Monday, November 22, 2010

Robert the Bruce Scottish Ale

Tried in the evening after practice and having gone to Augie Acres to collect some salad greens. For some reason nothing is being done with them, so I figured (with Jaron Gaier's permission) I'd help myself to and untapped resource of salad greens. Enjoyed with Milton Dairy' Cheddar cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

Appearance: Dark brown with little transparency. Dense tan head that laces nicely against the glass. Carbonation is difficult to see. Head diminishes rather quickly.
Aroma: Very malty and sweet with caramel and chocolate at the immediate nose. Nevertheless, there is a bit of grainy smell to it that is a little off bearing. Brown sugar emerges as another dominant characteristic. Toasted coffee beans are a contributor as well
Taste: Very sweet roasted malt profile initially that again acquires a somewhat grain husk bitterness. Chocolate and caramel play against themselves with an earthy musk to the beer. The finish is the tannin bitterness I mentioned above combined with a burnt licorice taste. Some tobacco begins to emerge halfway down into the glass.
Mouthfeel: Thick body and semi-cloying mouthfeel. Carbonation is low and perfect for this style type. The fizzed bubbles are prominent through to the end of the tongue, but not enough to bite or sting.
Overall Impression: I’m really not a fan of the over roasted/licorice/tobacco flavor of this beer. The chocolate and brown sugar in the beginning was great to start, but as those faded, the emerging characters didn’t follow what my ideal for a spectacular beer should be. The taster was great but bottled is either too much or just a different batch.

80/100

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