AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

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

750 ml bottle

I wish I would have had this for #650 instead of the Yulesmith Summer edition. As good as that was this is probably the best beer I have tried in a while. It seems that Alesmith has not disappointed me yet as I work my way through their star studded lineup of craft beers. I look forward to getting another sample of the barrel aged version to see how this was affected by the aging.

Aroma / Appearance - A reddish-purple body looked nice under the moonlight. A short lived two finger head settled and left huge thick traces down the sides of the glass. Raspberries, chocolate truffle and thick velvet cake were so dense as to be almost suffocating. A hint of mint teased me as the possibilities within. It was almost as complex as some imperial stouts or huge fruit beers.

Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel coated the tongue and throat leaving behind a mossy taste. Hops made an appearance but were well balanced. The finish of dark truffles and raspberries left me wanting to go right back to the store and buy another bottle. This was a fabulous beer that I’ll have to buy again at some point. The only thing keeping me from stocking this regularly is the price.

Pours rich amber brown color w/ a bad comedian that only gets a small, shortlived rise from the frothy crowd. The poor guy is left w/ just a thin ring of followers. Aroma of sweet malty dark fruits w/ a mild coffee roast. Superfull nectar w/ lazy residual effers creates slightly creamy texture. Malt man malt man thick and sticky malt man. A sweet old fellow. Caramel, roasted coffee bean, cocoa, plum, and cherry flavors persist to the finish riding alongside a barrel full-o-hops. Robo Hop passes by and punches Malt Man in the belly then runs off. The friction leaves a light smokiness in the air and pushes up a few nuances of iodine and leather. The finish is long and sweet w/ a defined citrus rind component that digs in. A creamed, sweet coffee essence kicks in at this point then dissappears just as quickly. Overall: This beer is decadent, fat and soupy w/ a balancing hop act. Alcohol is well hidden. Highly recommended.

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.

2004 Vintage 750 ml bottle into a Tulip glass (I still don’t know where to find a Thistle!). Pours a very lush and dark amber brown that almost seems reddish near the rims when held under light. Very small lightly tanned head. Dark sensed smokey aroma mixed with dark malts and hints of dark chocolate and a bit of alcohol. The flavor is consistent with the aroma being very dark malted up front with a few hints of dark fruits. The body gets extremely rich, dry, and smokey, while still retaining the sweetness of the malts. A bit of toffee presence is built into the middle, with a tiny bit of hop notes coming through in the end, which is eventually mixed beautifully with an alcohol singe. Another absolute huge success of a brew for Alesmith!! I really hope to try the barrel aged version someday!!

06 bottle. Pour is a dark ruby with a nice light tan head. Aroma of raisins, caramel, toffee, roasted malt and chocolate. Very nice smoke and fruit flavor. Tastes like chocolate, roasted malt, dark fruit, vanilla, and caramel. Medium body and carbonation. The best scotch I’ve had yet.

Re-rate, 12/09, 2yr old bottle - wow, a complete train wreck after aging, just like the Grand Cru and the Weizenbock, don’t let AS age beyond a year! Total English Style Barleywine / Old Ale at this point, maple, brown sugar, molasses, raisins, ick. All bad. Please, no more old AS bottles, please! Leaving the ratings the same, per fresh bottles, but there is no excuse for beer gone this bad! 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.

750 ml. bottle. Rich, deep browiish red coloring. Inviting brown 1" head. Malty sweet, smoky, licorice-like scent. Similar notes in taste, but with deeper chocolate, molasses flavoring. Body is moderate but not empty and the flavor washes front to back and through the nostrils simultaneously. Some light hops but no sign of bitterness.

Big bottle from Hi-Time. Dark amber ruby body with stick head. Nose of raisins and caramel. Taste of malts, caramel and then nice chocolates. Really crisp and full-flavoured. Nice ABV towards the end. Great Scotch flavours. Well done, California.