AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Cask During RBSG vintage version, the smoothest silkiest wee heavy ever and holy shit this beer is amazing and as such, I can’t give it a higher rating, but it cements this 5 for me because this version made me want to have it like this every day, it was incredible and is as such incredible. A much needed rerate. I’ve tried to do so a few times but haven’t managed. Pours dark brown amber with a 1 finger head. The nose is incredible malty sweet, and robust. Taste is sweet malty and robust, it is really a pretty damn amazing beer, this is beer that really got me going and I still like it. And I’m out it tonight. I like it still is it a 5? Its damn close if anything. This is my favorite beer, I love everything about it, it is unique, extremely malty, with rich sweet flavor. This beer is perfect for all seasons, like other fantastic beers from Alesmith, the alcohol taste is hidden behind the complex and enticing flavors. I can’t say a single bad thing about this liquid art form, thanks Alesmith.

Nice full aroma with smoked malts & nuts yeast and coffee. Pours a dark amber /brown with a small head lasts nicely. Big flavor rich creamy mouth feel coffee malty hoppy bitterness begining moves into yeasty sourness alcohol taste lingers nicely you can feel it slide down.

aroma is complex though probably a bit smaller than i would like. it includes deep malty and roasty characteristics. other notes include alchohol yeastiness, hoppiness, and spicy notes. body is a deep brown amber with redish notes in the light. with a small off-white or tan head but lasting head. flavor is huge and complex. the front includes big carmely maltiness and roasty notes along with yeastiness. the flavor then moves to a nice deep choclate and coffee flavor. finish contains lingering choclate and more prominetly hoppy bitterness and woody or smokey notes. alchohol notes are also present. mouthfeel is thick and sticky.

Bottle tasted at ølbaren - thanks to Martin. Brown/red - white head. Sweet very malty, ryebread, roasted, caramel, noy any obvious hop-flavour. High carbonation. A very nice beer.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, jerc & tupalev -- my bottle courtesy of fordest. Pours a dark reddish-brown with a small off-white head. Nice aroma with lots of malt and hops along with some wood, brown sugar, toffee and alcohol. Flavour of sweet malt, lots of hops, spices and alcohol. Nice medium to full body. I must say I was a tad letdown but only compared to many of Alesmith’s other fantastic beers, It’s still really good and I imagine will get even better with some ageing -- I will revisit it again in the future.

Bottle courtesy after4ever. It’s a perfect day for an IPA, and this bottle should be aged for a couple more years, but what the hell - I’m not going to encourage him to save the bottle for later. This is a big beer, the aroma starts with my glass still at arms length. Pours a nearly opaque reddish brown with a rocky tan head. The aroma is tootsie rolls, roasty chocolate and prunes. The body is full, lightly syrupy. The taste has the sweet toffee/molasses notes, along dried fruit and a bit of smoke. Nice clean finish.

A couple of things to say here before the rating. This is the last of the "accessible" Alesmith’s (those with a ton of ratings to try anyway, they’re not really all that accessible!) I have yet to rate. I owe 100% of the chances to try them to Hogtown Harry and Blankboy, two great ratebeerians and friends who have been very generous with sharing the fruits of their very active trading. These guys are big credits to this site and awesome guys to share a brew with! And second, I’m not sure any American Micro has consistently blown me away across their entire lineup. There is so much good stuff going on in the U.S right now with micro’s that I encourage people to step back a bit and appreciate what they have - these threads discussing how just about every good beer I have ever tried is a bit ridiculous. Anyway, here goes. Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, GregClow, Jerc, and Blankboy, courtesy of blankboy. Sweet malt, alcohol, in very muted aroma. Dark brown, syrupy looking, not really any head. Strong alcohol and malt taste - not much else. Very little hops, all alcohol. Where’s the smoke? The earthiness? The complexity of a fine Scotch Ale? Maybe this is a very young bottle? I was not expecting something so one dimensional from Alesmith. I enjoyed drinking it, but in comparison to their other offerings, and given my expectations for what they could do with this style, this is a big letdown. I look forward to revisiting in the future.

750. Huge, creamy, chewy, delicious beer. Pours opaque brown with a beautiful sudsy tan head. As usual, AleSmith’s tasting notes don’t steer you wrong; sweet malt, smoke, toffee and raisins on the nose, with chocolate, molasses, and smoke on the palate. The body is impeccably modulated, just showing real girth but not collapsing into syrup. There’s enough carb there to keep it something like refreshing--as refreshing as sips can be, anyway. Tons of flavor, completely satisfying.
These notes apply to an ’07, which gets a 6-4-6-4-12. 750, capped, thanks, Kim! Mild sweet caramel and CO2 nose. Dark brown body with amber highlights; thick foamy tan head. Light caramel and toast on the mid-palate. Clean light malt sugary finish.