Moylans Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale

Brewed by Moylans Brewery & Restaurant
Style: Scotch Ale
Novato, California USA

Copper/amber pour, a bit light, with a whitish head. Strong malt aroma, some sweet and light alcohol. Sweet malt, caramel/toffee, a little oak barrelly smokiness. Just a tinge of the alcohol in the finish. Very little bitterness, which there shouldn’t be much in a scotch ale. Could have been a little heavier bodied, but not too light. For a four dollar 22 ounce heavier ale, I thought this was great.

Bottle courtesy of Gillard. Pours a clear amber with a one finger off-white head. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, light smoke, and some earthy tones. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness. Good.

(22 oz. bottle from Kappy’s) Sweet and buttery...Pours hazy burnt orange with about half a finger of light yellowish-biege head that recedes to a thin layer. Aroma of caramel, toffee, buttery sweetness and fruit. Mouthfeel is fairly smooth, kind of on the light side, sticky. Nice weepy rings of lacing. Flavor is a bit of an odd mix - butter rum Life Savers, toffee, whisky, caramel, buttercream sweetness and fairly bitter, esp. towards finish. Some hint of smoke or peat as it warms. ABV pretty well-hidden. Sort of odd and messy. Not completely terrible but worst big beer I’ve had from these guys.

22oz. pours a hazy reddish copper with little head. aroma is surprisingly tart and fruity with a hint of molassas. mouthful is zesty and crisp with some lingering bitterness. not what i would expect for the style... in fact quite blahhh

Bottle. Head is initially small, fizzy/frothy, light brown, fully diminishing. Body is light to medium brown. Aroma is lightly malty (caramel, molasses), with notes of rotten fruit (old banana peels, rotting plums, etc.), brown sugar, butterscotch/diacetyl, alcohol. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery/syrupy texture, soft (almost flat) carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Absolutely terrible in every category, which is rare and amazing for a microbrewery, but no fooling here...appearance: small fizzy head dies very quickly and completely. aroma: nasty off rotten fruit that made my stomach flip a little bit at the first whiff, syrupy sweet in the mouth with virtually no help from carbonation nor bitterness. One of the worst examples of the style I think I’ve ever had. I had this once many years ago and it was just as bad then, so clearly this is the way it’s intended to be (I thought it was an off bottle the first time, but these are brand new to Colorado so presumably quite fresh).

Bottle. Clear dark amber pour. Distinct aroma of peanut as well as some malt. More peanut in the flavor with some caramel, toffee and maltiness. Interesting beer.

A tan leather look. Malt nose. Really nutty with some wood chips, malt, sugar, toffee, caramel flavors. Smooth. Almost silky smooth. A little hops in the end too, which gives it a kind of bite. Overall, well done.

Dark copper color with a medium head. Very light chalky aroma. Biscut and toast flavor. A very little bit of apple. Sweet malt finish.