Schloss Eggenberg MacQueens Nessie (7.3%)

Formerly brewed at Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Smoked
Vorchdorf, Austria

I have always enjoyed this beer, it’s kind of Germany’s version of a Scotch Ale, nice color, nice malt, not cloying or overly sweet, but there is good strong malt with a clean and almost dry finish. I can’t vouch for the bottle I am currently drinking, I am in Arizona after all, that is to say it could be a little fresher, closer to the source this is an A+ beer. Out Rforman

330ml bottle. Clear golden hue. Sweet malty caramel nose. Musty basement woody nose. Porty and sweet. Still nice breadiness. Didn’t really notice too much of a smokiness as I’ve had before, but the scotch smokiness or even a vanilla note was noticable.

had it in a concert, not bad. not so much smokiness, but it has a nice body and malt profile.

Pours a dirty amber color with off-white head that fades quickly. Malty aroma of honey and peat with some light toffee accents. Thin bodied with a flavor of malts, honey, a bit of alcohol and some breadiness. Well deserving of a try and a higher average score.

pale malts with light caramel and toffee chracter. Some interesting honey and tart fruits. Some hints of peat smoke in the finish, which pulled this up a couple points for me. Very drinkable, if a tad thin bodied.

Pours a transparent orange/amber without much of a white head. Looks like a cordial. Aromas are a confectioner’s delight with honey, muffin, chocolate and roasty malt with alcohol late. Flavor shows a great malt profile, except a little on the thin side. Alcohol is drying and lingers in the finish. This seemed a more "serious" beer that you’d enjoy alone in a pub chair rather than at a gathering. Enjoy it as you would a whiskey and water.

<font size=-4>Purchased from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/chicag Wine & Spirits, Chicago, IL 60614<font size=-1>

Clear light honey gold color. No capping of any kind really, just a thin collar around the edge. Hmmm...I sense malts as suspect to the inadequate foam, actually I can smell em. Label states this as a "Red Ale", and is suppose to be a wee heavy styled brew, so the color appearance is a bit of a mystery as to why its not reminiscent of what either of those would be. Aroma is quite big at first, sweet and uninhibited with a watermelon jolly rancher-like waft with hints to cherry pie filling, pear, and bread dough. It does however fade to a lighter aroma as it sits to just some bread dough with light hints to some fruity alcoholic esters. Taste is malty and smooth with very well adjusted character. Nothing quite stands out on its own here. Subtlity is the name of the game here. Doughy sweetness to start, toffee/caramel dry out into some rough tinges thereafter and into the finish. Tiny bits of cherry and pear hover along the back sides. Finishes slow and a bit empty as some doughyness returns as it gains a bold chewyness with fruity hints on a late trail of soothing warming traits. Feel is smooth and silky with malts. Favors a medium body and low carbonation, making for a soothing ride of subtle malt chewyness thats rounded just enough to give it enough gumption in girth the entire time. Damn drinkable too. A very easy going Red/ Scotch/Wee Heavy/ Bock beer/Ale? Whatever it is or isn’t style wise, I liked it and that’s all that matters when it comes down it. If I could find it cheaper it may find a regular rotating spot within my fridge.

Poured from bottle into beer mug. Off-white head with ok retention on an orangy-golden body. Aroma smelled like the sour mash I smelled at a distillery once...a little alcohol, a little sourness, and a LITTLE smoke. It tasted to me like weak, watered-down scotch, except even more dry. Body was thin and watery.