I was reminded of the fortifying powers of rich malty ales in winter time when I had a sleeve of this at Pat’s Pub the other night. (It’s running low on the Brewed Awakening tap – get it while you can.) Stepping out into the freezing night, I barely felt the icy blast of the north wind, such a rare occurrence in this part of the world.
Scottish ales have, of course, been keeping the natives of Caledonia insulated against the Atlantic, Arctic and North Sea winds for centuries. When they’re done right, they pack a wonderful warming earthiness that seems to line the bones.
Vern Lambourne has been doing Scottish ales right for a while, and Auld Skool is the latest and greatest version from Granville Island’s brewmaster.
It pours a murky, amber-tinged brown with copper-amber highlights and is topped by a rich, off-white head that laces in stretched globules down the glass.
A well-roasted malt profile on the nose features toasty toffee and some caramel with hints of oakiness and a sour starchy earthiness redolent of red ales.
In the mouth, Auld Skool delivers a delicious, gentle sweetness full of subtle toffee and caramel, with a slightly creamy biscuitiness (faint echoes of custard creams) to follow. A well-judged bitterness provides a bookend to the sweetness and is followed by a big dry finish. There are hints of rich caramel and that earthy starchiness from the aroma in the aftertaste, while a light alcoholic heat lingers in the throat. It’s beautifully rounded yet gentle and soft in the mouth – but to better experience all its luscious malty nuances, it’s better to let this beer settle for a good half-hour to clear some of the carbonation.
My only gripe, if you can call it that, is that Auld Skool falls between the cracks of the Scotch ale and export styles: not quite as rich and robust as the former, but not quite as sessionable as the latter. But really, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that and the beer is a proud example of how awesome Scottish-style ales can be.
Food pairing: This would be killer with the traditional howtowdie, a roast chicken stuffed with an oat stuffing. but steak and sausage pie, cassoulet, simply seasoned venison stew and roast lamb would also make excellent partners. If you’re carrying it through to dessert, try it with tarte tatin.
Beer Cat: Likes
650ml, $5.50, at B.C. Liquor Stores
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