Scottish-American Ale?

[NewEnglander]

I was listening to one of the BrewStrong podcasts from The Brewing Network earlier (the dry-hopping show) and the subject of American brews being more hop-forward came up. It got me to thinking if there was a Scottish-American ale out there. A Scottish ale with an American twist. Perhaps something as simple as dry-hopping the brew.
I've only been brewing for a year now so I don't know much about recipe formulation, so I thought I'd throw it out there for the other homebrewers in the rabble.

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

I don't have a clue about brewing one, but Schlafly in St Louis makes a wonderful dark one they call "Scotch Ale".

Also, you should be familiar with Harpoon. The best ale I ever had was a 100-barrel offering they made a couple years ago called "Firth of Fourth".

[ForresterModern]

From Wikipedia:

"Scotch Ale is the name given to a strong pale ale believed to have originated in Edinburgh in the 18th century[11]. Beers using the designation Scotch Ale are popular in the USA where most examples are brewed locally. Examples of Scotch Ale brewed in Scotland are exported to the USA, though may be available in Scotland under a different name. For example, Caledonian's Edinburgh Scotch Ale is sold from the cask in Scotland as Edinburgh Strong Ale or as Edinburgh Tattoo.[12]

Strong Scotch Ale is also known as "Wee Heavy". Examples of beers brewed in the USA under the name Wee Heavy tend to be 7% abv and higher, while Scottish brewed examples, such as Belhaven's Wee Heavy, are typically between 5.5% and 6.5% abv. On the other hand, two Scottish brewed exceptions are Traquair House Ale is brewed to a strength of 7.2% abv, and Traquair Jacobite Ale is 8% abv.

As with other examples of strong pale ales, such as Barley Wine, these beers tend toward sweetness and a full body, with a low hop flavour and aroma. Historical hop levels are debated. Examples from the Caledonian brewery would have toffee notes from the caramelizing of the malt from the direct fired copper. This caramelizing of Caledonian's beers is popular in America and has led many American brewers to produce toffee sweet beers which they would label as a Scotch Ale.

Even though the malt used by brewers in Scotland is not dried by peat burning, the Scottish whisky distilleries use low nitrogen barley dried by peat burning. The distinctive flavour of these smoked malts when used in beers is reminiscent of whisky, and such beers are popular in France, Belgium and America. These beers are often named Whiskey Ale or Scotch Ale by the brewers[13]. The most popular French example is Fischer's Adelscott, while the most popular American example is Samuel Adams Scotch Ale. The brewer Douglas Ross of the Bridge of Allan brewery made the first Scottish example of one of these Whiskey Ales for the Tullibardine Distillery in 2006. [14] In North East England Best Scotch refers to a beer similar to Mild Ale but with a drier more burnt palate [15]."

There are inumerable Scotch Ales in craft brewpubs across the country, often as a seasonal or special run, but frequently as a regular of the pub. Obviously each has its own taste, but in my opinion they are a great beer with a bright hoppy front taste, relatively sweet malty body, and bitter finish, unlike traditional pale ales which are typically less malty and only bitter hopped. Love Scotch ales, and you can tend one for a whole evening as it doesn't go flat like most lighter colored beers when it warms up----actually tastes better at room temp.

jeff

[NewEnglander]

Right. I love the various Scottish ales, from a 60/- up to a "Scotch Ale" and I've brewed a couple myself.
What I'm talking about is taking a Scottish Ale and adding an American twist, not just by brewing it here in the States, but my somehow adding more hops to it. I don't think I'd want to lose the malty character or make it too bitter, but rather but more aroma hops in it.
Any of the other kilted homebrewers see what I'm talking about or have any suggestions?

[ForresterModern]

Right. I love the various Scottish ales, from a 60/- up to a "Scotch Ale" and I've brewed a couple myself.
What I'm talking about is taking a Scottish Ale and adding an American twist, not just by brewing it here in the States, but my somehow adding more hops to it. I don't think I'd want to lose the malty character or make it too bitter, but rather but more aroma hops in it.
Any of the other kilted homebrewers see what I'm talking about or have any suggestions?

The best way would be to double hop your wort, adding typical bittering hops early, then adding a very floral hop either late in the wort cooking or even after removing the wort from the heat and letting it cool covered after the second hopping. The floral esters tend to boil off if the flavoring hops are added early or left to cook too long, leaving only the bittering part remaining---typical for pale ales. For a more robust boquet add the flavoring hops very late so those esters are released by the hops but not boiled off. An example of a nicely hopped very floral beer would be New Belgium's Fat Tire Ale. Now the job is to find what flavoring hops you want to add----shop the homebrew supply shops for somebody who has samples of their hops for smelling. Just like flowers give off aromas that can be captured in perfume, hops are flowers that give off an aroma similar to what the favor will be that they add to the beer, as long as you don't cook them too long after adding. A lack or less floral hop is used early for bittering, then the floral hop later as to taste.
Enjoy, and let us know how it turns out.

[NewEnglander]

Thanks for the input. I haven't started mucking about with my own recipes yet, so does anyone have any suggestions on which hops they think would play well with a Scottish Ale? I'm partial to the piney aromas, but I'm not sure how that would work with a malty ale.

[jkane]

To "American" it by what would be a general BJCP style is to make it hoppier. You said you wanted to stay malty though. Balance is important! So some more unfermentable sugars which would give it malt characteristics. Low Lovibond crystal (aka carmel) malt would do that without too much extra color added. Under 60 and more likely about a 15 or 20 L. Switching to Cascade (shudder, I hate cascade hops) would make most any judge think American! Adding a couple ounces at 5 minutes near the end would make it very flowery and give it a lot of typical American hop aroma.

I made a Wee Heavy recently, and used some Scotch soaked oak chips in it. Not my favorite final product, but the first 5 gallons are already gone! I have a 4 gallon carboy waiting to be kegged yet. Letting that one age a while longer with the oak and scotch. It was not intended to be "American". Just saying, it's easy to modify a recipe a little along the way to make something non-standard!

[NewEnglander]

Excellent advice! I just brewed my last batch Friday (a Stone Levitation clone) but I've got quite a bit of extra grains and hops that I plan on doing a Leftover Ale with. Perhaps I'll take another look through "Brewing Classic Styles" and aim for a 70/- but play with the hops a bit.

[Detroitpete]

NewEnglander, I think Jkane nailed the issue--balance. Yep our Americans are more 'hop forward', sad really, isn't it? ;) Me being a more malt-friendly guy. I'd say go with Jkane's suggestion of the cascades first, then see what you come up with. I'm more of a fan of small 'tweaks' instead of big changes--this way you can calibrate your desired product better without having to figure out too many permutations.

Just a slight hijack here--have a dopple bock conditioning and a black porter going right now--Its gonna be a GREAT March

[NewEnglander]

I totally hear you. I'm a science guy so changing just one variable at a time is second nature to me. I think that perhaps dry hopping with something will be the first tweak I make.

And I hear you about good things to come in March. I should be able to crack open my first Dry Irish Stout this weekend and the Levitation clone should be ready in 3 weeks!