Arcadia Loch Down Scotch Ale

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

Serve in Thistle

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A scotch ale that gose above and beound, love the deep amber color and the flavor keeping with tradtional scotch ales that i have had, in short good stuff.

Very dark brown ale, with gold yeast flakes floating throughout. The head is nich & high due to a vigorous pour but seems quite thick. Smells a lot like apples, maybe a little spice. Smells clean and sweet. Tastes like a barleywine. Very sweet like a Scottish ale, hints of apple. Does have quite a kick. This is the best Arcadia so far. Lots of flavor but nothing overpowering. Awesome.

Arcadia Brewing Company--Arcadia Scotch Ale 2004 Release--12 oz. Bottle--7.50% ABV--30 IBU’s. (4.75 / 5.0) Scottish Ale--Lacy mild head. Clear dark mahogany black color. Malty toasted floral peat hop front. Smooth rich toasted malty sweet mild creamy smoky burnt caramel Scotch body. Semi hot clean dry mild hop end. Sampled 7/26/2004. Arcadia Brewing Company--Arcadia Ales--Arcadia Scotch Ale--2005 Release--12 oz. Bottle--7.50% ABV--25 IBU’s? (4.5 / 5.0) Scottish Ale--Mild head. Clear dark bronze brown color. Mild malt peat front. Sweet smooth rich malty peaty smoky toasted Scottish body. Clean smooth mild dry hop end. Good! Sampled 12/15/2005.

Arcadia Scotch Ale is brewed with imported two row malt from the UK, as well as being hopped with English Fuggles. Arcadia also uses a traditional British yeast strain, known as Ringwood in the brewing of this beer, and all their products for that matter. What does this all mean? The answer is quite simple. One hell of a good American example of Scotch Ale, or Wee Heavy. Arcadia Scotch Ale comes in at a warming 7.5% abv, and makes a perfect winter warmer to take the chill off a cold Michigan winter. Arcadia Scotch Ale pours to a beautiful, deep garnet color with a slight tan head, and a medium carbonation. The nose on this beer is fantastic with big aromas of sweet malt, peppery alcohol, and earthy aromas of Ringwood yeast. The palate is rich and full on the tongue with big flavors of sweet malt, butter scotch, a slight touch of smokey peat, and hints of treacle. Arcadia Scotch Ale finishes with sweet and toffeeish malty flavors, and then ends with just a touch of hop bitterness to balance, and a warming, soothing burn that linger. This is a wonderful American version of a classic Scottish beer style. This beer is the ultimate after dinner drink, night cap, or beer to relax with during a cold and brutal day.

THOUGHTS: Surprisingly sour. Very interesting. Not necessarily the best Scotch Ale, but a great beer. The alcohol was noticeable, but OK for the style. Not what I was expecting , but nice. Very Scottish if not exactly like you would expect a Scotch ale. Bonus point for being better than the sum of its parts. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Bottle conditioned. Poured a sort of cloudy, very dark brownish red with an average, off-white head that mostly diminished and left barely fair lacing. The aroma was very light nutty malts, and milk chocolate, more caramel malt, light to moderate earthy hops, cobweb-like yeast, raisin, plum, prune, apple, sour cherry, toffee, earthiness, candy a little wood, sour fruits and very slight smoke. The initial flavor was acidic and very sweet; while the finish was sweet, acidic and lightly bitter with a long duration. There was cherry, caramel, nutty malt, earthy hops, a little yeast, slight alcohol, sour cherry, slight metallic hops and more earthy yeast. The medium to full body was sort of oily then dry with fizzy carbonation and a moderately to heavily astringent and light to moderate alcoholic finish.

Amazed I haven’t tried this before. Pour from a 12 oz bottle. Deep, dark color with a thin, tan, creamy head. As dark as many stouts. Delightful complex aroma of malt, hops, and chocolate with some fruitiness tossed in. Endorphins surge in the brain on the first taste – exceptionally balanced sweet malt, brunt malt, hops, and slight fruit flavors. A distinct ethanol flavor in the first few sips, but it quickly recedes. Creamy and aromatic in the mouth - this is what micro brews are all about. Fine quality, excellent craftsmanship, and really superb ale.

UPDATED: JAN 23, 2006 On-Tap at The Happy Gnome in St. Paul. I am a fan of few things, but Scotch Ale is one of them. I have few to choose from in my neck of the Tundra, but Arcadia hit town a while back, and it has yet to disappoint. This is the beer that separates the Scotch Ale from the Scottish Ale. This is definitely thicker, meatier, if you will, than my other fave in the latter category, Robert the Bruce. Highly recommend anyone who wants to know what all the hubbub is about regarding this autumnal style.

Not sure if other raters drank the right beer. This is phenomenal. Clear auburn color, aroma masks the complexity inside. Chewy feel. Upon swallowing one gets an immediate coffee mocha taste, then a mellow sweetness followed by a subltle hoppinewss

12 oz bottle-deep ruby red color w/almost no head. Roasted malt aroma. Rich full flavor of roasted malt, caramel, toffee & roasted nuts. Very smooth & easy to drink. Alcohol was very well hidden-had no idea it was this high until I went to rate it. Classic example of this style-long matly mouthfeel. I really enjoyed this one & would love to try it fresh on tap!

Finally! Arcadia did better than average. I enjoyed the Scotch, it was smooth, suprisingly dark and quite tasty.