Beer 397: Scottish Ale Highlander Brew Co.

Beer # 397 Scottish Ale

Brewery: Highlander Brew Co.


Type: Independent Microbrewery    Est.:  2009

Location: South River, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Scottish Ale

ABV: 5.4 %      IBU: 34

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $3.25 CAD     Purchased At: The Brewery

highlanderbrew

    @HighlanderBrew

First, stop on my mini near North Ontario brewery tour (well two breweries anyway... I had other things to do...) Highlander is a brewery we have tried before, most notably Lion Grass Flavoured Ale, which until recently my blog was quoted on the description page of Highlander's website. (Nobody even told me I found out by (happy) accident). Tonight's beer is their signature Scottish ale. Let's give it a try.

Pours an orange/amber chestnut colour with a light tan fluffy head made up of small to medium bubbles. Nose is very grainy with hints of malt and molasses. Hints of nuts and toast and a touch of freshly mown grass. The first sip is malt forward with a surprising creaminess. Very nutty and slightly bitter with an herbaceous midsection. Hints of marijuana and medicinal hops. Aeration brings out a biscuit/toast

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

A good, flavourful Scottish ale. Refreshing and delicious.

CJT

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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 12: 80 Shilling, Beau's All Natural

Beer # 310 80 Shilling 

Farm Table Series

Brewery: Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

Type: Independent Microbrewery     Est.: 2006

Location: Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Scottish Ale (80 Shilling, Export Strength)

ABV: 4.7%      IBU: 29

Format: Crown Capped Brown Glass Bottle  Size: 600 ml

Cost: $4.55 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter: @BeausAllNatural



Back again to Beau's All Natural, One of Ontario's hardest working breweries. It's been a big year for them. They hit their 10th birthday, and they decided to give the company to their employees. Wait, what? Yes. Beau's became the first fully, employee owned, brewing co-operative in at least Ontario history. Couple that news with Muskoka Brewery becoming Ontario's first certified living wage employer, and the rapid increase in female brewers and brewery employees, and I would have to say you would be hard pressed to find a more progressive and socially aware industry in Canada. See, beer is good for the planet. That is even aside from the fact that brewers are more environmentally aware, the craft beer industry is reducing the overall carbon footprint of the brewing industry by sourcing local and delivering local. And when you buy local craft beer you are giving your hard earned money to your neighbours and helping to put their kids through college. What could be more win, win than that? Please take this time now to stop reading and go out and buy a lot of locally sourced craft beer before you continue reading... for the sake of the planet.


I'll wait...



Don't rush... I know, traffic, weather...



Ok. We're back? Good. Open that beer and let's finish.


Tonight's beer is an 80 Shilling. What is that you may ask? Well, Scots used to classify their beer by quality and the higher the quality the more a hogshead (54 Imp. Gallons) of beer cost. For instance light ales were known as 60 Shilling ( or 60 /-  for short) which meant the hogshead cost 60 shilling. So I'm a nerd... I had to figure out what that would cost in today's money. 60 /- for a 54 gallon barrel was about £1086  or $1800 Canadian Dollars. 54 Gallons is 432 Imperial pints (16 oz) which works out to $4.17 CAD per pint... which is not that unreasonable given inflation. Further beer classifications were 70/- or Heavy, 80/-  or Export (our beer tonight), and 90/- a "Wee Heavy." While the actual specific gravity and alcohol content varied in the nineteenth century, they have come to be regarded as follows. Light under 3.5% ABV. Heavy 3.5% to 4.0% ABV Export 4.0% to 5.5% ABV, and lastly Wee Heavy over 6.0% ABV. In case you were wondering the modern pint prices would be as follows: 70/- $4.87. 80/- $5.57. 90/- $6.27 (all prices CAD and for 16 Imperial ounces).

Overwhelmed by math? Have another beer, and let's go on to the tasting.


Pours a rusty caramel gold colour with a short off-white head made up of small bubbles. The nose is sweet with heady florals, some hay, caramel, and a touch of pine. First sip is deep green hops, sweet malt and caramel, freshly mown hay, and some distant smoke. Mouthfeel is very light and airy. Notes of wood and coffee sit in the background. Bitter hers and florals near the finish. Aeration gives us a smoky sweetness, light caramel  and green hops.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Re-Order:  6/6  EXCEPTIONAL
Experience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Christmas Cheer: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL

Final Thoughts:

I used to drink Caledonia 80/- all the time in Toronto when I lived there and I remember on my one trek up into Scotland an 80/- was one of my first pints. It is great to have this beer to compare those experiences to. Beau's has done a lovely job with this one, equally light, quite fresh and flavourful, smokier than the ones I have had before, but not unwelcome in the least. So if you didn't get any Beau's on your last craft beer run... you did go get beer right? Go get some, support some neighbours, maybe even save the planet. That should put you back on Santa's nice list.

Cheers

CJT

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