Homebrew Special Delivery: A "Wee Heavy" Scotch Ale
Part of what I love about Arlington is the sense of community. And by community, I mean walking up to your front door on a Monday night to find a homebrew from your neighbor. YES, Monday just went from dreary to beery.
The special delivery was the McCarthy's 120 Schilling "Wee Heavy" Scotch Ale. We (yes, I willingly shared this brew with Jules and my hubs) opened up this homebrew while making our first one-gallon homebrew kit for an upcoming charity event (stay tuned!). If you're supposed to drink homebrew while making homebrew (thanks, Charlie P!), you should most certainly drink homebrew while making a homebrew kit. Perfect timing to crack open the 120 Schilling.
Introducing McCarthy's 120 Schilling "Wee Heavy" Scotch Ale. Look at that carbonation!
There is nothing like the anticipation of trying a new homebrew! At first pour, we were all impressed by the carbonation and dark copper color. Mike's first words: Good head and long legs! Dirty, but true. After savoring the malty aroma, we were ready to start drinking!
The 120 Schilling was a big boy and not just because of the 8% ABV. True to style, this Scotch ale was smooth and malty with low hop bitterness. Our favorite part of the 120 Schilling was the slight sweetness of raisin and prune. The extra carbonation made for a certain brightness we weren't expecting from a Scotch ale. As the brew opened up -- let's be honest, with three of us sharing there wasn't a whole lot of time for opening up -- we noticed a slight tartness which created almost a sweet and sour flavor.
Community beer drinking requires singing... 99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall.
The 120 Schilling was the perfect brew to kickoff our homebrew kit making adventures. Thank you McCarthy's for the special delivery and the opportunity to try another great homebrew! Hopefully this won't be the last homebrew I find on our door step. Cheers!