Something sweet and strong
By Mark Tichenor and Bruce Lish

It is time once again for fair summer to furl her golden sails, giving way to the languid, melancholy embrace of fall. Ok, enough poetry, let’s talk about beer.

Given the change of the season, you’re probably expecting us to drone on about harvest ales and fall seasonals. Well too bad. This week, we’re going to discuss Scotch ale, a year-round style that just happens to be perfect for autumn.

“Wee Heavy,” as Scotch ale is also called, is a sweet, chewy, high-alcohol style that warms you and fills you up. Hop bitterness is usually low, probably because hops traditionally don’t do so well in the Scottish climate.

While characteristics can vary from brewery to brewery, the common traits that make up the Scotch Ale style include a dark brownish, color from roasted malt, little detectable hop bitterness or aroma, and carmelization caused by a long boiling time, which gives Wee Heavy its distinct sweet, earthy flavor. These flavor traits make scotch ale a good choice for people who haven’t cultivated a taste for more bitter beers.

The classic example of the style is McEwans, which comes over to us direct from Edinburgh.  It’s a deep brown, serious beer. You can taste the alcohol in every sip, but it mellows into a toffee finish.

Unsurprisingly, this is a favorite style for American Indie brewers to make. Rohrbach Scotch Ale has been a staple in the Rochester, NY craft beer scene since 1993, and it remains the brewery’s best-selling beer.

Rohrbach Scotch bucks the trend a bit. The taste and aroma are pretty complex, a little smoky, with a hint of espresso. It’s on the dry side, with a light but evident hop character, yet that doesn’t clash with a slight sweetness in the finish.

Middle Ages Brewing, in sunny Syracuse, NY, also makes a fine Scotch ale. Kilt Tilter clocks in at a whopping 9% ABV, and balances all that strength with a robust, nutty body. There’s a hint of butterscotch and plenty of caramel with a pleasant, creamy consistency.

Dozens more Scotch ales dot beer store shelves in the area. We’d encourage you to try them all, just not at the same time, lest you, dear drinker, end up caramelized as well.

In Other Beers
The High Falls Brewery is holding weekend adult hayrides throughout October to promote Dundee Oktoberfest beer. “We wanted a fun way to bring the country to the city,” explains High Falls’ Jennifer McCauley.

The hayrides, which will take place every Saturday in October, begin at Abilene, on Liberty Pole Way, with a 6:30pm beer and brat party. At 8pm, the horse-drawn haycarts will move out, stopping at Salinger’s, Monty’s Korner, The Old Toad, Acme Pizza, Oxford’s and Jeremiahs. The carts will run all night, so you can get hop on and hop off as you like.

The pre-sale price is $35, which includes four drink vouchers good for any Dundee beer at any stop along the route. You can also join up with the hayride in progress.

Bruce is a certified beer judge and commercial brewer. Mark owns a laptop and likes beer. For more on beer, check out the beercraft blog, updated regularly, at http:://www.beercraftsite.com. Send your questions, suggestions, or comments to beercraft@rochester.rr.com.