Scotch ale without Scotch ale yeast

I want to make a scotch ale but don't have scotch ale yeast.
I realise I can use other yeasts but how of a comprimise is it ? Should I wait 'till I get the yeast or go ahead with notty or something else.
All comments welcome but I'd specifically like to hear from those who have brewed scotch ale with and without scotch ale yeast.
Also - what characteristics does one get with scotch ale yeast ?

Scotch ales are typically fermented cool to suppress esters and allow more of the malt character to show. I would use 1056/001 and ferment it around 65F-66F. I would avoid US-05 as it tends to have a slight peachy ester, I like it in my hoppy beers, but not in a Scotch ale.

Any clean fermenting yeast strain that can work at cool temps can be used for a Scotch Ale. You could almost certainly use Notty. I used S-04 at cool temps. I've read that altbier strains work well, too. You're not looking for much -if any -yeast character at all. Scottish/Scotch ales are about accentuating the malts and being smooth.

indigi said:

any clean fermenting yeast strain that can work at cool temps can be used for a scotch ale. You could almost certainly use notty. I used s-04 at cool temps. I've read that altbier strains work well, too. You're not looking for much -if any -yeast character at all. Scottish/scotch ales are about accentuating the malts and being smooth.

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+1

PLEASE let me talk you out of using Nottingham.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/new-bad-lot-nottingham-yeast-189787/

Thanks guys. Designing Great Beers confirms the replies here - Scotch ale yeast is more about what the yeast DOESN'T contribute more than what it does.
smizak - afaik the issues with nottingham have been sorted - unless you've heard otherwise ? Ive personally never had a problem. Its my most commonly used yeast (I made a RIS with it last week. It dropped 70 points in two days - 1.100 to 1.030).

Bru said:

smizak - afaik the issues with nottingham have been sorted - unless you've heard otherwise ? Ive personally never had a problem. Its my most commonly used yeast (I made a RIS with it last week. It dropped 70 points in two days - 1.100 to 1.030).

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There is a problem with another lot from Austria. It seems that if the yeast rehydrates properly then it works fine. I didn't have that luck. I had two packages with the same lot number that refused to rehydrate and stayed grainy, even after 1 hr in 90F water and 24 hours in the fermenter. Others have reported the same.

Is 90F not too hot for notty ? In other words maybe you fried it before it got working ?

Bru said:

Is 90F not too hot for notty ? In other words maybe you fried it before it got working ?

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Nope.

Danstar Nottingham pdf said:

Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of 10 times its weight of clean, sterilized (boiled) water at 30–35°C.
Donot use wort, or distilled or reverse osmosis water, as loss in viability will result. DO NOT STIR.
Leave undisturbed for 15 minutes, then stir to suspend yeast completely, and leave it for 5 more
minutesat 30–35°C.

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30-35C = 86-95F