Highway 78 Scotch Ale
I’m a big fan of collaboration projects between brewers. To see/smell/taste each party’s influence on a beer is a pretty thrilling opportunity. Sometimes it’s quite apparent where the dominant flavors are coming from. At others, not so much.
Two thirds of this collaboration have visited my palate in one beer or another. Pizza Port Carlsbad is the only brewery on this team that I haven’t had anything from. Both Stone Brewing and Green Flash are wonderful at adding their own West coast influence on some hoppy IPAs, but how would the three combine for a Scotch Ale?
Appearance
Highway 78 pours copperish in color with a large, khaki head that fell quickly.
Aroma
Malty and earthy this brew also presents hints of caramel, a light roast, some peat and a decent sweetness.
Taste
For as sweet as the nose came across, this brew isn’t nearly as sweet as I would have expected. It does have a wonderful wet, earthy character to it as a subtle bitterness forms late in the finish. It’s a pretty tasty brew that’s surprisingly smooth, especially considering the 8.8% ABV — their nary a hint of the alcohol.
Overall
I really enjoyed the more raw, earthy nature of this full flavored brew, but I think I’ll stick with the hoppier IPAs from the collaborators. They did a fine job on this effort, but they can do so much more with pounds of hops. Cheers.
Rating:3.5/5