Customer Reviews

Scotch Ale (Classic Beer Style)

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Scotch ale can be very different from English ale, and is typically higher gravity, lower alcohol, not as intensely hopped, has a sweeter finish, and a creamier head. There are exceptions, such as in the case of barley wine, which can be very high in alcohol and comparable to wine. Scottish beer and ale have some of the most delicate and unique flavors which don't occur in any other type of beer.

I learned many interesting facts about not just Scottish ale but other beers as well. For example, the finings that are often added to ale as a preservative are a silicate substance that traditionally comes from the swim bladder of a certain fish. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a substitute for it now, but that's where it came from originally.

There is a huge amount of other fascinating information in this very readable, well-written book about this style. The books in this series emphasize more the practical aspects of brewery operations, and this one is no different. But the author also delves into much of the history, and it was interesting to learn the differences between how brewers worked in the past compared to the modern operations, which permit much closer control of all the processes and ingredients, such as knowing more accurately the alpha acid content of the hops. But they were still able to do amazingly well with what they knew back then just from experience and good ol' Scottish cleverness and common sense. In fact, the book has two sections covering the history, one from 6500 B.C. to 1820, and the other from 1820 to 1891.

In addition to the chapters on water, hopping and bittering, malt, yeast, and so on, the book also has a section detailing typical recipes and there is an appendix discussing the most important breweries along with descriptions of their ales. Finally, there are further appendices on weights and measures and a glossary of technical terms. This is a fine book on the subject of Scottish ale that should be of interest to new and experienced afficionados alike.

This is a great reference for making good ales, running the gambit of lower-gravity Scottish ales, through the grandest big-sweet ale known commonly as Strong Scotch Ale. It is really well-written, and even if I do not have a batch of Scottish ale cold-conditioning to patiently look forward to, it is enjoyable to read through, with some entertaining history interspersed. This is the best resource of its kind, and Ray Daniels says as much too, in his excellent book "Designing Great Beers."

As a 20 year brewer I am impressed with the history in the book as well as the recipes contained with in the pages. I would recommend it for anyone who is serious about brewing scotch ales

I've read 12 of the 17 Classic Beer Style books so far and in my opinion this one is hands down the best. The great late Greg Noonan does an excellent job covering a beer style that truth be told isn't incredibly popular or complex. He spends the perfect amount of time discussing history of the style (unlike some of the books in the series that go on with this ad nauseum) leaving enough pages to adequately cover malt, water, hops, and the brewing process without ever being too short or too technical. I read this book from front to back - something I've never done with any of the other Classic Style books - and this wasn't even the shortest one! Scottish/Scotch Ales are one of my least favorite styles to drink and brew of the 17 styles in the series, but this is by far my favorite one of the books. I'm confident that if you read this book and listen to Greg's brilliant advice, you'll make a stellar Scot(ch) ale.

very informative about the scottish brewing system, which, oddly enough, seems to be more akin to german lagering than to the british ales. some very good tidbits on the history and how to make authentic beers. the issues are that they could have done a better job with hop rates (they use homebrew bitterness units instead of the standard IBU's) and their stronger ales are really double mashes, and should have been a bit clearer on that process (perhaps including something about the gravity readings at the different stages would be helpful). however, a great book, and a very interesting read.