Warm Yourself With Scots Brews

Faith ‘n’ begorra, we realize it’s almost St. Patty’s Day and all, but with the wintry weather we were having, a wee bit of Scottish ale seemed to hit the spot.

Scottish ales are the stronger, darker-colored cousins of the typically lighter, reddish Irish ales. As British beer expert Michael Jackson writes: “Perhaps because it can be a cold, gusty, snowy country, Scotland has traditionally produced ales that are enwrappingly full-bodied and malty.”

It’s no surprise that a nation known for its malt whiskies would also produce the more common malt beverage, beer. In essence, a Scotch whisky starts out as a strong beer and then is distilled to concentrate the alcohol.

MacAndrew’s, which features a Scottie dog on its label, and McEwan’s, with a tartan design, are the two imported Scottish ales typically found in the United States. (Check such specialty shops as Jim’s Home Brew Supply and the Spokane Wine Co.)

Both are high in alcohol - 6.5 percent by volume for the copper-colored MacAndrew’s, 8.5 percent for the darker brown McEwan’s, compared to between 5 and 6 percent for most microbrews - and have somewhat of a roasty, smoky finish. Scottish malts traditionally were dried over peat fires, lending a distinctive smokiness.

The Pacific Northwest’s best-known interpretations of the style, Grant’s Scottish Ale from Yakima and Portland Brewing’s MacTarnahan’s, are similar in color to MacAndrew’s but less potent and lacking the roasted edge.

Scottish-born Bert Grant, who left his homeland at age 2 (“before I could drink any ale,” as he says), unabashedly bills his well-balanced rendition as “the world’s best ale.” Its personality is as idiosyncratic as its creator’s, starting sweet and malty before giving way to Grant’s trademark bitter/floral hoppiness.

The malty, mellower MacTarnahan’s offers a hint of hops before ending in a soft, clean finish. A less-carbonated, cask-conditioned version of the beer, pumped by hand instead of a carbon dioxide tap, will be served during a special Portland Brewing night Friday at Capone’s Pub & Grill in Coeur d’Alene.

Rogue’s thicker, richer McRogue Scotch Ale (another specialty shop item), while slightly darker in color, is a more faithful mimic of MacAndrew’s in both strength and smokiness of finish. Part of the Newport, Ore., brewer’s new “XS” series, it comes in a 7-ounce nip bottle and is advised to be best when aged for six months.

Yet another Americanized example, Samuel Adams’ Scotch Ale, is a match for McEwan’s in color but is brewed with enough peated malt and roasted barley to make its rather harsh smokiness an acquired taste. Then again, you have to wonder whether the original Sam Adams would ever have set foot in Scotland, it being the British Empire and all.

Walking the Plank

Two more products have arrived from the Plank Road Brewery, the quaint name that industry giant Miller uses when it’s trying to imitate a micro (Plank Road was the name of Frederic Miller’s first brewery).

Southpaw Light is advertised as a fuller-flavored light beer thanks to the addition of hops at two points during the brewing process, which is common among quality brews but apparently a major leap in the light beer world.

It does seem to have a bit more character than the typical light (although I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve had one). But at 123 calories per bottle - compared to around 150 for regular beer - it’s not quite so light as some of its competitors.

Northstone Amber Ale, which comes complete with an impressive-looking recipe number on the label, is positioned as a smoother amber than its craft brew counterparts.

It’s indeed drinkable, with a fairly pleasant, malty taste up front which proceeds to disappear entirely from the tongue. If you’re looking for a safe step up from the mass-produced commercial lagers, you could do worse.

Hopping around

As you may have noticed, Coors is trying to pump new life into its 123-year-old regular beer with a new name - “Original Coors” - and a new label design …

Following in the footsteps of its unfiltered rye beer, Redhook has introduced an unfiltered, bottled version of its Wheathook wheat beer called Redhook Hefe-Weizen (draft Wheathook was already unfiltered). Yeast sediment gives unfiltered beers some additional taste and a cloudy character …

And speaking of rye, Pyramid plans to introduce a rye beer soon as part of its regular year-round lineup. The new brew will replace Pyramid’s lightweight Amber Wheat.

, DataTimes MEMO: On Tap is a monthly feature of IN Food. Rick Bonino welcomes reader questions and comments about beer. Write to On Tap, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.