Bob Townsend's Beer Pick: Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale

Monday Night Drafty Kilt. Credit: Monday Night Brewing Co.

Credit: Bob Townsend

Credit: Bob Townsend

Monday Night Drafty Kilt. Credit: Monday Night Brewing Co.

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

Profile

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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