Before we start off talking about this beer, one thing needs to be set straight. It’s not really a Scottish ale, not in the traditional sense of the word anyway. When you lift a Grant’s Scottish ale to your lips, you won’t be reminded of Belhaven, Golden Promise, or Caledonian, all true Scottish ales from the mother country whose name the style bears. Those beers all feature a slightly darker, sweeter maltiness to them, while Grant’s version has more of a rich, candyish crystal malt character.

No, when Bert Grant set out to brew a Scottish ale, he did it in his own idiosyncratic fashion, as was his habit in most things. He reasoned that since he was born in Scotland and he brewed the beer, it was therefore Scottish ale. Not exactly perfect logic, of course, since if followed to its logical conclusion all of Bert’s beers would be Scottish ales. Given that the beer is as good as it is, however, we will allow Bert his flight of fancy.

Especially since Grant’s Scottish Ale is a beer that got Bert into a spot of trouble with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF). You see, beer is food. And though most people don’t consider that to be an axiom, I do and so did Bert. As such, Grant decided back in 1993 to include nutrition information on the labels of his Scottish Ale, much the same as you see on a box of cereal or can of soup. A 12-ounce serving of Scottish ale would yield the drinker the following percentages of their daily requirements:

Vitamin B2 4.6%
Vitamin B12 170%
Niacin 14.6%
Folacin 62.5%

In addition, the label informed the drinker that beer has no fat or cholesterol, listed carbohydrate content at 12.7 grams and calories at 145. All this is very useful information that a drinker should have the right to know, right? The BATF didn’t think so. They put intense pressure on Grant to stop the practice, and forbade the sale of any of his Scottish ale bearing labels with nutrition facts.

I don’t know about you, but I put beer in my body, making it no different from any other food or drink. Why, then, can’t I know the nutritional information about my favorite brew? Unfortunately, because the BATF says I can’t. Cheers to Grant for battling them as much as he could.

He paid for it dearly, both in legal fees, time and resources, and harassment from BATF that included orders to change the label for his Spiced Ale, and reclassifying Grant’s Cider as a wine.

One fact that appears on the label (and still does today) is erroneous. It calls this a rich, real, ale in the tradition of Scotland. This is a rich ale, but it is not real ale. Real ale is defined as ale conditioned with yeast in the container from which it is dispensed. Grant’s Scottish ale would need to be bottle conditioned for this to be true; it is not.

Today, Bert Grant is no longer with us, but his Scottish ale lives on. It’s a delicious American take on the style with a very loose interpretation. It may not be a great Scottish ale, but it is a very fine ale indeed when taken on its own merits. It’s a favorite brew of mine that frequently holds a place in my refrigerator, right next to the hot dogs with 150 calories each, 15 grams of fat, and less nutritional value than any of Bert’s brews.

Grant’s Scottish Ale pours to a bright orange color with a huge, thick and creamy head formation and an enticing candy-malt nose. The mouthfeel is full and rich with lots of caramel malt body. The caramel hinting palate is infused with a light floral Cascade hoppiness, then gradually gives way to a bitter, lingering citric hop finish. Immensely drinkable, this is a great beer to accompany a rib eye steak, nicely seasoned, or any red meat dish.