Cigar City Big Sound Scotch Ale

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Scotch Ale
Tampa, Florida USA

750ml bottle acquired in trade with daknole (thanks!). Poured a deeper amberish/brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of earthiness, toffee, roast, and some dark fruits. Tastes of lighter earthiness, dark fruits, chocolate, and smoke.

Thanks to hopdog. Pours a translucent ruby brown wit ha small bubbly tan head. Aroma of dark fruits, toasted malt, molasses, light smoke and vanilla. Flavor toasted malt, molasses, dark fruits, light smoke and earthy notes.

My Bottom Line:
Peated smoke lengths diversify this Scotch Ale’s roasted and toasted cereals, while subtle cherry esters and peppery hops create complexity.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A creamy veil of foam covers the cloudy dark brown red.
-Alcohol is very well hidden.
-This is not too sweet, which is appreciated.
-The nose is friendly, yet could be more inviting considering the wealth of the flavor profile.

Bottle.

750 mL from Total Wine in Tampa, FL. Pours an opaque mahogany with a one finger, beautiful tan head that has excellent retention and leaves some fairly good lacing. Aroma is black cherry soda, spicy bourbon, and oak. Taste is black cherry soda, burnt sugar, creme brulee perhaps, spicy bourbon, and ends with some cardboardy bitterness. Full and creamy on the palate. 8.5% is well hidden. Can’t wait to bust out my BA version...

8/01/2009: Cigar City Big Sound Scotch Ale ... Aroma: Fruity, rich caramelized malts, chocolate. Appearance: Very, very dark brown; tan-colored head. Flavor: Roasted malts and slightly nutty, semi-sweet chocolate. Palate: Medium-full body. Overall: I almost regret trying this beer at the gathering just because I think it didn’t get a fair shake due to so much beer flowing! This beer wasn’t bad by any means, but it seems more like a Brown Porter to me than a Scotch Ale. I was super excited about trying it and wasn’t able to find any of the richness, depth, and other complexities that I was hoping for. Hopefully I will get to experience this beer again in a much more intimate setting so that I can truly probe its depths!

1 pint 9.4 fl. oz. bottle (8.5% Alcohol by Vol.) shared by alexdad06 at NATIFEST ’09. Thanks Brad. I appreciate it! Rating #96 for this beer.

Pours out dark brown with some head. Taste is roasty and sweet. Not too sweet, like some scotch ales. Flavors of coffee, toffee, big malt with earthly peat notes and lots of scotch. Smooth and rich. Another great brew from CCB.

25.4 oz bottle. Dark brown with a dense tan head. Nose is peat and wild grapes with underlying toffee and chocolate. Medium body with a tingle. Taste begins with chocolate and coffee; almost like a rich porter. Dries with airy scotch, a bit bitter and earthy. Another fine brew from CCB.

750 ml bottle. Pours a murky dark toffee brown with a medium beige/light brown head. Aroma of toffee, dark fruit, malt and bread. Taste of toffee, malt, dark fruit and earth.