Skull Splitter Scotch Ale: 5.0 – Now thankfully this hasn’t fallen into the deep pit of scotch ales that often can be like a bad bourbon cask with a cloying sweetness and wallpaper paste. However there’s something a bit off about this ale, it’s not a bad scotch ale – and surely is someone’s taste. But it’s like a weird banana bread sort of aspect that isn’t ideal.
Price Average: $12 for 4-pack bottles
Website: https://www.orkneybrewery.co.uk/
Scotch Silly: 1.5 – It is gross and sickenginly sweet, almost like a bourbon barrel aged, but also not. Overall it’s less reflective on a scotch style ale, and more just some hot sugar mess. Not worth buying or enjoying at all, but good for deglazing onions.
Price Average: $9
Website: http://silly-beer.com/en/
Pictavia Scotch Ale: 7.5 – A very very well done scotch ale, another great hit from Allagash. This is certainly what you want from a scotch ale, and the barrel aging from the scotch barrel hasn’t turned it cloyingly sweet like some bourbon barrels do. The problem here is that you kind of wish it was more. It’s a solid scotch ale of course, but it’s missing that tiny bit it needs to push it over the edge.
Price Average: $20 for 4-pack
Website: https://www.allagash.com/
Barrel Aged Maple Scotch Ale: 6.5 – Now let’s get something clear – if you entered into this beer not expecting sweetness from being a barrel aged beer w/ maple and are turned off by that – you did this to you. That being said it does add some unique bits to a scotch ale, and isn’t cloyingly sugar. It’s not a very successful barrel age, but by virtue of being drinkable (although it heavy) is wonderful.
Price Average: $21
Website: https://sierranevada.com/
Saturday Scotch Ale: 5.0 – Kind of unremarkable, very mellow which is bad because you want more of that taste.
Price Average: $18
Website: https://hoppyboston.com/
Gregarious Scotch Ale: 6.5 – It’s rich, it’s not sweet or off-putting it is a very solid, very good scotch ale.
Price Average: $8
Website: https://www.queencitybrewery.net/
Drookit Scotch Ale: 7.5 – It’s as complex as any Belgian Quad even giving that bit of banana and meaty taste. It’s overall though just a great tasting beer.
Price Average: $5
Scotch Wee Heavy Ale: 6.0 – It’s got a lot of flavor and it’s definitely ‘heavy’ instead of just a scotch ale. However it’s not particularly stellar though which is unfortunate.
Price Average: Scotch Wee Heavy Ale $10 for mixed 6-pack
Website: http://www.atlanticbrewing.com/
McEwan’s Scotch Ale: 4.0 – So there was a scotch ale (which is a beer type I adore) that we mostly hated – called Wet Willy. Now that was actually hated simply because it was so basic and average. However this is more like Old Chub, not only is it a not good scotch ale – it’s actively bad. However take that 4 score with the mindset that even a bad scotch ale is still just a supbar beer.
Price $4
Website: http://www.mcewans.co.uk/
Count: 34/71
Sam Adams Scotch Ale: 6.0 – Compared to some other big scotch ales, this cannot fully compete. However compared to other Sam’s this is a delight. As such it should and does earn a good score, but more as a gateway drug into other scotch ales.
Google Shop Average: Sam Adams Scotch Ale $15 for Cabin 12-Pack
Website: https://www.samueladams.com/