Steelhead Scotch Porter
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“Some of our brewers have taken to donning a kilt when it’s time to brew this beauty.”
– Mad Riving Brewing Co. website
Full disclaimer — I’m not sure what a “Scotch Style Porter” is, but I like it! Craft beer can be difficult to fit into a specific, traditional “style” classification; and that’s exactly why I grabbed a bottle of this Steelhead Scotch Style Porter. And I’m glad I did.
What creates that peaty, funky, almost sour quality present in so many Scottish ales? Is it the strain of yeast? The malt? The Mad Riving Brewing website mentions the inclusion of “Scottish peated” malt, so I have to assume that — like many scotch whiskies — the flavor comes in part from roasting malt over smokey peat.
The first Scottish ale I ever drank was a Belhaven, on draft at the same Irish pub where I met my wife, just outside of Boston. That funky sweet-smokey taste came back to me on the first taste of this Steelhead.
Steelhead Scotch Porter is a dark brown/black beer with a malty-smokey-roasted-coffee aroma and a thick, tan head. There’s a lot of roasted malt in the flavor, coffee, wood, and that scotch yeast quality. But this is the first porter I’ve had where I could detect and appreciate the hops. Whether it’s simply this beer or my taste buds maturing, I’m not sure. But that subtle grapefruit bitterness married nicely with the smokey taste of the porter.
From the website:
A traditionally styled Porter with that MAD RIVER TWIST. Our version of the English working class brew offers complex malt characteristics balanced with a mild hop profile. The addition of Scottish peated and German Rauch malts lend a mild smoke flavor to the finish . . . Try this beer along with grilled poultry, meats and veggies. It also makes a great marinade for the cook and the meal.
Definitely worth a try, especially if you are fan of smokey porters. There’s a lot of flavor here. For all I know, Mad River could have brought in Emeril Lagasse to craft the recipe for this beer, because — BAM! — they definitely kicked it up a notch with this brew.
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