Robin Shepard
“We’ve been doing darker styles by making changes in grains and have found we’re able to get nice dark beer that isn’t overly roasted or burnt,” says Alt Brew owner and brewmaster Trevor Easton. Customer preference for darker beers, especially in colder winter months, encouraged him to release a Scotch ale. “This time of year we want something a little hardier, and I love dark beers so I want to find ways of making more of them.”
What is it? Blackwater Scotch Ale from Alt Brew of Madison.
Style: The Scotch ale is often dark with malty sweetness. They are medium- to full-bodied, modestly strong at 6-8 percent ABV. Scotch ales can also have light hints of roasted-smokiness when made with peat-smoked malt.
Background: Barley, and how it is malted or roasted, gives a beer color and sweet bready flavor. Making beer without it is a challenge for a gluten-free brewery like Alt Brew, especially when making a dark beer with flavors that include caramel and chocolate maltiness. Alt Brew’s gluten-free Blackwater is made with sorghum, malted rice and millet. Different roasts of millet, in particular, give it color and a light toasted sweetness, similar to how dark roasted barley contributes to other beers. Blackwater is also made with Belgian candi sugar that lends color and alcoholic strength. It’s aged for about a month with American oak spirals that add smooth woody sweetness. “There’s no recipe book out there for gluten-free beers, so this is based on our own brewing and learning experience about different grains, different ingredients, and yeast acting altogether,” says Easton. Assistant brewer Alex Bruni also deserves credit for coming up with the combination of gluten-free ingredients for Blackwater. Easton turned him loose in the brew house and this beer emerged via several test batches made since last August.
Blackwater finishes around 8 percent ABV. It sells for $6/pint in the Alt Brew taproom and $10/bomber. You may find bombers for sale at select liquor stores; however, the brewery is the place to find it. This is also one of several new beers in 2018 that will debut at the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival on January 20 at the Alliant Energy Center.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: A light roastedness. A hint of warm oaky spirits.
- Appearance: Dark brown to black. Medium tan marbled head.
- Texture: Medium-bodied with softness.
- Taste: Smooth toffeelike sweetness. The oak is subtle in the background of the main flavor. As it warms, there is a faint and very light off-sourness that emerges; however, it remains far in the background and almost unnoticeable.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Light toffee and caramel notes with a touch of bitterness.
Glassware: In the Alt Brew taproom this beer is served in the standard bar-pint glass. At home, I prefer the heavy, dimpled glass mug as a nod of respect to the Scotch ale’s smooth body and color.
Pairs well with: dishes with sweetness like stews rich in vegetables. It’s also a nice match with smoked Gouda cheese.
The Verdict: Every time I stop by Alt Brew I’m pleasantly reminded that gluten-free beers don’t have to taste drastically different from beers made with malted barley. Easton’s motto is “We make good beer that just happens to be gluten-free,” and Blackwater lives up to that. This is what one expects from a Scotch ale. What stands out is a toffee sweetness that lingers alongside light accents of wood and vanilla from aging with oak spirals. I’m a fan of peat-smoked malt in traditional Scotch ales, and unfortunately you don’t find that in Blackwater. That’s a gluten-free ingredient challenge that Easton and his team haven’t yet been able to conquer. However, this is still a nice dark beer with lots of Scotch ale character that should make even style purists take note.
