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AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
7504.09/5.04.08/5.010%99.6Thistle
Commercial Description:
Bottle conditioned
J.P. Gray's Wee Heavy Scotch Ale Scotland's bone-chilling winters command a strong, richly-flavored brew. J.P. Gray's Wee Heavy is such an ale. Named for Brewmaster Skip Virgilio's maternal grandfather, J.P. Gray's is a blend of the prized Maris Otter barley and dark roasted barley which imparts a slightly smoky flavor and a deep chestnut appearance. In the style of a classic Scottish wee heavy, this fine ale is remarkably smooth and malty with background flavors of chocolate and molasses. Warmth is provided by a substantial 9% alcohol by volume. The high alcohol and fresh ingredients allow this ale to age well over time. Appearance: Deep mahogany color, sparkling clarity, and excellent head formation and retention when properly served. Flavor: Deep caramelly malty flavor with just a hint of smoke in the finish. Aroma: The aroma is sweet and voluptuous, reflecting the flavor with malt, hop and yeast characteristics. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Lush, full, rounded, almost chewy. This is a BIG beer!
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 msante79 (814), Orland Hills, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Aug 19, 2008  
750ml Bottle. Big thanks to Kegbear for this one. Pours dark reddish brown with thick light tan head. Huge aroma of sweet malt, caramel, dark fruits and alcohol. Flavor was sweet yet complex. Flavor was big with sweet malt along with caramel and dark fruit. Big alcohol warmth along with sweet and sticky mouthfeel. A fine brew that could be great with some age.


 thenick (744), North Bellmore, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/105/516/20
Aug 17, 2008  
Bomber, shared. Pours a heavy and deep ruby-brown with a large and lacy tan head. Aroma is largely caramel and dark fruit, though I detected molasses, coffee, and slight wood characteristics as well. I was surprised to not find any of the heavy grain characteristic so common in Scotch ales. The flavor is an assault on your senses, with a velvety smooth texture throughout. You get heavy malt, chocolate, and dark fruit on the front, dissolving into hop bitterness at the end. There is a noticeable alcohol burn in the aftertaste, but it doesn’t take away from a powerful and world-class offering.


Praetorian (86), Los Angeles, California, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/518/20
Aug 15, 2008    Updated: Sep 2, 2008
Dark red-brown in color with a large, light brown head with great lacing. The aroma is of caramel, chocolate and dark fruits with notes of coffee, oak, and molasses. The flavor is slightly hoppy and chocolatey with a strong alcohol backbone and a coffee undertone. Mostly sweet with a bitter finish. The texture is creamy. A very enjoyable ale with a very complex and aggressive flavor. I LOVE IT!


 chrisafari (100), Orange, California, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/103/58/104/519/20
Aug 11, 2008  
Pours dark brown/red with a nice tan head. Aroma is dominated by a wonderful punch of carmel malt. There is also alcohol and roasted nuts in the nose, with a hint of hops. Flavor is alcohol, malt and a very nice aftertaste of apples. Very good! One of my favorites!


 hellbilly (1515), scottsdale über alles, Arizona, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/105/518/20
Aug 8, 2008  
pours a dark hazy ruby brown with clumps of yeast floaters and a cafe au lait colored head. lots of sweet grain in the aroma... wood, caramel, earthy spice, very mildly smoky, some unidentifiable fruits and a bunch of alcohol (which eventually fades just to show up in the flavor). it kinda smells like a snickers bar?... the first sip is rather uneventful but leaves behind an aftertaste of tons of whole roasted coffee beans... i’m really diggin’ the aftertaste! the palate is super malty but it’s without a whole lot of sweetness to muck up the flavor (thumbs up!)... golden raisins, buttered cinnamon toast, rich grain, nutty, toffee, chocolate cream, a tiny bit of smoke, nice level of acidity and a bitter spiciness (from alcohol, malt or hops?) on the finish. full bodied with very low carbonation. smooth velvety mouth feel. nice balance of rich/malty -vs- spicy/dry and it just gets better as the night goes on...


 PorterPounder (3136), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/105/517/20
Aug 7, 2008  
Lakewood, Oh. - Rozi’s Fine Wines - 750 ml bottle. Dark Ruby red to dark brown pour with an ever present mocha colored pour. Delectably sweet aroma with hints of toffee, chocolate and some dates. Chewy flavor with chocolate, toffee, horehound candy, root beer and some baked brown bread. Back end of raisins, figs and dates - a proverbial flavor fest. Thick. sticky mouthfeel - sticks to your ribs. Overall an excellent entry from AleSmith.


 yespr (12019), Copenhagen O, Denmark
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Aug 6, 2008  
From cask at the brewery. Pours clear and deep golden amber with a light tan head. Dense burbon malty and alcohol aroma, subdued fruity note. Dense caramel flavour and fruity. Light metallic note and slight yeasty touch. Lingering fruity and hoppy flavour with a nicely balanced yet dense caramely flavour. Sweet and fruity finish.


 Skeegle (485), Maryland, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jul 31, 2008  
This beer was all sweet malt with a huge heavy, sticky body. Lots of candied dark fruits along with the sweet malt and boozyness to make this beer extremely rich and thick. Very nice, but the boozyness is a bit much even though it is only %10.



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