Lake Louie Louies Reserve Scotch Ale

Glug, glug, glug, goes the growler...(yeah, I’m the original See’n’Say of beer, folks).. .and it pours a plummy brown, like rich molasses, and the creamy tan head has a sturdy presence and beckons one to come further, to make better acquaintance with this brew. Aroma, richly roasty, yet still soft, and redolent with lightly bittersweet espresso and mocha connotations... just how I like my porters, how did they know? Oh, very smooth on the tongue, in the palate and down the throat, sweetly slides over the sense, damnably drinkable. Body is full, finish is sweet, a touch thick, and finally drying, crisp and neat. This continues anew with each at occasion that lip meets glass. Amazing flavor, and carbonation is so light, the mouthfeel so perfect that I would have no problem knocked this 64 ounce jug back in one session...this tastes "brilliant", screw those crappy cartoon micks in the Guinness commercials! It’s got me wishing I were residing more Easterly than I do, in order to easy access to a great porter like this.

120z bottle. Filtered and a deep ruby garnet hue. Tan ring of head. Malty cocoa and buttery and a note of raisins. Plummy with a slight vanilla note. Dark fruit. All that in the nose. Wow! Thick and full bodied. Dark fruit and chocolate flavors. Oily and slick. Yet with a great dry roasty finish. Smooth with a nice burn. Sweet and cloying. Just the way I like ’em! This is money.

Bottle - this review is for "Reserve Strong Scotch Ale" - is this the same beer? Clear walnut or cherrywood brown, with enough of a head to add style points. Nose is light woodsmoke. Hits the mouth with a rush of heat followed eventually (that is some rush!) by peat smoke and bitterness. Some woodiness as well, late vanilla. Rolls all over the tongue. A fine beer!

Strong scotch malt flavors and almost smokey peaty flavors. Bitter woody flavor in a way; thick like hot chocolate without the flavor. Just plain strong overall.

From a bottle purchased at Steve’s Liquor in Madison. Label notes "Reserve Strong Scotch Ale." Pours a dark copper brown, impressive hue, although lacing is pure white. Smells on the nose and tastes on the palate more like a barleywine, aside from the touch of smoke. There’s quite a bit of sweetness here, so much so that I imagine there will be some detractors on this basis alone. Candied fruit, fig jam, toasty oak, vanilla, and a pleasant warming finish. One of the better scotch ales I’ve had in awhile, and if we’re rating to style, I’m going upper 4s for this. Great work, Lake Louie!