Beer Review – Great Divide’s Claymore Scotch Ale
This one was a new one for me and after this one I’ll be looking to sample the rest of the Great Divide portfolio. So without further ado, this weeks Brew of the Week:
Great Divide’s Claymore Scotch Ale:
Great Divide Brewing Company describes it as:
“Named for a medieval Scottish sword, Claymore Scotch Ale is our tribute to the legendary “Wee Heavy” beers of Scotland. This malty, deep-ruby beauty features lots of caramel sweetness, a reserved hop profile, and a subtle warming character. Unlike its namesake, this beer only requires one hand, but it’ll still make you feel like nobility.”
The Brewery: Three months after brewing its first batch of beer, Denver, Colorodo’s Great Divide Brewing Company won the first of it’s twelve Great American Beer Festival awards as well as four World Beer Cup awards. By 2007, Great Divide was ranked the 23ds best brewery in the world by RateBeer.com, brewing up three of the world’s top 100 beers. The following year, they were ranked as the seventh best brewery on the planet by Beer Advocate Magazine.
The Great Divide Brewing Company was founded in 1994 with the notion of brewing strong beers, which are defined as possessing an alcohol content greater than 7% by volume.
The Brew: With the complexity of a Scottish Ale, and being a strong beer I went with a snifter this time to help capture the rich aroma and subtle undertones. Upon pouring, the first thing I notice it’s a little low on the carbonation giving it a bit of a thicker flow. After about a 3-quarter pour I notice the tan cream head was less than 1 finger so I gave it a tad rougher pour for the last quarter which produced a frothy 2 finger head. The head consisted of tiny bubbles leaving a below moderate lace. The color almost approaches black but a beautiful deep ruby tone is apparent upon closer observation.
A deep malty smell hits the nose at first with a solid layer of caramel lingering beneath. A little bit of smokyness comes through on the back end with strong traces of dark fruits, namely raisins and prunes. In the mouth the lower carbonation level gives is a thicker, smoother feel which goes down nicely.
The taste of this beer is dominated by a roasted malty flavor with a good level of sweetness coming through the caramel. Some smokyness comes through on the back-end accompanied by the dark fruit flavor and hints of cherry. The aftertaste has a touch of bitterness and the alcohol comes through a little stronger.
Weighing in at 7.7% ABV, this beer is no pushover. Packing a punch, with moderate body and thicker flow, it is definitely a sipping beer. With the rich malts and sweetness of the caramel, it would also make a good desert beer. It does have a warming character and I could see this beer being enjoyed in a ski lodge or cabin after a long day on the slopes and a hearty meal.
Cost: 10-12$ and can be found at grocery stores with an excellent beer selection and specialty beer stores.
Pairing: The sweet undertones and rich flavor lends itself to the heartier flavors of some slow cooked beef. I recommend a nice London Broil, fresh squash and zucchini with light olive oil, and seasoned long beans.
Served by: 12oz bottle
The 10 Point Breakdown: look: 9 | smell: 8| taste: 8| feel:7 | drink: 8
Overall Brew of the Week Grade: B+
About the author: John Chilton is co-founder of Brew of the Week
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