This is the first beer I have found from this western Pennsylvanian outpost on its north-west Great Lakes coast. The beer pours a lovely clouded orange amber with rich frothy white lace-leaving head. I wondered immediately after I poured it if I was looking at some sort of take off on a Belgian style, especially with the 6.8% strength - but no, as the BAers call it a Scots ale. In the mouth, plenty of very pleasant orange flavours, not something known to my Scots peeps except in marmalade or perhaps wrapped in chocolate. Railbender is the brewery's flagship according to Lew Bryson's Pennsylvania Breweries - not to mention his own favorite of the brewer's line. More confusion as the brewery calls it an English Old Style Ale.

That's all just a problem with being overly concerned with labels as there are too many great flavours to be shoehorned into those limitations. My palate leads me to think of Young's Special London Ale but with a nice creamier texture. There is a good dry line of hop right down the center of the tongue that keeps this rich, soft-water, fruit-juice malty brew in check. A really nice approachable ale which hides its strength very well and a pleasant surprise for someone who opened the bottle expecting perhaps another US amber ale. 17% of BAers like it less than me.