Scottish

History

The history of Scottish beer dates back as far as 43 AD. and goes hand-in-hand with their whiskey production. Prior to IPA, Scotch Ale was the favorite drink of the British colonies. The high alcohol content and the robust flavor made it an excellent choice for 18th century export. Scotch Ale is even a favorite among the Belgians.
Hops do not grow in Scottland, so Scottish Ales are noticable by their very malty taste. This is similar to the fine single malt Scotch whiskeys. The strongest ale, Strong Scotch Ale, is comparable to the Old Ale of England.
The first hops used in Scottish Ale were Belgian (via England), though the Scottish taste was for more local spices & herbs - such as ginger, bog myrtle, orange peel, dandelion roots, juniper, licorice, pepper, spruce, serviceberries, and gooseberries. Even heather-flavored beers were quite common. Hops balance the malt sweetness, but don't contribute to the aroma.
Early grains were probably oats and bere (a precursor & relative to barley). Honey and other sugar sources may have been used. Today, more conventional ingredients are used. Scotch barley is considered to be among the finest in the world. Scottish pale malt resembles English pale malt.
Scotland is the home of the Heriot-Watt University, a famed brewing school.
The strength of Scottish Ales is traditionally referred to as the amount of shillings (ancient English currency) for the cost of a barrel. 60 (light), 70 (heavy), 80 (export), and 90 (scotch or wee heavy) shilling ales go up in strength with the cost. Scottish Ale is associated with the lower gravities (60, 70, and 80 shilling) and strong Scotch Ale associated with the higher gravities (90 shilling).
Modern commercial examples of Scottish Ale include: Grant's, Caledonian 80 Export, Belhaven Scottish Ale, and McEwan's Export. Scotch Ale is much more commonly available, with commercial examples being McEwan's Scotch Ale, Traquair House Ale, and Orkney Brewery's Skullsplitter.

Characteristics

The flavor should be fairly clean, leaning more toward a lager rather than a fruity ale character. The gravity divisions are roughly the same as British Bitters (Mild, Ordinary, and Best). The distinguishing feature is the Scots tend to produce ales that are maltier in flavor and aroma, darker, and more full-bodied. The beers are often less fully fermented, and the alcohol can be low in relation to the original gravity.

Statistics

	Light 60	Heavy 70	Export 80	Scotch 90
O.G.:	1.030 .. 1.035	1.035 .. 1.040	1.040 .. 1.060	1.070 .. 1.130
F.G.:	1.006 .. 1.010	1.010 .. 1.014	1.010 .. 1.018	1.020..1.030
IBU:	10..15	12..17	15..20	25..35
Alc (% by vol.)	3 .. 4	3.5 .. 4	4 .. 4.5	6 .. 9
Color (SRM)	8..17	10..19	10..19	10..25 (47)

Water

Soft water
pH: 3.9..4.2

Malt

British Pale Ale Malt with light crystal or cara-pils and a small amount of roasted barley.
(Note: some American breweries like to add peat-smoked malt)
A Single Infusion mash at 154 .. 158 degrees (F) will produce the desired fermentables

Hops

Bittering Hops: Most any hops work fine, low rate
Aromatic Hops: None

Yeast

Yeast strain must be alcohol tolerant and have a low attenuation to leave some residual sweetness.
Scottish Ale yeast (E.g. Liquid Wyeast 1728) or Irish ale yeast (E.g. Liquid Wyeast 1084) work well.
Pitch at a high rate of yeast - to get a cleaner taste (less yeast growth and by-products like esters and fusel alcohols).
Ferment at cool temp. (like lagers) 50 .. 62 degrees (F)
Let age for extended period.

Final Note: BJCP identifies 3 subcategories:

Light 60, similar to English Mild (sic), a light-bodied ale with low carbonation and low bitterness/aroma. Medium to dark brown color.
Heavy 70, similar to English Ordinary Bitter, a low-gravity ale with low carbonation, but maltier, fuller-bodied ale and low bitterness/aroma. Medium gold to medium copper-brown color.
Export 80, similar to English Best Bitter, a low-gravity ale with low carbonation, but maltier, fuller-bodied ale and low bitterness/aroma. Medium gold to medium copper-brown color.

Commercial Examples: Caledonian 80 Export, Belhaven Scottish Ale, and McEwan's Export.

In addition, under the Strong Ale Category, the BJCP identifies the subcategory:

Strong 90, rich beers with a very full-bodied malty character with some kettle carmelization. A buttery flavor may also be present. Low hopping, but enough to balance the intense maltiness. Slight roasted malt qualities may be provided by the limited use of dark roasted malt or roasted barley.

Commercial Examples: Traquair House Ale, MacAndrew's Scotch Ale, McEwan's Scotch Ale, and Orkney Brewery's Skullsplitter.