Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Central Waters Slainte

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Dec 13, 2013 11:00PM

With temperatures dancing down towards single digits this week, we had no choice but to seek out something dark to drink. Despite the abundance of imperial stouts and barley wines we find this time of year, we went with something a little different.

Slainte is a Scottish Style Ale from Central Waters Brewing Co. of Amherst, Wisc. The aroma is very complex, giving off hints of cocoa nib, a touch of smokiness and fresh baked sticky bun. On the palate, the malt profile takes center stage with big notes of caramel and toffee, roasted figs, baker's chocolate and smoky cherry. There is a little speck of earthy hops that lingers towards the finish but it's very subdued. Central Waters actually brews Slainte with a little cherry wood smoked malt, which explains the smoky tones we picked up all over the beer. It also lends a nice, extra layer of depth. There's a richness to this beer but it's not overwhelming, and there's enough bitterness to balance the heavy malts. At 7.5% alcohol content, Slainte is a full-bodied, malt forward ale that comes with a bigger warming effect than you would expect.

Scotland has its own rich brewing history yet we don't see a whole lot of beers from the UK around Chicago too often. Since the climate in Scotland is fairly cool, hops don't really grow there. They can grow barley and other grains in abundance. Because of this, Scottish beers are traditionally dominated by malt profiles, as the brewers in the old days had to use hops very sparingly if at all. Sometimes they would use other spices or herbs to preserve and flavor the beer instead of hops, things like sprigs of pine, spruce shoots and juniper. That cold climate has also shaped beer culture in Scotland by causing brewers to ferment their beers at cooler temperatures, which slows down fermentation and suppresses yeast flavors, letting those malts shine through even stronger. Obviously with modern technology, breweries in Scotland can make any kind of beer they want to these days. Some of them are, but there are plenty of brewers still making the traditional styles and plenty of American interpretations of them in beers like Slainte.

Slainte is available on draft and in 12oz bottles. We had our pint at the Map Room this week, but there are a few places that are carrying it around town according to beermenus.com.