Ballast Point 'Piper Down' Scottish Ale. 5.8% abv. 22 IBU. Ruby red color. Two fingers of creamy off-white head. superb retention and lacing. Nose of caramel, light fruit, faint orange. Front taste of roasted malt, caramel, sweet citrus, faint fruity hop bitter on the back end. Aftertaste of fruity hops, candi sugar, bittersweet orange rind. Light-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, resiny, round.
This is a good Scottish ale. The malty flavor is accented well by notes of fruit and subdued hop bitter. However, the body is a bit thin for my taste for a Scotch/Scottish brew, and the aftertaste too sweet for such a light brew. Contrary to the marketing, the promised complexity is simply not there. What is there is an easy drinking Scottish ale, a malty lawnmower beer. It's not a great beer, but it is a good one. Recommended.
From the brewery:
"A Scottish ale with San Diego spirit. Our Piper Down Scottish Ale hits all the right notes for the Ballast Point Bagpipe Corps that inspired it. We created this very low hopped, malty ale for the band to enjoy using UK Maris Otter malt, roasted barley, UK hops and low fermentation temperatures. Then we let the brew’s sweet complexity build over a three-hour boil. Full of roasted caramel flavor, it’s a pub classic with Ballast Point personality."
[source: ballastpoint.com]
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