Since I had already been drinking earlier in the evening, Shane and I split a 12 ounce bottle, pouring it into two tulip glasses. The Wee Heavy pours with a very dark brown toned body with some slight reddish hues around the edges. That’s topped with a moderate half finger tan colored head which is respectable, especially for a 6 ounce pour.

The aroma had a nice sweet caramel malt note up-front, but was quickly balanced with a nice smoky aroma. Dark fruits came in, followed by some toasted malts and perhaps even a touch of peat. Initially on the palate it’s quite bitter though they do a nice job of balancing the flavor with sweet caramel and dark malts. The smoke is in the drink too, making itself quite noticeable towards the back end. It’s welcomed though and brings a touch of booziness with it lasting into the finish. Flavorful, robust, medium-bodied – all around a well made beer.

For me, this was enjoyable to try something a bit out of the norm for Samuel Adams. I have to say, they did well with this beer and it’s certainly something I’d recommend trying. It would be interesting to see how this would age, considering the smoke is fairly dominate right now, time might help mellow it out.

Rating

87
out of 100

The 22 ounce bottle, poured into my glass, revealed a substantially dark mahogany body topped with a very tiny head. Due to this, little to no lacing was present, though traditionally Scottish Ales don’t necessarily exemplify huge, billowy heads. The aroma starts off with a welcomed sweetness to lay down the foundation, notably from the malts. Accents of sweet caramel malt, plums and passion fruit blend in a very pronounced nose — definitely what I’m looking for.

The taste is spot-on to what I was anticipating, a nice subtle malt sweetness comes out first hitting on the caramel and dark fruit qualities. The malt profile in the Kilty Pleasure is not dominating but has the upper edge over the other flavors. The beer is very drinkable in respects to it’s flavor and unnoticeable ABV. The body feels smooth with a medium base, not thick and not watery and leaves your palate coated with some residue dry grains.

While the Kilty Pleasure does not epitomize the style to a “T” — it’s still a great example of what Scottish Ale should be. This one is a solid selection but is nothing unique or earth shattering when it comes to the style. Overall, it’s a solid beer that any avid craft beer drinker can enjoy, I just expected a bit more diversity from this one.

Rating

86
out of 100

The signature stubby Founders bottle brands itself at 10.2% ABV and boasts aging in oak bourbon barrels. The pour into my snifter was mahogany brown with some sharp maroon hues. A faint crust of red is mixed with a deep, darkening brown. The carbonation seems to have mellowed out, considering I had a quickly dissipating head and also noticed some floaties in the body.

The Backwoods Bastard stays true to its name while the nose encompasses a huge charred oak wood flavor. The hints of bourbon served neat come through nicely along with some Werther’s Original hard candy, toffee and [unflavored] cough syrup. This eclectic mixture teases your nose for an intense and decadent Scotch Ale.

The first thing I noticed about the body was the lack of carbonation. This has seriously mellowed out since its bottling date though the body still feels on the heavier side of a medium-body. Your palate is covered with silky smooth and hot bourbon, though dangerously drinkable. The backbone is heavy in malt, while being extremely rich and balanced. This finishes off with some hints of dates, and evident, though subtle, oak wood notes.

For enjoying this bottle almost one year after being bottled, I’m impressed how well the flavor profile is still in tact. While the carbonation has definitely mellowed, the rich bourbon and oak flavors are still present. I’d be extremely interested to taste this “fresh,” to see if my speculations of differences are in tune, though for what it is, this is a seriously solid Scotch Ale.

93
out of 100

Title photo from: Flickr

Poured from the 22oz bottle, the Old Factory Whistle is a slightly cloudy dark amber color. There is a small off-white head that quickly fades to nothing and leaves almost no lacing on the glass. The aroma is where I first started to become worried. I expected a good amount of malt and a bit of alcohol, instead the aroma was a bit flat. There was some caramel and a bit of sweetness followed by the slightest hint of alcohol.

After the slightly disappointing nose, my hopes of enjoying a full flavored Scottish Ale started to quickly diminish. The flavors were a bit of an improvement from the nose but not by much. The Old Factory Whistle started off with a bit of caramel sweetness and a bit of bitterness. The flavors are overall pretty weak and a bit thin/watery, especially for a Scottish Ale. The Old Factory Whistle finishes a bit dry and has a slightly off-putting aftertaste.

I really wanted to like this beer, but it fell flat. The nose was far too weak and the flavors weren’t that much of an improvement. It is a good beer, there isn’t anything that bad about it, but compared to other Scottish Ales and what a Scottish should be, it really doesn’t make the grade.

Rating

58
out of 100

The Old Chub pours a dark red tinted brown with a creamy one-finger tan head, which is really what I would expect from a Scotch Ale. The nose on the Old Chub consists of roasted malt, with caramel, chocolate, and molasses, all playing together. The smell is sweet and rich, with a nice balanced malt smell. There is the slightest twinge of alcohol at the end, but for an 8% ABV beer it is to be expected.

The malt comes through nicely on the first sip and is decently creamy and smooth. There is some balance to the bitterness and sweetness. The major flavors borrow from the nose with caramel and chocolate coming through along with dried fruits and vanilla. Once again, the alcohol comes into play at the end and warms things up a bit, just enough to let you know it is there.

While the Old Chub is smooth and highly drinkable, it isn’t a beer that I would want to go beyond two or three with. Not because of the alcohol, but because it starts to feel a bit sticky and that can stop being pleasant really fast. The Old Chub is a big beer, but it hides it well. The flavors aren’t overly dramatic, but they are well balanced and nicely play off of each other. Oskar Blues has something good here, check it out if you can.

Overall: 8/10

The aroma hits you quickly with a smoky, caramel apple scent and a slight hint of cinnamon. The smokiness was a nice touch without being too overpowering. The taste reiterates the smoky, caramel aroma. The flavor is sharp and does not linger for long. The beer goes down very smoothly with no burn. This scotch ale is the Silver medal winner in 2007 from the Great American Beer Festival and is well deserving.

Shane and I had mixed reactions. This was my first Dark Horse brew and I was pleasantly impressed. If you like a darker beer with a strong, rich flavor and aroma, I highly recommend giving the Scotty Karate Ale a try.

Overall: 8/10

Title photo from: Flickr