Scottish Ales

Tasting Notes

If England is famed for the bitter hops flavor of its "bitters," Scotland is famed for its full-bodied, malty ales. Scotch ales are sweet and very full-bodied, with malt and roast malt flavors predominating. They are deep burnished-copper to brown in color. Scottish ales are invariably rich and mouth filling because they are quite high in unfermentables. They have a maltier flavor and aroma, darker colors, and a more full-bodied and smokier character than British ales. Bitterness and hoppiness are not dominant factors in Scottish ales, and they are less hoppy than their British counterparts.

Ingredients

The base malt preferred is Scotch two-row pale ale malt. Darker malts, notably black, amber, brown, and chocolate, are added. Black appears in more commercial recipes than either chocolate malt or roasted barley. Roasted barley, from 1 to 3%, is also used, which is responsible for most of the color and flavor of Scotch ales. Some brewers use crystal malt in amounts no more than 10% of the grist charge, but others believe the use of crystal malt adds excessive fruitiness to the final product. Wheat - either malt or torrified - is often found in recipes for this beer. Scottish ales usually include treacle (molasses) or brown sugar.

Brewing Techniques

Scottish ales can be mashed using a step infusion. For best results, a long boil is preferred for caramelization since caramelized wort sugars are the major component of this style. Scotch ales do not require hop charge late in the boil for aroma and are not primed like British ales. Fermentation temperatures are usually between 10 and 20ºC, and maturation typically lasts for 6 to 12 weeks at temperatures low enough for flavor development.

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