Despite our oddly mild winter, I've been on a bit of a dark beer kick, lately. And with St Patrick's Day coming up next week, I've been thinking and writing about the pleasures of Irish Dry Stout .
But another, rarer dark beer style, Scotch Ale, came up on my radar, recently, with the Monday Night Brewing and American Spirit Works collaboration that produced a smoky, barrel-aged Scotch-style whiskey .
The inspiration and main ingredient for the project was Monday Night’s Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale, a longtime favorite, and my Beer Pick this week.
Beer Pick
Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale
Monday Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA
Available in six-pack glass bottles and on draft, including a nitro version
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A tweaked example of the fairly rare Scotch ale style, Drafty Kilt features deep flavors of cherrywood-smoked malt, chocolate malt and roasted barley. A touch of Columbus and Willamette hops add moderate bitterness to its smooth, rich character, with hints of vanilla and butterscotch.
In addition to the original, Monday Night offers a year-round nitro version of Drafty Kilt that’s often available at pubs and beers bars, such as Ormsby’s, Creetwood Tavern and North River Tavern. It exhibits a creamier mouthfeel, and a much more muted sense of smokiness and bitterness. Other interesting Draft Kilt iterations have included bourbon-aged and cinnamon and cocoa-flavored.
Pair with
Monday Night recommends pairing Draft Kilt with chocolate, smoked meats and strong cheeses, and I agree. But I think it would also be a good match for roasted meats, including pork, lamb or beef, or creme brûlée.
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