Style: Scotch ale
Brewery: Nils Oscar
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 7.5%
Price: 36kr
Systembolaget: 35374
Founded in 1995, Nils Oscar is named after the founder’s grandfather and is based in central Nyköping. With a focus on classic beer styles, Nils Oscar has established itself as a well known brand in the Swedish craft beer market. They have been brewing Scotch Ales since 2008, and this trend continues into the 2020 edition I’ve been holding for a while. Hopped with Eldorado and Fuggles for a fruity edge, I was looking forward to this for a long time, and I wasn’t disappointed.
This was amber brown with ruby hints, finishing with a slightly off-white head that held for a fair amount of time. When poured, a medium to thick body for the style was noted. The aroma was extremely nice, with nuts, brown sugar, syrup and chocolate all present. Dark bready malts came through first when tasted, with raisins, black fudge and figs in the background adding support. The mouthfeel and carbonation were both soft and delighted the palate. The aftertaste was medium, with the earthy bitter forming slowly along with the dark bread notes, which balanced each other well.
This was a delight to drink. Full tasting and robust in alcohol but never boozy, this was a well-made and enjoyable Scotch Ale. A great balance between the roasted malts, deep sweetness and hops made this an easy to drink but fulfilling ale, which I think has become even better as it ages.