AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
San Diego, California USA

Pours a clear garnet color, that is quite beautiful & charming. It is topped by a creamy light brown head. Wafting from my glass are deep sweet malt aromas up front, and a finish that has a hint of roast malt character. There are some nice fruity unexpected notes, as well as a hint of alcohol in the nose. The taste is thickish, malty, and creamy. This beer has a nice body to it. There are some deep caramelized malt flavors accompanied by a fruitiness that is reminiscent of figs and raisins. This is pretty well integrated. Perhaps there is a bit of astringent alcohol in the finish, but you really can't complain much given the wonderful malt complexity and hint of roast character that is found in this beer. This is a great beer that is smooth and calming on this cold (at least for AZ) rainy night.

If I were to think about how highly touted this beer was I might be a bit disappointed, but this is just too enjoyable right now to even think of that. This beer is all about the malt, quite refreshing from a premium American brewery. With AleSmith's wonderful ESB, it gives me faith that the over-hopping of America is not necessarily a way of life. Some bastions of reasonability and malt still stand. Just beautiful, stylistically this beer is just so on.

25 oz bottle, via fordest, acquired in 2005. Pours a dark ruby hued brown colored body under a small creamy beige head that receded to a thin ring. A slight yeast haze. The nose is deeply malty and sweet. Some notes of smoke, raisins, alcohol, dark fruits, light yeast, and coffee. Flavor is big heavy malt that’s alot less sweet than I expected up front, fading to a smokey, lightly yeasty warming finish. Great well rounded flavor, with dangerously well hidden alcohol. Mouthfeel is just perfect. Thick and heavy but without any cloying stickiness at all. Great light fine carbonation. Amazing how it can feel so soft and yet be so big. Very very good stuff. No one overpowering aspect. Peter Zien... the man’s an artist.

750mL bottle. Murky dark brown with yellowish edges; light tan head, attractive lacing. Plenty of maple syrup / brown sugar and roasted malts in the aroma; slightly hot. Full, chewy mouthfeel: plenty of roasted malts, caramel, and maple syrup; some citrusy hops; sweet at the front, with a lengthy finish showing nougat and chewy malts. Hides its alcohol much better than some of Alesmith’s other big beers.

Pours a beautiful black/brown, with a lovely head of clinging lace. Aroma is whisky, grape, and plumb. Flavor reminds me of a nice, mellow scotch, except this beverage has chocolate, raisin, plumb, and roasted malt in its makeup. Has the "numbing" effect of a good scotch without all the fuss. This is a fine, fine, FINE brew. Mouthfeel is thick as advertised, and the liquid coats the tongue like a nice coat of Sherwin-Williams finest. I really can’t come up with much negativity in regard to this beer; satisfies on all levels, and it demands your attentinon. Well done.

Murky Brown Color with Sandy Skin. On the Nose...Light Smoke, Rich Chocolate..Sweet Like a Tootsie Roll. Light Roasts, Vanilla Notes..Overall a Wonderful Aroma. Medium Bodied and Creamy Mouthfeel. Syrupy as Well. Flavor Notes of Molasses, Brown Sugar, Vanilla and Chocolate..Some Light Roasts and a Welcoming Warming from the Alcohol. Very Well Balanced with a Light Dry Aftertaste. First Beer to ’Wow!’ me in a While..Also Helps When its a Style You Highly Enjoy. I Would Stock Large Quantities of This Highly Enjoyable Brew.

Bottle (75 cl) from Ölbutikken, Copenhagen, Denmark. Shady mahogny with a rich creamy beige head. Rich malty aroma, with dark chocolate, dark fruits, plums, and unfortunately a touch of alcohol. Full bodied with very soft carbonation. Very well balanced, dry with moderate bitterness. Long chocolatey aftertaste. Would have preffered the alcohol to be tuned down a bit.

2004 Vintage. I’ve had this beer a dozen times, just getting around to rating this spectacular specimen. 750mL bottle. Deep mahogany color. Slight aroma of smoke. Big caramel malt. Chewy sticky delicious. Top notch, A+

This one seems to be definitely all about the malts! - Smokey, burnt caramel, ginger oatmeal cookies, sugary hard candy, chocolate, dark fruits - plums and figs, bing cherries. Yeah, it’s all in here. Aroma is strong and simillar to the taste. Palate is syrupy thick - I’d have a problem drinking the whole bottle - sharing is good! This has got to be the best of it’s style.