel malts, light peat, but also a funky sour finish.

This scottish ale pours with a deep amber brown body topped by a medium thick head with some lacing. The aroma and flavor ae both sweet and malty with a great roasty note and a touch of fruit. Medium to full bodied, smooth and a touch dry.

Deep chestnut brown with a large creamy small-bubbled off-white head. Starts and ends sweet with a long caramel aftertaste, sweet malts in the aroma. Full bodied and creamy without much carbonation.

Speckled russet. Creamy and rocky light tan head. Plummy malt aroma laden with powdery malts and sweet bread bathing in alcohol. Mild hints of moss and earthy hops. Silky carbonation with a soft body. Rather sweet notes of candied malts mixed with some mossy earthiness. Glimpses of slick fruitiness help achieve some balance to the sugary richness. Scant roastiness grits up the body and deepens the flavor as it gains support from caramel and unsweetened chocolate. Tingly cherry acidity, midway, touched with tangy leather and subtle molasses. Maraschino cherries and almond extract round the rubbery texture. Notable earthy hop bitterness is noticeable in the finish, undercut by powdery malts, creamed caramel, and smoke. This is a Scottish Ale gone awry, and at this point it needs more hop bitterness to better conceal the off notes. Strangely artificial, but strangely intriguing. Thanks, Muzzlehatch.

Malty, medium-bodied. Alcohol well-hidden. Not much peat or smoke flavor. Light toffee nose, not heavy or burnt. Touch of citrus, but not sour, crisp -- mingled in wheat and walnuts.