Comparison
Kentucky Common vs Scottish ale
What is the difference between Kentucky Common and Scottish ale?
The short answer
The main difference is acidity: Kentucky Common has a little more of it than Scottish ale. Kentucky Common also leads on roast; Scottish ale on bread & biscuit and dryness.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, malt intensity, yeast fruitiness (esters), overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Kentucky Common | Scottish ale | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Amber & dark ale | Amber & dark ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United Kingdom |
| Category status — One of these is a more settled category than the other, which is worth knowing before treating the comparison as exact. | Historical | Established |
| Strength | 4–5.5% ABV | 2.8–6% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 15–30 IBU | 10–25 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Amber to dark brown — 11–20 SRM, 22–39 EBC | Amber to dark copper — 13–22 SRM, 26–43 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.044–1.055 | 1.030–1.056 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.018 | 1.010–1.018 |
| Serving temperature | 7–10°C | 10–13°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint | Nonic pint, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | Kentucky Common | Scottish ale |
|---|---|---|
| Acidity | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Bread & biscuit | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Roast | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Dryness | Not characteristic | Low |
| Sweetness | Low | Moderate |
| Body | Low | Moderate |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Nutty | Not characteristic | Low |
| Carbonation | Moderate | Low |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Moderate–High |
Which should you choose?
- You want more acidity → Kentucky Common
- You want more bread & biscuit → Scottish ale
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.