AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

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

Whoa - - - This is a BIG load of malt to chew! The body is a dark nutty brown with ruby highlighting. The head is a mere tan film. The slightly smokey aroma is that of rich roasted malt, caramel, cocoa, toffee, raisins... all with a strong alcohol presence. This is chewy, thick, and hot in the mouth. The taste blends flavors of butterscotch, chocolate, roasted barley, caramel, molasses, and dried fruits. Stir it all up, pump in some alcohol and smoke for the finish, and you have one serious Wee Heavy. I need to get ahold of more of this for cellaring... and drinking, of course.

Chestnut color with a light fine head. Plethora of malt aromas. Aromas of caramel, surghum/molassas, slightly earthy with a touch of peat. Flavors of light chocolate, dates and molassas. Just a touch of peat to make it interesting. As it warms the alcohol comes out a bit, both in aroma and in warming feel. Almost silky in feel. Belhaven Wee Heavy with a kick.

Bottled at LC-RBM. Coffee and licorice aroma. Black color, beige/yellow creamy head, good lace. Very sweet, well hopped, licorice, date, smooth, sticky, very well balanced. Like a very good strong scotch ale with American hops.

Dark dark ruby mahogany color with a light oily cream head and spottings of lacing. The aroma is full of molasses and some fruits like dark grapes and fig, some malty chocolatey notes as well. The flavor has a fair bite of alcohol and hops with some good ol' fashioned maltiness. The finish is very balanced and the mouthfeel is light with lots of alcohol.

As Wee Heavies are pretty thin on the ground in Scotland these days, it was interesting to get the opportunity to try this US rendition. I must admit I wasn’t expecting to go overboard on this as these big malty beers are not often to my taste. But I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, its very malty. There’s also smoke, peat caramel and a woody edge - almost reminiscent of an old ale, although the sweetish finish puts an end to that comparison - in the mix. What I did appreciate was the subtle, but significant, hop presence that provided a good balance to the malts and produced a smooth and dangerously drinkable ale. Not cloying at all. Good stuff. Bottled at DC gathering. 2001 version (I think).

Bottle at tasting. Brown hue with medium light brown head. Complex aroma and flavor of malt and sweet. medium to full body with long finish. Great brew.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a longlasting off-white head. Very malty and slightly fruity hoppy aroma with hints of caramel and dark fruit. Sweetish warming malty caramel flavor with some hoppy hints. Long warming malty caramel finish. Very nice.

Big thanks to TChrome for this. Pours dark brown (a super heavy ruby through my desk lamp) with medium light tan head and mucho laceo. Aroma of malt, almonds, walnuts, corn flakes, cognac, cabernet, some chocoff. Wonderful, complex aroma. Tastes malty, with a huge chocolate-hazelnut palate, combined with some spirits (cognac, Amaretto). Super smooth, and more chocolate and nuts as it warms. Like drinking a Godiva chocolate nut candy. The alcohol is non-existent. The palate is more exquisite than a shaved call girl on the tongue. This one would be great as a nut brown, a porter, or a scottish ale. I’ve given more big scores in the last 3 months than I can ever remember. Then again, I’ve ramped up my trading so that I have a nice stockpile. To me, theoretically all beers could be perfect, or they could all be garbage. This one is perfect. My 12th perfecto robusto. If I had known, I’d have saved this for 1,500. I still have the Alesmith Grand Cru. Stay tuned, same Bat time, same Bat channel.....Find this stuff at all costs, even if you have to go Faustian and sell your soul...it’s that damned good! Bravo, Alesmith.