flashmcduff says bad batch bureau
May 12th, 2008
I like scotch ales.
I don’t like buying a six-pack of rancid scotch ale that tastes like someone barfed lemons into a Mr. Beer.
Eric says This is the way it’s supposed to taste?! I like it.
May 10th, 2008
I suppose I should preface this review with the statement that I don’t much care for scotch ales or beers with any smoke, be it peat or malt. In fact I almost passed this week’s review up so that I wouldn’t have to drink a smoked scotch ale.
I’m glad I didn’t.
This Scotch Ale may be my re-introduction to both styles. Or maybe it’s the combination of the two that did it for me. I can’t say I’d rush out and buy a sixer of it, but I was certainly surprised at my appreciation of this brew. Sure, it was a little sweet and malty, a little smoky, lacked the hop backbone (and frontbone) I prefer. But it wasn’t repulsive to my palate–to the contrary–as many representatives of the styles are.
*Edit*
I just read some of the other posts, alluding to a bad batch, which is maybe why I liked this smoked Scotch Ale that didn’t really take like a smoked Scotch Ale. It does have a funky sorta bandaid taste, typical of some wild beers and apparently smoked Scotch Ales.
Josh says Crap
May 8th, 2008
I really like the Sam Adams Scotch Ale so I was expecting to enjoy the Brau Brothers version as well. This beer tasted nothing like I was expecting. It is very tart and fruity and I have a hard time tasting any smoky malt. As some people complained about the previous Brau Brothers beer I think it’s possible I got a bad batch. I have a sixer so I’ll update this post if the others are better. I’m starting to really dislike Brau Brothers beers.
Rett says Malt-tissimo
May 6th, 2008
Very much malt. I don’t have a good bench mark for what a scotch ale should taste like, but I’d guess this is pretty accurate. I think it’s the peat-smoked malt they mention on the label that’s giving me the smoky taste. I was pretty disgusted to find peat-smoked malt described as “medicinal/bandaid-like” when I googled it. Yuck, if I ever taste bandaid in my beer I promise that I’ll dump it down the drain. On second thought maybe this is a good beer to have out when playing softball to pour on someone’s fresh scrape. When they start screaming at you, you’d reply “What?! It contains peat-smoked malt which is medicinal/bandaid like!!”