In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I was originally going to go with a traditional (or not-so traditional) Irish beer, but then I saw something on the shelf that was practically calling out my name. Well, part of my last name at least. I’ve had Gritty McDuff’s beers before, but this was the first time I was grabbing the Scottish Ale. I get that St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish-themed holiday, but I’m Scottish (though the “Mc” in my last name should really be “Mac” in that case, but that’s a long story).
A Scottish beer with an Irish last name. Like I said, it was calling out to me. And I’m glad it did.
There’s nothing bad to be said about the Gritty’s Scottish Ale. It’s a near-perfect beer. You can easily drink it with anything or on its own, the taste being the perfect balance that doesn’t overwhelm nor underwhelm your palate.
I’ve had Scottish ales before, and I didn’t care for them. The taste had a kind of bitter that I wasn’t all that hot about, and usually I’d loathe the thought of having to finish the rest of the six-pack some day (you know, because pouring it down the drain would be a sin against all humanity). This particular brand had just the right amount of what makes a Scottish ale what it is, with a subtle smokey caramel flavor, a great reddish color and a decent head.
If it matters to you, my wife Deb considers this to be one of the best beers she’s ever had; “perfect” even. Thankfully, this time she didn’t put the hint of another flavor in my head, like cheese whiz or carrots, to convince me it tasted awful.
I highly recommend this brew, even though RateBeer avereages this one out at a 55/100. Hopefully by next week I’ll have a page here dedicated to the beers I review here that earn my top honors. The Gritty McDuff’s Scottish Ale will definitely be in there and in good company.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Mar 21, 2009 @ 15:00 EST5EDT
