Robin Shepard
Dean Coffey likes to keep this beer on hand at Ale Asylum.
Fans of the Sticky McDoogle Scotch Ale from Ale Asylum.
Style: Scottish style beers tend to emphasize malt qualities and give less attention to hoppiness. In part, these styles reflect the use of brown malts and a brewing process that features longer boiling periods. Scottish ales commonly fall into four general types: Light, Heavy, Export and the Scotch Ale. Historically these distinctions carried labels of the shilling currency which reflected the price charged per barrel of beer in the 19th century. For example, 60 shilling was used for Light Scottish Ales, 70 shilling for Heavy, 80 shilling for Export and above 90 shilling for Scotch Ale and Wee Heavy. The Scotch Ale, compared to other Scottish Ales, offers richer color, more malty sweetness and higher alcohol that can range form 6-8% ABV. The Scotch Ale may also be made with peat smoked malt, and if identified as such, one can expect smoky and earthy tones within the aroma and flavor profile.
Background: Dean Coffey likes to keep this beer on hand at Ale Asylum. It's made with European malts and takes about six weeks to make from brewing through fermentation and conditioning. It is not made with any peat smoked malt, so it remains cleaner and well balanced. The folks at the brewery like to stash a few kegs of this beer back in the cooler for New Year's Eve and various festivals, which make it fun to seek out on special occasions. With such extra aging time Sticky's malty smoothness will become more evident. Sticky McDoogle is not bottled and can be occasionally found in a handful of local bars. However, you'll currently find it on tap at Ale Asylum in pints ($4) or growlers ($10/with refill).
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Firm malty nose.
- Appearance: Clear deep bronze with a soft and creamy tan head.
- Texture: Medium bodied, soft and sticky.
- Taste: Caramel maltiness stands out, but overall nice flavor balance.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The sweetness does build.
Glassware: The Ale Asylum pours Sticky McDoogle in a basic bar pint. But if you take a growler home it's a treat to savor this beer in a dimpled glass mug that brings ruby tints in a bronze color. And, the malty nose of Sticky will explode from the wide mouthed mug.
Pairs well with: Scotch Ale should be sipped, and even allowed to warm slightly to bring out the malty tones. This style will match very well with slightly sweet meat such as lamb. At Ale Asylum, the Scotch Ale was a great match for the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses that were part of the Lime Chicken Pizza.
Rating: Three Bottle Openers (out of four).
The Consensus: B+ (very good) from Beer Advocate and a 64 from .
The Verdict: Sticky McDoogle is a wonderful malty brew to ease into the early hints of the autumn season. This beer is hearty, smooth, with bronze color and a firm malty flavor yet overall a well balanced beer. It's an easy drinking Scotch Ale, but for those who looking for more aggressive heavy caramel tones, this brew might seem a bit tame. That said, I really enjoyed it.