5 Seasons Glenkevin Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Pours a deep amber brown color with a tan head. Aroma is malty, toasty, smoky, nutty, and a nice earthy hops. Flavor is malty, caramel, nutty, toasty, smoky, earthy, and a bitter spicy earthy finish.

Now this is by fat their best beer and the most ageworthy, having had a few different vintages now. Thanks Dennis! Incredibly rich and complex, with layer upon layer of rich toffee maltiness, with caramel and cinnamon and carob. Incredibly easy to drink and so smooth, a sipper of so many wonderful proportions.

I’m not usually enthralled by barrel-aged beers, but this was nice. Just a touch of oakiness and vanilla complementing a rich roasted malt character. There’s a distinct Belgianesque candy sweetness to it as well. Big flavors but smooth and subtle at the same time. Good stuff.

Appearance: Dark walnut brown body with a thin, creamy off-white head and spotty lacing. Smell: The aroma is pretty puny with only a faint hint of peated malt and cherries. Taste: Predominately sweet malty flavor with a bit of smoky peat character. Slight maraschino cherry fruitiness. Only a faint, faint touch of hop bitterness on the altogether sweet finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Mild carbonation. Light stickiness. Drinkability: I found it to be somewhat reserved in its qualities for a scotch ale, but overall it was decent and easily drinkable.

On tap at the restaurant. Smells malty. Smooth lactic sweetness in the mouth with a slightly musty finish, which is very soft and not that striking, but long. A very soft, restrained beer that doesn’t do much (like belie its alcohol content; that it is that strong is surprising). In my scoring system, pretty much about as average as you can get.