Scottish-style beers are what happens when malt dreams in sepia tones — smooth, rich, and indulgent enough to make the angels burp caramel. These are beers built on patience and fire: kettles boiled twice as long as sanity allows, sugars caramelizing into deep notes of maple, toffee, and a faint whiff of Highland hearth smoke. The Scots, being both thrifty and poetic, once priced their brews by the shilling — 60 for the light, 70 for the heavy, 80 for the export, and north of 90 for the Scotch ale, or “wee heavy,” that glorious, syrupy hymn to malt and mischief. And yes, there’s a difference between Scottish and Scotch: one brewed on the misty moors, the other reborn through the alchemy of American ambition and Belgian reverence. Today, Peaks & Pints raises a glass to the latter — a flight of Scotch ales so rich, malty, and dangerously smooth you’ll swear you can hear bagpipes in your bloodstream. It’s Craft Beer Crosscut 11.8.18: A Flight of Scotch — the kind of liquid history that tastes like smoke, honey, and rebellion.

Craft Beer Crosscut 11.8.18: A Flight of Scotch

Sumerian Scotch Ale

7% ABV, 25 IBU

In 1995, Mark Ihrig created The Micro Beer Club. Four years later, he launched the Cellars Wine Club in 1999. In 2001, Mark launched Boxing Cat Brewery. Holly Ihrig, one of the first Microsoft employees, retired in 2012 so the couple could combine their talents to open Sumerian Brewing Co. Their Scotch Ale is an easy drinking, slightly sweet, creamy Scotch ale with rich caramel notes and a hop addition that adds to the flavor.

Oskar Blues Old Chub

8% ABV, 25 IBU

Oskar Blues‘ Old Chub is a Scottish style ale brewed with copious amounts of crystal and chocolate malts, a dash of beechwood-smoked malts and Nugget hops. While Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale is a showcase of both hops and pale malts, Old Chub is a celebration of malts. The cola-colored beer features a dense, tawny head, a creamy mouthful and flavors of caramel, chocolate and lightly roasted malt. Complex and rich, it finishes with a whisper of smokiness that calls to mind a fine single malt scotch.

Pike Brewing Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ruby Ale

6.5% ABV, 27 IBU

Pike Brewing‘s heavy Scotch ale is lightly hopped with a strong malt character, and a subtle underlying smokiness from the addition of a small amount of peated Scotch whisky malt, which adds complexity. Warm fermentation produces fruity esters and balances the sweet malt character, as well as oaky vanilla and light tobacco. Layers of rich, sweet, powerful earthy malt — like freshly baked bread — makes Kilt Lifter great by itself or with food.

Silver City Magnificent Bastard Scotch Ale

9.3% ABV, 30 IBU

In September 1996, brothers Steve and Scott Houmes added craft beer to their lives when they teamed up with Brewmaster “Big Daddy” Don Spencer and opened Silver City Brewery in Silverdale, Washington. In May of 2010, the brothers moved their brewery operations to a new, 7,600 square foot production facility and taproom in Bremerton. Formerly known as Fat Scotch, Magnificent Bastard Scotch Ale hits the nose with a bit of peaty smokiness. Expect a subdued first sip with a hint of sweet malt followed by long, smoky, sweet aftertaste and finish.

Boundary Bay Scotch Ale

6.4% ABV, 31 IBU

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro is the oldest craft brewery in Bellingham. It is the creation of Ed Bennett, a University of Washington alum who went on to earn his Master’s degree in winemaking from UC Davis before landing in another small college town, Bellingham, to begin exploring his new love, beer. In 1994, he signed the lease for the Thomas Burns building at 1107 Railroad Ave. to begin building Boundary Bay Brewery. His Scotch Ale became a Northwest classic with the inaugural brew in 1995. The long boil in the kettle caramelizes the wort, producing deep-copper tones. Scotch Ale hits the nose with caramel and biscuit, which is also the flavor profile with added light spiciness, oak notes and a touch of fruit.