Amsterdam Tilted Kilt Scotch Ale

Brewed by Amsterdam Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Toronto, Canada

Bottle from Amsterdam outlet @ Bathurst & Lakeshore, Toronto. This may have replaced my previous Amsterdam favourite, Nut Brown, upon my first taste. Pours a dark ruby copper, light off white head. Light on the nose with floral notes, belies deeper tastes to come. Hints of Chocolate, cherry, very smooth tasting compared to the harshness and variability which sometimes accompanies different batches of Nut Brown (the acetoney curse of the amsterdam line!). Extremely even throughout in comparison. Evokes some hint of smoke and peat in the back of the mouth with toasted nuts and caramel. Low on the hops as per the company line, could possibly stand a bit more - it has the range to absorb it nicely. Viscous coating mouthfeel which clears quickly leaving the floral and sweet notes detected on the nose. Overall extremely pleasant for the darker faire from Amsterdam.

Draught a fine pint at BAR VOLO (Yonge @ Dundonald Sts, TORONTO.) Points for Amsterdam doing something drinkable besides the Framboise wheat ale. This Scotch Ale has nice toasty, warm, nutty malts, a good presence of alefruity tones, hops smoothed into the package very british-style. I like. Couldn’t really see it well at the bar but it’s dark and relatively opaque with a whisp of head and fine carbonation. Quaffable and relatively satisfying, a nice suprise really from Amsterdam (good rec G!)

Pint at Volo & bottle from the brewery - thanks to HogTownHarry for the bottle. I really liked the Kerstmis beer that Amsterdam used to make it each Christmas, and when I heard they were bringing back their winter seasonal, I was hoping it would be that. So I was a bit disappointed when I heard it was a different beer, but at least this is a pretty good one as well. Pours a very nice dark copper-amber with a thin head. Nice aroma, very toasty, with notes of roasted nuts and a bit of cocoa. Body is a bit thin, but OK. Flavour is fairly sweet as promised, with more nuts and cocoa in the middle, and a fresh mellow hoppiness to finish. I preferred the draught version slightly over the bottle, but both of them were nice beers that hit the spot. Once again, Amsterdam comes through with a solid seasonal - too bad most of their regular line-up is so mediocre.

Tapped from the brewey and bottled: Pours a deep dark copper with ruby highlights..decent cap that longers and frosts the glass sides from the lace it leaves. Aroma: Caramel sweetness, cocoa, Mocha, smoke, some light grassyness. Big dose of chewy toasty malts in the front...some caramel malts give sweeness but no cloying...hops rush in to stave off the sweeetness..mid papate we get smoke, cocoa, some walnut skin astringency....finishes malty with tailing bittering...a good drink for sure. This has the scotch ale-wee heavy malt-forward/hop-attenuated profile, some smoke as expected but with a nice cocoa flair and breadiness from the 5 malt mix...good Job Amsterdam...a good beer...who cares if it’s not bloody exactly like Edinburgh-made WH..it’s still a good wee quaff.

Bottle, blind tasting @ C’est. I was rather impressed with this beer. A bit vineous up front with hints of cherry, woody, toasty and caramel flavours with a somewhat smoky finish. A bit of that signature metallic Amsterdam profile and harsh carbonation, but it’s tempered by the sugary malts and high alcohol. Not bad at all.

Blind tasting a C’est What in toronto. This ended up being my fav. We tried a bit more after the tasting and I was still impressed. Woody and earthy, caramel and slightly smoky. Very smooth and refreshing, unique and quite nice.

On tap @ Volo. Aroma is caramel, with a hint of peat, deep clear copper, pours a small tan head. Good malt taste to start, fine caramel too. Sweet, smooth, balanced. Good.

Good but too strong, alcoholic feautres and veyr nice foam. BUt the colour was a little strange like pink or something.