Highland Tasgall Ale

Brewed by Highland Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Asheville, North Carolina USA

ྶ oz. bottle via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=1 target=blank>beeryum, thanks Dave!) Dark cocoa brown with a thick khaki head. Aroma of honey, molasses and caramel. Pretty good lacing. Mouthfeel kind of light, fairly smooth, a little prickly. Seems a bit high on carbonation. Flavor is mostly caramel and toffeeish, with a touch of Scotch. Sweet but only slightly so and this is matched by mild bitterness. Overall flavor is actually pretty restrained. Alcohol pretty well-hidden, only a bit of burn at end. Good beer but nothing that really grabbed me.

Bomber. Poured a dark brown color with a frothy tan head that quickly disappears to a ring. This ring does leave some lacing. The aroma had a fruitiness to it but also some alcohol. First sips had chocolate, caramel and coffee in the flavor. As it warmed the flavor went to dark fruits, wood, and a light alcohol background. Full body and very warming.

Draught at Brixx in Chapel Hill, NC. Clear dark brown color; amber around the edges. Head was foamy and off white. Malty nose with some dried fruit and grassy hops. Flavor is also complex with caramel, toffee, browned toast, plum, alcohol, and again, the grassy hops. Pretty good beer, especially given my relative lack of fondness for this style.

Again, Book_M_Dano is to thank for this treat. Mahogany pour with no head. Sweet wine like notes in the aroma but very light overall. Very moderate scotch ale. Cream sherry, sweet malt, a bit fruity (though not anything in particular). Smooth lightly creamy body. Very drinkable, I thought. Though ‘Dano’s 3 year old grandson did not think so when he managed to get his hands on a sip…Ha Ha.

A nicely quaffable and moderately smoked scotch. Good balance and smooth. Brown and decent dark head. Chocolate, spice, good carbonation and mouthfeel. Tasty. North Carolina is rising in the charts since they popped their cap

This beer is a deep, dark, opaque, amber-tinged brown color. It is topped by a four-finger thick, amber-hued tan head that is mostly frothy, but a little creamy in consistency. The aroma is rich with a mix of fruit and malt; I get notes of fig, rich toffee, hints of salty-chewy malt, concentrated raisins, condensed toasted grain, and a touch of lightly roasted coffee. The aroma is quite enjoyable; rich and concentrated, which makes for an intriguing nose.

A solid, thick mouthfeel is only partially offset by an ample carbonation that seems a bit out of place in a beer like this. Luckily a quick swirl and the carbonation is gone; I much prefer more carbonation than less, as I can always get rid of the former. Ah yes, it is much creamier with less carbonation, and it still has just a touch of prickly carbonation. This is a malt lovers dream and exactly what I was in the mood for right now. I get notes of just barely sweet caramel, rich toffee, ample toasted grain, hints of chocolate and something good that I can only describe as a mix of dust from freshly crushed biscuit and melanoid malts. Underneath all of this malt is something unexpected. It is hops of course, subtly at first in the background, but here the whole time. Supporting the huge malt notes, the hops supply a substantial bitterness from start to finish. They also supply some fruit character, which amplifies the fruit notes from the malt; I get notes of figs and raisins (from the malt), moving to a currant/ berry component that is contributed by the hops. The hops also bring a touch of spiciness and a hint of herbal character as well.

This beer is definitely hitting the spot; rich, chewy, but not at all cloying, with a surprising depth of hop character, but only if you look for it underneath all that malt character. There is perhaps a bit of hot alcohol, at times, in the finish, but nothing too detracting. As the beer warms up, it becomes even maltier and richer; quite nice, yet always with that off-setting bitterness, which, just keeps the malt in check, well makes a valiant attempt to anyway.

Is 31 high enough for Highland Brewing Tasgall Ale? I don’t even know what a “cauldron of the gods” looks like but it must be used to brew Scotch Ale. Quite dark but not as heavy as I’d had expected a Scotch Ale to be. Fruity-sweet with a silky palate. This ones over too soon and we’re on to.....

Thin white head atop burgandy brown body. A warm aroma contains notes of butter and wild flower honey. Sweet tobacco and roast flavours come through. The tounge is warm, with a menthol feel.