Friday Brew Review: Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale

Welcome to Friday.

After the shitstorm that is the workweek, there’re plenty of ways to unwind. If your favorite sports team is in town, you could head to the game and cheer on the athletes. After all, sports heroes love their fans! Or, if sports aren’t your thing, you could go to the theater so as to bask in the relaxation of a concert. And if worst comes to worst, you could do your chores and then waste time with your friends.

But when it comes to end of the week refreshment, there’s really only one perfect accompaniment. Whether you’re playing video games or shredding on an eight-string, there’s a surefire way to make your experience more enjoyable. This means of party-amplification is, of course, sippin’ on a fine-ass brew.

This Friday sees me sampling Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale.

Hoping to learn more about this beer before consuming it, I voyaged to the Cambridge Brewing Company’s website. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find much at all about this limited release, excepting only the following tidbit:

New England winters are tough, but we like it that way. After digging out from another snowy deluge, reward yourself with our traditional, super rich and warming Scotch Ale. 9.2% ALC/VOL.

Hrm. Not much to go on, other than the fact that its ABV is only slightly higher than Hemingway’s BAC. But hell, that was enough for me! And with that, it was time to begin the beer-drankin’ ritual.

I poured the Scotch Ale into a standard glass so as to give it an ocular assessment. The beer settled as a shadowy shade of obsidian, allowing for nary a ray of light to pass through. When I tilted the glass lightwards, I detected traces of crimson or perhaps maroon. Additionally, the mere wisp of head that appeared was tan and beautiful but truly ephemeral.

In terms of bouquet, this brew is more of a multi-hit combo than one-punch TKO. At first, my nose was overwhelmed by toasted sweetness and a definite bready quality. However, subsequent sniffings unearthed fruity notes as well as a tinge of alcoholic vapors. I don’t know who or what Bannatyne is, but I have no doubt that he/she/it smells fuggin’ wonderful.

As I introduced Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale into my gullet, my first reaction was to the mouthfeel – this brew is incredibly rich and creamy. In fact, with the first swallow, I was a bit worried that this beer would be far too syrupy to finish. I think part of this initial perception can be chalked up to the scarcity of carbonation, which saw bubbles popping about only sporadically. Fortunately my palate adjusted, and I was then able to keep on consumin’!

Flavor-wise, the CBC has stumbled upon a winning formula. On the one hand, a smokiness hit the back of my throat with a fervor that is sure to please those beer-drinkers accustomed to cask-aged, scotch-infused elixirs. On the other hand, I also tasted an abundance of malts and dark chocolates and light caramels and heavy breads – flavors sure to please any drinker with a certified sweet-tooth. Rounding out all of the experience was a barely perceptible, but still adept, hint of alcohol which reminded that the beverage at hand was not the stuff of child’s play.

If we lived in Middle Earth, I’d make sure to keep a bottle on hand at all times so that I could feed a thimbleful to any hobbit who happened to visit my wizard’s quarters.

Having imbibed a full pint of Bannatyne’s Scotch Ale, I have no reservations about declaring it a fine brew. Before you solidify your plans for this glorious Friday evening, considering incorporating a bottle of this potable. I assure you – it will serve you well!

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