SevenPack Beer Blog » Blog Archive » Dark Horse “Scotty Karate” Scotch Ale

Hey folks,

I know it’s been a long time since I rapped at ya, but life’s dealt a few busy months for the Ben – too busy even to write about his favorite libations. However, I now find myself spending a few weeks around Michigan and, knowing how many delicious brews this state produces, I could hardly stand to sit idly by and not document a few of ‘em. So, I apologize for my absence… I can’t promise that I’ll be such a frequent visitor as I have been in past years, but I’ll do my best to let you know when I find something I find new and delicious.

Tonight I’m sipping on a tasty Scotch ale with a pretty sweet name – the Scotty Karate. This comes from the folks at Dark Horse. Frankly, I haven’t had a lot of beers from this brewery – in fact, I think the only place I’ve ever enjoyed their beers is at Foran in downtown Detroit (my favorite pub IN THE WORLD).

This one pours a deep brown color with some translucence around the edges of the glass and a fluffy off-white head. The aroma here is full of dark chocolaty malt and displays a bit more molasses than I usually expect from a Scotch ale. In the mouth, this is certainly a larger than usual Scotch, as well. The mouthfeel is instantly thick and viscous on the tongue, and a rich molasses sweetness washes over the tastebuds. As the beer develops through the mouth, this flavor never really dissipates – rather, it is simply joined by a few sweet dark malt flavors and a balancing bitterness that is earthy and redolent of aniseed. Down the throat, the flavor sticks around rich and dessert-like. It’s a very tasty beer for those who appreciate this genre, and it’s size and richness only increase as the beer warms – eventually reaching a critical mass worthy of the 9.5% abv on the label. Another tasty offering from Dark Horse – I hope I’m able to try out a few more of their beers over my coming weeks here in Michigan…