Beer of the Week: Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale

This is likely the last BotW post here. For some of you that might be welcome news. If so, grab a whine glass out of Mrs. Bernie's collection and go sit by a fire somewhere while you knit, or read People magazine. The rest of you stay tuned within the next week or so for more info.

Monday Night swag!

Had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan the other day. Who's Jonathan? Well, I'm glad you asked. He's the creative guy at Monday Night Brewing. He's also their "Master of Mind Control". Channeling all that power, he came out to The Best of Brews with some great beer in tow. You remember when we talked about their Eye Patch Ale back in January. Well, since then I've had it a couple more times. I even had a growler of it that Ale Yeah! randallized with some coffee. 


Holy crap America is a great place to live! Yet, I digress...


Today we're tasting and typing about their Scotch ale, affectionately referred to as Drafty Kilt. Scotland's location and weather isn't really conducive to growing much in the way of hops. So a Scotch ale is going to be low in IBUs and rich in malt flavor. And although there tend to be many variations of it these days, a traditional Scotch ale will be nice and roasty, sweet, full flavored and around 7-8% ABV.


The Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale doesn't disappoint. It pours a dark reddish brown with a generous head that lingers nicely. This naturally came from a growler so the head might not be as prominent after a couple days. I couldn't tell you one way or the other as the two growlers of this one that I've had haven't lasted into day three. *fist bump!*

Casual tap handles

After admiring the color and letting everything settle down (including myself into a comfortable chair), the first quaff is creamy smooth. It has a lasting sweetness as the roasted chocolate flavors from the malt do battle in your mouth. There's a hint of cherry as well as some bite, but you never catch a mouth full of alcohol burn like some other Scotch ales I've had. This is ultra-smooth and exceptionally flavorful. And what I really like about this brew and Scotch ales over all is their versatility. You can pour a glass of this while grilling, eating dinner or just hanging out on the deck swing. It even works exceptionally well after dinner. Just a great beer.


The guys at Monday Night are growing. Keep an eye on this Atlanta brewery. They released two exceptional beers that complement each other well and have really drawn some attention. Their lines at Suwanee Beer Fest a few weeks ago were steady and there were plenty of content faces walking away from their tent. The Eye Patch and the Drafty Kilt are both very tasty and unique while also giving proper respect to their respective styles. Next is a Belgian Wit that is due out this summer. Fans pitched in with the naming and I believe Fu Man Chu won. In the mean time you should be able to find their unique tap somewhere close by if you live around Atlanta. 


If not, ask for it by name and help spread the word. Something as good as these beers shouldn't be a secret for long.