Beer of the Weekend #533: Gray's Lake Nessie Scottish Ale
So here’s the plan for the game tomorrow, which may be the coldest in Kinnick Stadium history: a long-sleeve thermal shirt, a long-sleeve t-shirt, probably a sweatshirt, and my Triclimate; my running tights, pants, and sweatpants; two pairs of socks and my insulated winter boots; a stocking hat or two; a scarf; and two-pairs of gloves. I think that should keep me warm enough.
The beer of the weekend is Gray’s Lake Nessie Scottish Ale, brewed by the Confluence Brewing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.
Serving type: One-quart (32-ounce) bottle. No freshness date. Though the plastic wrap covering the neck and cap was partly torn (by the cap itself, it looked like), the seal was tight and I doubt any air seeped in. The bottle was filled to the brim, so there was no room for any air.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is cloudy mahogany. It looks a little like something I do not want to mention while drinking beer. A finger of light tan colored head left an even skim and ring around the edge.
Smell: Toasted malts and barley. There is a hint of roast but nothing overwhelming. Light caramel and either milk chocolate or cocoa. As it warms, scents of dark fruit and dark caramel emerge. It is faintly floral, too.
Taste: The mouthfeel is a little weird. At first I thought it was flat but it eventually becomes something akin to medium-bodied flat. I guess what I want to say is that the beer feels a little flat but it has a medium body. That obviously diminishes from the experience, but the flavor is still decent. It is roasty, perhaps even smoky, and peat-like — fitting for a Scotch ale. Dark caramel and cherry licorice emerge and seem to predominate for a while. But then the balance shifts again and the toasted malts and roast/smoke become prominent once again. A little alcohol is noticeable at the end, too.
Drinkability: Hmm… I like the flavor but the mouthfeel is a little weird. I do not think any age or packaging issues are at play here, so I wonder… It is pretty tasty and I bet it is damn good on tap.
Fun facts about Gray’s Lake Nessie:
-Style: Let’s call it Scotch ale.
-Price: $9.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.6 percent ABV.
-IBU: 22.
-Description from the beer’s webpage:
Gotta love the local boosterism.
-The 32-ounce bottles are marketed (by John’s, at least) as “gentlemen’s forties.” That is quite a misnomer. I have drunk many forties and none of them were 32 ounces.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
The beer of the weekend is Gray’s Lake Nessie Scottish Ale, brewed by the Confluence Brewing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.
Serving type: One-quart (32-ounce) bottle. No freshness date. Though the plastic wrap covering the neck and cap was partly torn (by the cap itself, it looked like), the seal was tight and I doubt any air seeped in. The bottle was filled to the brim, so there was no room for any air.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is cloudy mahogany. It looks a little like something I do not want to mention while drinking beer. A finger of light tan colored head left an even skim and ring around the edge.
Smell: Toasted malts and barley. There is a hint of roast but nothing overwhelming. Light caramel and either milk chocolate or cocoa. As it warms, scents of dark fruit and dark caramel emerge. It is faintly floral, too.
Taste: The mouthfeel is a little weird. At first I thought it was flat but it eventually becomes something akin to medium-bodied flat. I guess what I want to say is that the beer feels a little flat but it has a medium body. That obviously diminishes from the experience, but the flavor is still decent. It is roasty, perhaps even smoky, and peat-like — fitting for a Scotch ale. Dark caramel and cherry licorice emerge and seem to predominate for a while. But then the balance shifts again and the toasted malts and roast/smoke become prominent once again. A little alcohol is noticeable at the end, too.
Drinkability: Hmm… I like the flavor but the mouthfeel is a little weird. I do not think any age or packaging issues are at play here, so I wonder… It is pretty tasty and I bet it is damn good on tap.
Fun facts about Gray’s Lake Nessie:
-Style: Let’s call it Scotch ale.
-Price: $9.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.6 percent ABV.
-IBU: 22.
-Description from the beer’s webpage:
Named after Confluence Brewing Company’s neighbor, Gray’s Lake, Nessie features a bill of English Golden Promise malt almost as massive as the enormous Loch Ness itself. We started by boiling about 60 gallons of wart containing malt, a little Special B and roasted barley for color to condense and create caramelized sugars that will survive the fermentation process.
Our brewers then added in the remaining volume of wart and “put the spurs to it” by using maximum pressure to create a boil wilder than even the tallest Loch Ness monster tale. Adding English East Kent Golding balances the sweetness and cool fermenting with Scottish ale yeast completes the transformation of Nessie from a terrifyingly boiling monster into a beloved Scottish ale friend.
Gotta love the local boosterism.
-The 32-ounce bottles are marketed (by John’s, at least) as “gentlemen’s forties.” That is quite a misnomer. I have drunk many forties and none of them were 32 ounces.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
