Katy and Sasha are the contributors for Ottawa Beer Events! They have distinctly different palates and in this segment they go head-to-head tasting Ottawa beer. This week they sample Big Rig Brewery's Scotch Ale.

I'm going to admit a bias here, I don't like Scotch Ales. They tend to be heavy with sweet caramel flavour, bumped up alcohol and smokey with peat-smoked malts added to make it comparably to its single-malt cousin. It's just not my thing, but I'm not one to refuse a glass of beer when it's handed to me so I gave Big Rig's version a try. Pouring dark brown with beautiful garnet highlights when it catches the light, Brewmaster Lon Ladell's Wee Heavy has great aromas of thick malts, caramel, brown sugar and a hint of peat. With a luscious body and soft carbonation the flavour is as intense as the aroma with more caramel malt, brown sugar, dark fruit, peat and a slight vanilla/oak finish. While Sasha was challenging herself with a second glass I was busy taking on the full Growler!

I was happy to review this week's bevvie – Big Rig's Scotch ale as I've yet to give it a go! This smooth ale pours a dark copper with a thick off-white head and right away the the smoky aroma is present from the barley which has been smoked with peat moss. The taste mirrors the smoky aroma but adds much more in the dark caramel roasted malts and hint of plum and no hop bitterness to be found. The finish has just a hint of booze with low carbonation and a medium mouthfeel. The tagline for the beer is "for the Bold and Brave of heart" maybe because although the ABV is 7.2% – which not super high but if you this beer as much as I do you'll bravely pour a second glass!