Mike Loves Beer

Name – Railbender Ale
Country – United States
Type – Scotch Ale

Appearance – Poured a very clear red color with a big bubbly white head.  The foam was gone pretty quick with really no lacing.

Smell – The aroma is pretty weak.  I am getting some malts here but not a whole lot else.

Taste – Sweet caramel malts with a little bit of a grain taste in there as well.  Some notes of cherry as well.

I was excited when I picked this one up in Fort Pierce but have to say I’m disappointed after trying it.  It falls flat for a traditional Scotch ale.  Everything seems only barely there in smell and taste.  I guess if you are wanting to try your first Scotch ale this may be a good one for starters because it is pretty much toned down by all accounts from some of the really good ones I have had in the style.  Sorry Erie, this one just wasn’t for me.  Here’s to hoping I can get a bottle of Drake’s Crude from Erie because that is great beer by them.

Overall Grade – C

Name – Hoppin Frog Outta Kilter
Country – United States
Type – Scotch Ale

Appearance – Pours a clear amber/red color with a big bubbly off white head.

Smell – Awesome nose here.  Lots of malts and caramel with some nutty and bready notes as well.

Taste – Very sweet and caramel like malts here again.  A little oakiness in there along with a slight Scotch taste.  There is some hop profile that just peaks out for a second then goes back into hiding.

One of the pick ups on my little beerventure I went on Friday.  The name is Outta Kilter and I think this beer was outta this world.  Absolutely lovely.  This is a great American version of a Scotch ale, probably my favorite so far.  Hoppin Frog needs to make that one more hop and come on down into South Florida.  I will be a very happy man when that happens and I can get a beer like this more regularly.  Again sorry for the bad pictures.  The batteries on the camera went and had to resort to the ever amazing camera of the iPhone.

Overall Grade – A

Name – Big Sound Scotch Ale
Country – United States
Type – Scotch Ale

Appearance – Pours a very deep red color that is more brown in the middle and then goes to red along the edges.  There is a big tan head that sticks around a bit.

Smell – Bready and sweet.  You get a good smell of cherries and a bit of the alcohol.

Taste – Sweet cherry flavor up front mixed with some bready notes.  It then gets a little malty and transitions into a nice roasted taste at the end.  As it warms up you get more of the alcohol bite.

This is actually the first Cigar City beer I ever tried.  Back in September Ed Roberts from Total Wine brought a bottle to the Boca Beer Lovers Meetup and we sampled it.  I remember liking it then so I was overjoyed when word came out that bottles would actually be making it here in the southern region of Florida.  Maybe it’s not as roasted or peaty as some Scotch ales but this one is pretty good and reminds me of Skull Splitter because of it’s sweetness.  A good one here from Cigar City again.

Overall Grade – A