5. SCOTTISH ALES
5A. Light 60/-
Aroma: Malt is evident; some examples have a low level of hop aroma. Fruitiness low to none. A very faint smoky and/or toasty/roasty characteristic sometimes present. May have some diacetyl.
Appearance: Amber to dark brown. Draught examples often have a creamy, long-lasting head.
Flavor: Malt-dominated flavor, with subdued esters and just enough hop bitterness to prevent the beer from being cloyingly sweet. A very slight toasty, roasty and/or chocolate-like character is sometimes present. Caramel flavor from crystal malt medium to none. May have some diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, with low carbonation. Body is medium- light, but full for the gravity.
Overall Impression: Cleanly malty, with perhaps a faint touch of smoke and few esters.
History: More recent commercial interpretations from Scotland have begun to drift towards English bitter in terms of bitterness, balance, attenuation, esters and dry-hopping. These guidelines don't account for these recent commercial examples which would more accurately be described as bitters. Traditionally, these beers were dispensed via pumps, which forced air into the headspace of the cask, thus forcing the beer out. These air-powered systems are referred to as "tall fonts." The "light" name associated with this style refers to the gravity rather than the color.
Comments: Though similar in gravity to ordinary bitter, the malt- hop balance is decidedly to the malt side. Long, cool fermentation leads to clean malt character (which may include some faint peat or smoke character). Note that the smoky character can be due to the yeast as often as to smoked or peat-kilned malt. Strongly smoky beers should be entered in the Smoked Beer category rather than here.
Ingredients: Scottish or English pale malt with small proportions of roasted barley, crystal or chocolate malt. English hops. Clean, relatively un-attenuative ale yeast.
| Vital Statistics: | OG: 1.030-1.034 |
| IBUs: 9-15 | FG: 1.010-1.013 |
| SRM: 12-34 | ABV: 2.5-3.3% |
Commercial Examples: Belhaven 60/-, Caledonian 60/-, Maclay 60/- Light, Highland Dark Light (HDL).
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