I love a good malty beer, don’t you? If you answered no, you need to rethink your priorities. Oh, I know that hops are all the rage these days, and it seems like beer geeks just can’t get enough of them. Malt, though, is the life blood of beer. You can have beer without hops, but not without malt or grain of some kind. It wouldn’t be beer then, no?

Odyssey Beerwerks Clan Warrior Strong Scotch Ale is a good malty beer. The brewery calls it a “strong Scotch ale” on the can, “A wee heavy style ale”. Such beers are, indeed, malty ones. This is my first beer from Odyssey, and they’ve made a great first impression on me for sure. They’re a recent arrival on the Colorado beer scene, having only been in business for a few years if I read their website correctly.

Odyssey says the following of Clan Warrior on their website:

At Odyssey, we seldom wear skirts, the only bags we play are hacky sack bags, and our poles are much smaller than the Scots (must be genetics).  But we do make a Scotch Wee Heavy that makes us think we are Highlanders too.

Our Wee Heavy is rich and sweet and malty and showcases a blend of specialty malts.  Is there some smokiness in there somewhere?  You be the judge.

Odyssey Beerwerks Clan Warrior Strong Scotch Ale has an alcohol content of 8.7% by volume with 29 IBUs. On the can, they say the beer is “Forged in the smoky depths of a highlands castle perched over a deep loch”. OK……

Odyssey Beerwerks Clan Warrior Strong Scotch Ale pours to a jet black color with a thick creamy tan head and a rich nose of butterscotch, caramel and phenolic smoke. Taking a sip, the beer has strong sweet malty notes up front of toffee and treacle, caramel, raisins, chocolate and a hint of vanilla. It’s got a bit more of that phenolic smoke and a delightful sticky sweetness to it. The beer finishes sweet as a good Scotch Ale should, but with just the gentlest grassy hoppiness to balance a bit.

Folks, this is a delicious beer indeed and a righteous example of what Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy all about. I’m all about the malt, and this beer certainly accents the malts to perfection. The hint of smoke just sweetens the deal. If you can find Odyssey Beerwerks Clan Warrior Strong Scotch Ale in your neck of the woods, you’d be daft not to buy it.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

 

 



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