AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

bottle. big thanks to cmubeerman for this tasting. had it on tap at alesmith, but this is a lot better. currently having side-by-side with the barrel aged. surrprised with the chocolate in the aroma. a very tiny amount of dark fruit and a very tiny amount of alcohol. flavor is good. bbut nothing exceptional. not that much alcohol in the flavor.

Bottle (side by side with a barrel aged). Dark amber, amaretto color with a thin white head. Nose is alcohol and dark fruit with a bit of alcohol, vanilla and cream. Flavor is fulll and slightly bitter with more alcohol notes and a big spicy/vanilla bite. The finish is sugary and bitter and malty all at the same time. Super buttery on the palate with perfect little bubbles. A huge beer, very nice (thanks to CMUBeerMan, yet again). Rerate: Dark reddish brown pour with a fine beige/tan head. Alcohol right up front in the aroma - raisins, vanilla, nutmeg, caramel malt, resiny/floral hops. Smells like a ginger snap cookie. Round flavor with all the classic scotch ale components. Smooth and warming in the throat. Great round flavor and well balanced, not that I’d expect anything less from AleSmith.

On tap 6/7 @ the Brewery: Pours a dark ruby color with and off-white head. Aroma is sweet with hints of chocolate and fruits. Flavor has hints of chocolate, caramel, raisins, plums and molasses that leaves a warm sweet smoky finish. A powerhouse of a brew!

Dark brown with a small, dense, tan head. Nose of rich, roasty malt, smoke, peat, earth, sweetness, and subtle alcohol. Flavor adds caramel/toffee, pine trees (the whole tree),and some almost doughy yeast. Full, smooth, soft palate. Excellent. Who’s got my barrel aged bottle?

Re-rate, 3/07: Same appearance, aroma was caramel, coffee, and chocolate, some doughy-ness. light grass. The flavor was much the same, some faint peat smoke in the flavor along with a light presence of dark fruits. Mouthfeel was smooth. Within style, I’m not convinced this beats out Bellhaven anymore, but it was nice. The smoke is so faint, that this comes off more like a doppelbock than a scottish ale, imo. Original rating: This beats out the Bellhaven in my book. Poured a nice dark brown with reddish-mahoganey tints and hues. The aroma was the most complex I’ve ever whiffed within the style. Lots of liquor type aromas mixed in with coffee (Kahlua-like) and some dark fruit type scents. Flavor is much the same with a thin mouthfeel and a definite alcohol presence. A vinous aftertaste, this one was good stuff. A tingling of hops in the finish.

Wow, this is a godlike beer. Had a moderately aged bottle which I decided to tuck into. Lovely deep brown/amber body with a smallish head. The aroma is huge and complex, giving you a sense of how rich and multi-faceted this one is. Dark malts, dried fruits, a wee bit of hops, and a few chocolate notes to give it real smoothness. Truly exceptional work from Alesmith.

750ml bottle - Poured dark, reddish brown with a creamy, moderate sized head that left excellent lacing. The assertive aroma is a wonderful blend of yeast and malts with dark fruit notes. The intense flavor matches the aroma and throws in some coffee and chocolate notes in the dry finish. This ale has a big, full mouthfeel and little alcohol presence given the high ABV. It’s a truly excellent ale. The smiths have done it again.

What a fine scotch ale this is! Smoky and alcohol laden...with notes of peat, chocolate and molasses. Some dried fruitiness rolling around in the background, like dates and plums. Very vinous texture and possesing a malt chewiness that I find very enjoyable. The perfect beer to enjoy with a fine cigar!