AleSmith Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

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

My fav scotch ale to date. Bottled version - 2003 vintage, sampled in Oct 07. Unreal. All aspects of the flavor/mouthfeel developed into an elegant, harmonious brew - truly amazing. Aroma was a little lacking in depth and complexity like the flavor - too subtle. Flavor begins malty/sweet - finish turns to a slight smoke, dry. Wonderful. 4.5 for this sample.

On draft at PP C-bad. A lot more rich/sticky/mouth coating - very young and lacking the contemplative depth it gains with some age. Appearance was lacking a little - too thin. = 4.2 rating .

pours a dark hazy ruby brown with clumps of yeast floaters and a cafe au lait colored head. lots of sweet grain in the aroma... wood, caramel, earthy spice, very mildly smoky, some unidentifiable fruits and a bunch of alcohol (which eventually fades just to show up in the flavor). it kinda smells like a snickers bar?... the first sip is rather uneventful but leaves behind an aftertaste of tons of whole roasted coffee beans... i’m really diggin’ the aftertaste! the palate is super malty but it’s without a whole lot of sweetness to muck up the flavor (thumbs up!)... golden raisins, buttered cinnamon toast, rich grain, nutty, toffee, chocolate cream, a tiny bit of smoke, nice level of acidity and a bitter spiciness (from alcohol, malt or hops?) on the finish. full bodied with very low carbonation. smooth velvety mouth feel. nice balance of rich/malty -vs- spicy/dry and it just gets better as the night goes on...

[Bottle, thanks Guerde!] Pours dark reddish, cola-brown with a small beige head. Aroma is light cherry, caramel, chocolate, a little nuttiness, very light smoke and alcohol. Taste is semi-sweet with a lot of chocolate, some alcohol, and a lot of lightly toasted malt. Good thick mouthfeel with a somewhat dry, long finish where there is a little smoke and what tastes like honey--although I assume that it is the molasses. A beer that is complex, subtle, and seamlessly crafted. Really excellent stuff, and I preferred this to the bourbon aged version.

This is a thing of wonder. Poured from a bottle I picked up around Christmas time 2007. Pours a deep brown with a hefty tan head. Sweet malts, toffee, caramel, some dried fruits on the nose, hints of chocolate, hints of caramelized cherries. As it warms it opens up and fruits become more pronounced. Before I get into the flavor, the body on this was just amazing. Not too heavy, even when almost at room temp didn’t come close to approaching syrupy. The flavor followed the nose, a sweet caramel maltiness. Chocolate, and then dried fruit and alcohol hits the chest halfway through the glass and gently wafts up the nose. This is so complex. As it continued to warm prunes (in a really good way) became apparent. Good times, hope for (many) repeats.

22 oz bottle. Pours a dark copper-to-brown with a 1/2 finger, off-white head which lingered and produced great lacing. Nose is of vinous fruit and alcohol. This is a big, complex brew. Taste had raisin, sweet malt flavor and caramel. Mouthfeel was dry and alcohol present, but not in an overpowering way. Truly fantastic. Wish I had another.

750ml bottle. Nice dark red pour, really nice with a tan head. Very dark and rich aroma, hint of anise maybe, very nice. Big and bold flavor, dark fruits,v ery rich and complex. Awesome!

Kristyn: Hmm… no, I’m pretty sure I haven’t had the Ale Smith Wee Heavy yet.
Eric: … ~faceplant~

Solid black, though not quite as thick and viscous as some, a gentle head of khaki fluff floats in suspended pockmarks above the black depths below. Lace sticks like algae to the sides of my glass, even as some tempting swirls release esters of spice and wood, dark pitted fruits, more spice, and ending with rum-soaked black earth. With the first sup, the top of my tongue tingles under a bright assault of flavors which I was not expecting. She immediately leaves a dry rub of spice and wood which continues to absorb the moisture in my mouth from start to finish. Her alcohol warmth soaks my breath even as wood tannins, vanilla root, and dried black cherries melt together in the cauldron of her palate. Make no doubt though, her palate is dry, spiced, and woody with a sprinkling of dry chocolates dominating. Her sweeter, softer side smoothes the rough edges with brown sugars and warm maple, all to brings my Alesmith Wee Heavy journey to a seductively drinkable conclusion.

An intriguing and very tasty balance between dry, sweet, warm, and spiced with the rich creamy malty center that characterizes the Scottish Wee Heavy. I haven’t ventured into too many Wee Heavies yet, but for the time-being, the Alesmith Wee Heavy is high on the list of exquisite delicacies.

Nose is complex with figs, dark chocolate and toast. Astounding! Flavorful palate, dynamic with a long finish. This bottle looks and tastes like it has some age on it. A truly great find.