UPDATED: JUL 6, 2021 Toasty, roasty scotch ale with a healthy dose of peat. Aromas of toast, caramel and vanilla. The toast and caramel have a better balance with the peat in the mouth.

UPDATED: MAY 26, 2021 Peaty smoke dominates the aroma and flavour. Agree with other reviews that there is probably an interesting scotch ale hiding somewhere behind the smoke. Not undrinkable but not great. Lovers of Laphroaig whisky or Lapsang souchong tea will probably appreciate this beer but not many others will.

UPDATED: SEP 20, 2020 Somewhere deep down below the acrid taste of ashtray, there’s an OK beer lurking here. I was delighted to find a Scotch Ale in the bottle shop but I am absolutely mystified as to why they added a smoked peat malt. It dominates the beer in an altogether disgusting fashion, much like adding spices to a Saison. Gross gross gross.

UPDATED: JUL 31, 2020 I really love a Scotch Ale, almost my favourite style. Unfortunately, as good as this one looked, the flavour was dominated by the smokeyness, the usual butterscotch elements were hidden under the smoke. Pity, because the brewery is only a couple of blocks from where I grew up. 😪

UPDATED: NOV 24, 2019 Biscuit and caramel smell. Smooth taste with scotch warmth and dried fruit/medicinal/smokey flavored after taste. Really nice ale.

UPDATED: AUG 5, 2019 On tap. Deep amber and hazy. Caramel and toffee nose. Biscuity with some peat. Not bad, although this is a style where I want to be wowed.

Tap at the Ballarat Beer Festival 2018. Poured a hazy medium brown with a big frothy white head. The aroma is caramel malt, toffee, light dough biscuit. The flavour is moderate sweet with a smooth rich toffee malt, light peat, light alcoholic woody hop bitter palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. A fine example of the style.

Cask wood and light smoke in the aroma, also herbs, caramel and toffee, pours a dark clear ruby red with no head, flavour was sweet caramel and toffee and the scotch bite, there was a light but solid peated characteristic finishing with a soft and lingering bitter aftertaste, medium body sticky mouthfeel, warming

Bottle, 12C on a suitably ugly night. Deep clear amber with a fat coat of beige head that fades. Aroma of golden raisins, figs, toffee, grass, flowers, sweet shop spices. Gracious. 7+ Didn’t pick up any peat in the aroma, but there’s a little medicinal bite upon a taste, along with the fat malt and dried fruit. It doesn’t really belong and it gets in the way. Sweet and luscious with a little lean towards dry and spicily bitter at the end. Bitterness creeps up after a time. Pretty good.