Sprecher Pipers Scotch Ale

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Wow, this is probably my new favorite Sprecher beer. Smoked flavor that’s not overpowering. Hoped to pick up a couple bottles on my way out of the brewery, but they sold the final three cases in the hour I was there. I can see why.

Cloudy chocolate with weak head / Smokey nose / Light body, with smoke overpowering other flavors / Weak finish. Awkward.

Pours a murky brown red color with a very full tan head. Aroma has a very strong fruitiness to it, lots of caramel, apple, cherry and dark fruit, light smokiness, along with a bunch woody, toasted malt notes. Flavor starts off with a nice smooth smokey/peat flavor, the taste then does a 180 and provides a very caramel, light cherry, raisin/prune/dark fruit sweetness and finishes with a great woody malt presence. Balance on this beer is fantastic (perfect amount of smokey/peat flavor that isn’t overbearing), density is nice and heavy with sugary feel and the alcohol is pretty well hidden. This beer is fabulous and one I highly recommend you find while its around! One of my new favs that really represents this style well and one I would love to brew up myself sometime as a clone recipe.

Pours brown with a thin white white. Smells mostly of peat barley with some smokiness. Flavor is rich with peat tasting malt, and some earthy hop flavor. Mostly balanced with a slight edge to the malt. There is a lot of peat in the beginning, but as you work your way down the pint, more flavors come out: leather, caramel, toast, and grassiness.

Pours a dark hazy amber with a medium off white head. Aroma is malts, light smoke, a weird plastic or cardboard type smell. Flavor is bitter grassiness, malts, oak, and ashy smoke. Maybe some hints of fruits. Not bad but nothing special.

Nose is nutty caramel, but taste brings in smoke (misplaced); body thinner than expected --- was expecting more

16 oz. bottle poured into a Maudite tulip. Shows a dark brown color with reddish-burgundy hues when held to the light. Produces a creamy but thin beige head with fairly decent retention throughout. No lacing observed. Nose shows off a restrained but pleasant sweet and peat smoke malt profile along with notes of brown sugar, raisin, plum, roasted malts. Palate was a bit on the thin side but smooth and subtly carbonated. Taste was classic Scotch Ale with a good deal of peat smoked malt coming to the forefront immediately. Love the peat smoke flavor; very unique and earthy. Overall flavor is sweet, sugary and toasty with a bit of dark, dried fruit lurking in the background. Unfortunately the flavors are also quite restrained and the finish is quick. Absolutely no evidence of a 8.27% abv; very light and easy going down. Not bad but not in the class of Old Chub or Skullspliter for instance.

16oz bottle. Aroma: Strong grainy maltiness. Equally strong caramel aroma. Slight dark fruit. Earthiness is just that...earthy. Smells like rich soil. Appearance: Dark reddish brown in color. Light khaki head was full and frothy but didn’t last long. Fair lacing. Flavor: Rich and sweet maltiness with strong caramel overtones. Toasted nuts and a nice smokiness. Some light raisiny notes, as well. Palate: Medium-full bodied. Medium carbonation seemed a little high and prickly. Nice alcohol warming in back of mouth. Overall: A nice representation of the style, and tasty to boot. A little fuller mouthfeel and a little less carbonation would make it even better.