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90 Shilling, Odell Brewing Company, Fort Collins
Style: Scottish Ale
ABV: 5.3 percent
Serving Type: 12-ounce bottle
Malty? Hoppy? Pretty darn even.
Reviewed: October 2013
Odell released 90 Shilling at the brewery’s opening party in 1989. Twenty-four years later, it’s a brew known by most beer drinkers, especially in Colorado. 90 Shilling, named after the amount Scotland used to tax quality beers, is a landmark in the state’s beer-y landscape, and arguably one of the most pervasive Colorado beers on the national market.
With 90 Shilling, Odell set out to lighten the traditional Scottish ale. The result is so slightly heavier than most amber ales, but still lighter than a Scottish. It pours a clear, golden-amber color, and has a consistent, carbonated, crisp, and balanced taste. If you grew up in Colorado, the ale may have been one of the first beers you ever tried—and fittingly, because we think it’s a great entry-level microbrew. Although it doesn’t hold up to our favorite modern craft beers, with all of the specialty brews saturating the market, sometimes we’re in just the right mood for 90 Shilling’s easygoing profile.
Would we buy it again? We keep our fridge stocked with it for regular guests and out-of-towners alike.
