Century city

Today's beer came courtesy of Eoghan Walsh, author of the Brussels Beer City blog and was created to accompany his book of the same name, on the history of brewing in the Belgian capital. It's that most Belgian of styles, a Scotch ale, created at Brussels Beer Project in the heart of the city, following the best estimation of what these were like a century ago. Sctch 1920 is the appointed name.

As a 21st century sort of bloke I expect Scotch ale to be darkish, but this is quite a pale amber, mostly clear with just the faintest haze. No immediate esters feature in the aroma: it smells quite plain, just slightly sweet, and that's backed up in the syrupy texture. Par for the course at 8.8% ABV. Surprise number one is the bitterness: a serious waxy kick, somewhere in the same zone as a north-German bock or a north-English bitter. This doesn't hang around, however, giving way presently to floral honey (an ingredient) and a little of that hard orange-flavoured travel sweet found in tripel, a beer style which is arguably a descendent of this one. A slightly oily herbal note -- marjoram and dill -- finishes it with a bonus balancing bitterness.

I can see the relationship between this and modern Belgian tramp-brews like Gordon Finest, but there's definitely an extra nuance, which I'm taking as hop-derived. Interestingly, they went with Belgian Groene Bel hops rather than a more typical English variety. This is a solid, old-fashioned, heavy-bodied sipper. Unlike with many a candy-infused modern Belgian beer, you know when you've had a drink when you've had one of these. Thanks to Eoghan for letting me try it.