RateBeer

AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Percentile
100
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |
RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
7474.09/5.04.08/5.010%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?  
 matt7215 (955), Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Jun 27, 2009  
750 ml bottle shared by tupalev at a KW group tasting. deep maroon poor with a very small tan head. very malty nose. nice dark fruit with caramel and chocolate. not as peaty as i thought it would be. huge and rich in the mouth. not overly complex but very easy to drink. i really liked this one. thx for the share jeff.


 JesseM (664), Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Jun 27, 2009  
750mL bottle, KW group tasting, big thanks to Jeff (tupalev) for this! Pours a very nice, deep dark burgundy with very little head. The aroma is nice, very peaty and malty, quite enticing. Smokey chrystal malts feature as well. Flavour is nice and intense, same aspects as the aroma but well blended, a tad bit syrupy though. The finish is kind of chalky, but that dryness almost attempts to balance out the show. Very drinkable for the supposed ABV though you can still feel the strength. Not mind-blowing but pretty damn good. Very much an American interpretation of a Scottish style.


 daleharshman (186), San Diego, California, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 27, 2009  
Growler fill from brewery ($17). Pours a very deep dark ruby color, but it’s not really brown. I might call it "mahogany" or "chestnut" if I was more confident in exactly what those colors look like. The two fingers of tan head soon subsides. Aroma of earthy and bready malts, dust, dark fruits, and only a hint of smoke. Dominant flavor is sweet and malty with caramel tones. More subtle flavors include velvety chocolate, dark fruit, and a tinge of alcohol. The peaty and smoky flavors emerge slowly and quite late in the finish, just when you think this beer has nothing more to yield in terms of taste -- it’s a nice touch.


 JaBier (1165), Capital City, Ohio, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/516/20
Jun 23, 2009  
Bottle shared by me. Thanks dude! Pours a clear light brown with a thin tan head. Malty aroma with some roastiness and a bit of cherry. Roasted malt flavor up front with some sugar, fruit and booze with a touch of hops in the finish. Subtle chocolate and coffee flavors as well.


 mar (1787), Dallas, Texas, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Jun 16, 2009  
bottle thanks to blutt59. it’s about time i had the regular version of this beer. deep brown and a cream head. sweet, peaty, smokey malts on the nose. wow peat and smokey malts with light caramel in the finish and no sign of alcohol. i can definitely see why this is one of the top scotch ales available.


 Swalden28 (1446), McKinney, Texas, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Jun 16, 2009  
Bottle thanks to the great blutt59. Pours a dark brown, ruby hues, tan head. Aroma of nice dark roast, some cocoa, great smell! Flavor is very good, tasty, dark roast, coffee, chocolate. Mouth feel is medium-heavy body with medium-high carbonation. Overall, VERY good shit!!!


 41cubs (134), , New Jersey, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/57/105/517/20
Jun 15, 2009  
Sick, sick, sick beer. This beer looks like something they were drinking a thousand years ago. Ruddy brown, orange, red mixture with a soft white, tingly head clinging on down the glass. Smell is of sugary whisky, vanilla extract, toffe and chocolate liquor. Smell this thing while warm and wipe yourself clean afterwards. Flavor is floral and alcohol with sugars coming through in a way that reminds me a lot of a mead. The taste is like a roasty mead and whisky mix with the hops and yeast adding only with the spice, no bitter or citrus coming through. This guy is like alcoholic french toast. Awesome. Thank You Alesmith. From our boys at Julio’s in Mass. 2009 22oz.


 grant (792), Long Beach, CA/Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/518/20
Jun 15, 2009  
Deep amber color, moderate head formation. Warm, malty aroma, thick caramel. Lightly, sourish initial flavor, sequencing to a moderately sweet, somewhat salty medicinalness. Knurled, roasty complex finish with expected light hoppiness. Just great.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Log In | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Feedback?
Copyright © 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC