Judge's Review: 89 Rating - Drafty Kilt by Monday Night Brewing

Drafty Kilt by Monday Night Brewing is being evaluated as a Wee Heavy (2015 BJCP Category 17C).

All malt, all the time is what you should expect from a Wee Heavy and true to its name, Drafty Kilt delivers. Sniff as hard as you’d like, you won’t pick up any hops in the aroma nor esters from fermentation. However, the toffee, biscuit, prune, and light chocolate malt aromas will more than delight. 

It’s also a beautiful beer. With a deep garnet color, great clarity, and a medium-sized, cream-colored head you’ll want to hold this up to the light.

Even upon the first sip you’ll notice that the aroma carries through into the flavor. Rich baker’s chocolate, toffee, toast, and plums dominate while the moderately low bitterness helps to balance. Solid attenuation, this beer finishes too dry for the style and would benefit with a bit of residual sweetness. Cocoa powder and biscuit linger throughout the aftertaste.

Drafty Kilt is the type of malt-forward beer that even hop heads can get behind. It’s not sweet, which would appeal to a broad array of drinkers, yet has a depth of malt complexity that would appeal to a typical craft beer drinker.