SCOTTISH
ALE
ALSO TUNE INTO PODCAST 5, "SCOTTISH ALE"
Emphasis on the “ISH.” There is a bit of confusion that developed over the last few years amongst craft beer enthusiasts when it comes to Scottish Ale. The name has been associated with dark, high ABV beers aged in whiskey barrels, but this is far from what traditional Scottish Ale is. Scottish Ale is a dynamic, rich in history British ale favoring malt flavors over hop. This blog article supplements Podcast 5, “Scottish Ale,” on TAPROOM TALK, the spoken word of the
HOMETOWN CRAFT BEER NETWORK.
Historical Background
Historical knowledge tells us the necessity of brewing
beer dates back as far as 5500 years (roughly 3500 BCE) to Mesopotamia (modern
day Iran and Iraq), during the late Copper Age.
This time period also coincides with the introduction of agricultural
processes to the region, including the mass production of grain. With the manufacturing of copperware and
abundant grain, it’s reasonable to associate the modern Middle East with early
beer brewing.
[a]
So, what does beer brewing in the Middle East have to
do with Scottish Ale? At the time the
Mesopotamians were just getting started brewing beer, tribal inhabitants of the
British Isles were just entering the Neolithic period. Just to give some context, the Neolithic
period is largely associated with the building of Britain’s widely known stone
structures and megaliths. This period also
included the introduction of British Isles-specific agricultural
processes. Barley, in particular, grew
well across the region and the rea associated with Scotland saw heavy migration
between other European tribes. Ales made
from herbs and flowers, known as gruit, were typically brewed.
[b]
Scottish Ale in Transition
Through the centuries, Scotland, as well
as Ireland and England, developed their own brewing processes and use of
interesting ingredients. To be
completely forward, most brewing in these days was done by women. [1] In the 1700s, beer brewing was starting to shift
more towards entrepreneurial interests.
Edinburgh emerged not only as Scotland’s governmental capitol, but it's beer brewing capitol as well.
With the gain in popularity of English
porters and pale ales, as well as German Lagers, Scottish Ales began to fall
out of international favor, falling back to within Scotland as the primary area
of production and enjoyment.
Scottish Ales were brewed with some unique
aspects. First, Scottish maltsters were
also usually the brewer. [1] This connection brought a bit of a higher
quality of malt going into the beer.
Scots practiced sparging, which we know today is an integral part of the brewing process, essentially rinsing with hot water the
mashed grain, drawing out as much of the sugars as possible. English brewers, by contrast produced
several batches of beer from a single mash (parti-gyled)
[c]
Hops did not grow well across the
British Isles and were very expensive to import; thus, hops were used sparingly
in British beers, including Scottish Ale.
Hops bought but not used were saved and stored, losing some of the
bittering, flavoring, and aroma-producing alpha and beta acids.
Finally, yeast was a bit problematic as
well. The cooler temperatures demanded a
viable yeast at cooler temperatures. This
conjures notions of lager yeast, but ale yeast was typically used. Because “ale” fermentation was at lower
temperatures, more time was needed and typically pulled off under=fermented. [1] The cooler climate also lent itself to
cool-conditioning (lagering) Scottish Ale, leaving a wonderful malt-forward,
full-bodied, drinkable beer.
Modern Scottish Ale
Modern Scottish Ales are further segregated into three
separate varieties: 1) Light, 2) Heavy, and 3) Export. Please do
not associate “Wee Heavy” with Scottish Heavy – they are two distinctly different
beers. Scottish Light, Heavy, and Export
are all relatively similar in characteristic; however, differ in terms of
alcohol content. Now, Scottish Ale aficionados
will argue there is much more – and to a certain extent there is. Scottish Lights are brewed with the least amount
of grain; therefore, Light has the least alcohol by volume (ABV) coming in at
between 2.5 – 3.2%. Truly a session
ale. Heavy comes in at 3.2 – 3.9%. Again, a sessionable beer, but on the top
end. The higher ABV indicates a bit of a
more complex grain bill and with it a bit more complexity. Finally, Export is a 3.9 – 6.0%+. The term “export” indicates its original
intent which was as an export product from Scotland to other beer-loving
regions.
The Scottish Light, Heavy and Export guidelines
read nearly the same for each style of beers. As the gravity increases, so does
the character of the beers in question. Historically, the three types of beer
were parti-gyled to different strengths, and represented an adaptation of
English pale ales but with reduced strengths and hopping rates, and darker
colors (often from added caramel). More modern versions (post-WWII, at least),
tended to use more complex grists.
Scottish Ale vs. Scotch Ale
Scottish Ale, emphasis on the “ISH” is not Scotch Ale, no “ISH.”
Scotch Ale is indeed the higher ABV cousin to Scottish Ale. Scotch Ales, also referred to as “Wee Heavy”
comes in at 6.5%+ ABV, often exceeding 10%.
The grain bill is much more complex and truthfully, Scotch Ale (no “ISH”) is closer to a Barley Wine than it
is to a Scottish Ale. We’ll address
Scotch Ale in a later blog and podcast.
The “Schilling” Convention
The naming convention most closely associated
with Scottish Ale is the “schilling” (/-), with 60/- associated with Scottish
Light, 70/- with Scottish Heavy, and 80/- or 90/- associated with Scottish
Export. (Yes, yes…120/- is associated
with Wee Heavy, but that’s a later blog and podcast). The BJCP clarifies this historical misuse as
follows:
The original meaning of ‘schilling’ (/-) ales
have been described incorrectly for years. A single style of beer was never
designated as a 60/-, 70/- or 80/-. The schillings only referring to the cost
of the barrel of beer. Meaning there were 54/- Stouts and 86/- IPAs and so on.
The Scottish Ales in question were termed Light,
Heavy and Export which cover the spectrum of costs from around 60/- to 90/- and
simply dark, malt-focused ales. The larger 120/- ales fall outside of this
purview as well as the strongest Scotch ales (aka Wee Heavy).
Technicals
AROMA: low to medium sweetness reminiscent of bread or English biscuits.
APPEARANCE: Copper – colored to dark brown:
Scottish Light: SRM 17-22
Scottish Heavy and Export: SRM 13 – 22
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Malt-forward
with little or no hop bitterness or aroma.
Notable flavors of caramel, toffee, or caramel. Sweetness sometimes subtly accented with
herbs or flowers (look for Heather).
COMMON INGREDIENTS: Traditional
malts include Scottish pale malt and grits / flaked maize. Modern malts include amber, brown, crystal,
and wheat malts accented by roasted grain and brown or dark sugars.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:
PHOTO CREDITS
[b] http://www.megalithic.co.uk
[c] Hill & Adamson, metmuseum,org, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org
TECHNICAL CREDITS
[1] K. Florian Klemp, "Scottish Ales," All About Beer Magazine, Volume 27, Issue 4, September 1, 2006. http://allaboutbeer.com
[2] Beer Judge Certification Program, 2015 Beer Styles Guide, www.bjcp.org