Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale Review

Name: Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale
Style: Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
ABV: 7.7%

A couple weeks ago, I was at my local liquor store when I noticed that they started carrying Great Divide Brewing on their shelves. Previously I was only able to acquire this on my excursions down to the Twin Cities but now it seems that will no longer be the case.

I decided to take a piece of the Twin Cities home with me in the form of Great Divide's Claymore Scotch Ale. It's a beer that I haven't had for a couple of years and I thought now would be a good time to revisit this.

Claymore pours a very dark brown color that almost looks black in appearance. There is a slight red tinge on the bottom of the glass but it's a pretty dark beer nonetheless. The head starts out fairly foamy but it settles down into more of a flat thin appearance; Nothing in terms of lacing though.

The aroma is very smoky with some peated scotch and and caramel sweetness. There's also some noticeable roastiness in here too.

Like the nose, the taste is also quite smoky with a more prominent roasted barley profile. The caramel sweetness in the aroma is also present here along with the peated scotch flavor. Aftertaste is also quite roasty and a bit of hoppy bitterness.

The body is pretty heavy and some thickness to it as well, bordering on what some may consider to be "chewy." The carbonation is thankfully rather light and the texture has a nice creamy feel.

Claymore Scotch Ale may be a little more smokier and roasty than other Wee Heavy-style beers out there but it's pretty tasty for what it is. Though I prefer my Scotch Ales to be a bit maltier, I would still recommend this regardless.

Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale - 8.5/10