Neustadt Springs Scottish Ale

Known as 'Diefenbeer'. Neustadt Brewery is located in the tiny hamlet of Neustadt, Ontario, Canada where the late Prime Minister John Diefenbaker was born. This Scottish Ale/Diefenbeer is nutty with a hint of maple syrup. Very similar to Wellington County Ale, although it has a light brown/gold colour to it, whereas Wellington County Ale has a raspberry/gold colour to it. Very enjoyable Scottish Ale/Diefenbeer. Highly recommended!

473ml can, 4.5% a/v Pours medium brown colourwith a decent tan head and some lacing. The aroma is very nice, smells fresh, hoppy and a bit of an unusual citrus. Tastes cirusy hops, with a very interesting finish. This beer is MUCH better then I had anticipated.

ReRate: Sampled at the Brewery... Bottle and glass taken right from the brite tank: I’m adjusting my rating based on the fact this ale was reformulated recently. The pour puts a lovely orange-amber ale in my thistle glass with a decent lasting rocky tan cap....modest carbonation and big lacing on the glass. Aroma is really nice, burnt treacle, succulent fruits and wet hay. Firm malt spine...lots of protiens bulking up the body and a rounded mellow fruity-earthy character. Big chewy caramel malts in the front mid palate I get fruits, light smoke, nuts all riding on a sweet malt carrier that never gets cloying...in the finish we get a musty-earthy tone from the hybrid NZ hops that turn the malty/fruity tones lightly bitter in the end and leaves a light metallic after taste. A very nice rendition of this ale stye and certainly deserbes a "most improved" medal for an Ontario Micro ale.

341ml Bottle: Grabbed some of these at the brewery tour, and tried some bottle samples as part of a special sampling. Pours orange/amber with a thin head. Aroma of candy floss, fruit, a little earthiness common to most Neustadt (perhaps from the water source?) Flavour is excellent with a hit of grapefruit and malt, followed by a touch of hops. Just enough bitterness, but with a great sweet profile to fill it out. I have a feeling this has been reformulated a bit based on what some of the previous reviews are noting as it was far better than the reviews indicate.

341ml bottle - pours a very hazy orange with a big, frothy, rocky head on top. Looks great actually, though maybe isn’t as dark as a Scottish ale should be. Has a sort of earthy, chocolately aroma with some fruitiness in behind. Flavour is chocolately, caramel malts off the top, followed by a very light hoppiness, carried through by more sweet malt toward the finish. Medium bodied, the flavour starts big and finishes light and I could deal with a longer, lingering flavour towards the end, but this is certainly not bad and more earthy notes came out as the glass warmed. I never tried the previous formulation, but based on this "new" recipe, this beer most certainly deserves a higher overall rating than it currently has.