Sweet iced tea entry gives way to fleeting wood-burnt barleywine elegance, impacting prune-soured sugar plum finish. Despite ‘red’ labeling, perhaps inspired by hop-spiced fruiting and toasted barley malting, resembles less nutty brown ale.

Wild jester collage on bottle’s label perhaps inspired by beat poet Hunter S. Thompson’s ancient Celtic axiom. Though dark brown-hued, this is a light, unassuming ‘also ran.’ A bit nutty with pleasurable butterscotch snuggling spring water freshness, though lacking discernible character. Later brewed by Denver’s Flying Dog. Brewery defunct: 2006.

Canned ruby-garnet wee heavy Scottish ale adroitly adjoins ashen butterscotch-mocha-chocolate sweetness to wheat biscuit spine. Dried tobacco, earthy peat, and leather linger beneath smoked maple midst. Roasted barley and rolled oats fortify veritable toasted lager-like finish. Alcohol insurgency impels charming barleywine recess.

Silky smooth copper-toned eggshell-headed “80 shilling” nitro-injected bottled draught offers visually exciting sheets of cascading froth and boasts soothing peat-smoked whiskey-rye setting. Tender nuttiness, herbal tea jot, and beautiful water texture enhance buttery barleymalt aridity.

Mild bone-dry Scot knockoff plies subtle sour fruit palate (embodying apricot, quince, and orange rind) to earthen grained vegetative undertow. Frazzled hop-fizz thaws crystal-pale malt influence.