14A Scottish Light

Question 1

14A Scottish Ale - Overall Impression

Answer 1

A low-alcohol, malty beer with light caramel, toast, toffee, and fruit flavors. A slight roast dryness offsets the residual sweetness in the finish, with the bitterness perceived only to keep the beer from being cloying

Question 2

14A Scottish Ale - Aroma

Answer 2

Low to medium maltiness with caramel and toffee notes, and light toasty and sugary qualities that might be reminiscent of toasted bread crumbs, ladyfingers, English biscuits, graham crackers, or butterscotch. Light pome fruitiness and light English hop aroma (earthy, floral, orange-citrus, spicy, etc.) allowable.

Question 3

14A Scottish Ale - Appearance

Answer 3

Deep copper to dark brown. Clear. Low to moderate, creamy off white head.

Question 4

14A Scottish Ale - Flavor

Answer 4

Medium toasty-bready malt with caramel and toffee overtones, finishing with a slightly roasty dryness. A wide range of caramelized sugar and toasted bread type of flavors are possible, using similar descriptors as the aroma. Clean maltiness and fermentation profile. Light esters and hop flavor allowable (similar descriptors as aroma). Sufficient bitterness to not be cloying, but with a malty balance and aftertaste

Question 5

14A Scottish Ale - Mouthfeel

Answer 5

Medium-low to medium body. Low to moderate carbonation. Maybe be moderately creamy.

Question 6

14A Scottish Ale - Comments

Answer 6

See category introduction for detailed comments. May not seem as bitter as specifications indicate due to higher finishing gravity and residual sweetness. Typically a draught product, but somewhat rare. Do not mis-perceive the light roasty dryness as smoke; smoke is not present in these beers.

Question 7

14A Scottish Ale - History

Answer 7

See category introduction. The Shilling ale names were used for mild (unaged) beer before World War I, but the styles took modern form only after World War II.

Question 8

14A Scottish Ale - Characteristic Ingredients

Answer 8

At its simplest, pale ale malt, but can also use colored malt, sugars, corn, wheat, crystal malts, colorants, and a variety of other grains. Clean yeast. Soft water. No peat-smoked malt.

Question 9

14A Scottish Ale - Style Comparison

Answer 9

See category introduction. Similar to other Scottish Ales but lower in alcohol, and darker in color. Similar in strength to the low end of Dark Mild, but with a different flavor profile and balance.

Question 10

14A Scottish Ale - IBU

Answer 10

10-20

Question 11

14A Scottish Ale - SRM

Answer 11

17-25

Question 12

14A Scottish Ale - OG

Answer 12

1.030 - 1.035

Question 13

14A Scottish Ale - FG

Answer 13

1.010 - 1.013

Question 14

14A Scottish Ale - ABV

Answer 14

2.5 - 3.3%

Question 15

14A Scottish Ale -Commercial Examples

Answer 15

Belhaven Best, McEwan’s 60/-