Comparison
London brown ale vs Scottish ale
What is the difference between London brown ale and Scottish ale?
The short answer
The main difference is bread & biscuit: Scottish ale has far more of it than London brown ale. London brown ale also leads on chocolate & cocoa and sweetness; Scottish ale on 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 body, malt intensity, yeast fruitiness (esters), the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| London brown ale | Scottish ale | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Amber & dark ale | Amber & dark ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | 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 | 2.8–3.6% 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. | 15–20 IBU | 10–25 IBU |
| Colour | Deep reddish brown to dark brown — 22–35 SRM, 43–69 EBC | Amber to dark copper — 13–22 SRM, 26–43 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.033–1.038 | 1.030–1.056 |
| Final gravity | 1.011–1.014 | 1.010–1.018 |
| Serving temperature | 10–13°C | 10–13°C |
| Carbonation | 1.5–2.2 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint | Nonic pint, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | London brown ale | Scottish ale |
|---|---|---|
| Bread & biscuit | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Low | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | High | Moderate |
| Dryness | Trace | Low |
| Hop aroma | Not characteristic | None–Trace |
Which should you choose?
- You want more bread & biscuit → Scottish ale
- You want more chocolate & cocoa → London brown ale
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.