Belhaven Wee Heavy / 90 Shilling (Bottle)

Brewed by Belhaven (Greene King)
Style: English Strong Ale
Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Bottle. Malt has a moderate to heavy smell of roasted and nutty, hops smell lightly of grass, and light leather for the yeast, with cherry, port, oak, brown sugar and very light spice in the background. Head is rocky, off white, mostly lasting and has excellent lacing. Color is clear reddish brown. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic then finishes moderately sweet, lightly acidic and very slightly bitter. Body is medium, texture is between oily and creamy and it has a lively carbonation with just a bit of astringency in the finish. The creaminess and maltiness is not what I expected from an English strong. And what’s with the bottle calling it a Scottish ale? Have I been duped? Someone needs to get their story straight. Regardless, a very good "sit back and relax" kind of beer.

Bottle. Deep-red/brown color. Creamy, off-white head. Good lacing. Light smell of sweet malt, dark bread, dried fruit, caramel, brown sugar and nuts. Smells a little bit like a belgian ale. The taste is sweet malt, caramel/toffee, toast, fruit, some yeast. Light bitterness and a bit smoky as well. Creamy and well balanced. High drinkability for such a high alcohol%. Tastes better if it´s not served too cold.

Had this beer on 2/12/2006. Aroma is a light scent with tones of sweetly roasted malt. Color is a deep brown with very good carbonation and a nice tight head. Taste is rich and smoky. Starting with a medium body that goes down smooth yet with a heavy feel. Finish comes in with a sweet malt feel that turns a bit sharp and then ends with a smoky flavor. it seems too rich when you first sip it bit as you drink it seems to mellow a bit.

pours brown in color, heads disappears relatively quickly. I expected it to be stronger than it was. sweeter than I expected too. I would get it again, but it won’t be my everyday beer.

500 ml bottle poured a clear copper brown with a minimal amber head. Aromas of carmel, toffee, light smoke, light chocolate and a hint of earthiness. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, toffee, chocolate, and hints of earthiness and smoke with a smooth lingering malty finish.

500 ml bottle from bevmo. Pours a translucent coffee brown with a fine sudsy head that fades moderately fast. Some lacing noted. Aroma is medium in strength with anise, caramel and brown sugar. Flavor is dominated by molasses and it is fairly one dimensional to that extent. Mouthfeel is smooth but a bit thin, carbonation is also somewhat weak. Finish is long and syrupy sweet with caramel and molasses. Overall this was just a wee bit weaker than I prefer my Scottish ales. As a side note, I am surprised that this is classified as a Strong English Ale and not a Scottish Ale, for it is niether strong nor English.

Poured a light brown. Has hints of caramel, hint of cherries. Finished light, with a weak taste for a wee heavy. Not as I expected.

500 ml bottle. Michael Jackson died today, how sad. So here’s to you MJ....Dark brown pour, the aroma was maple syrup & cherries. Peat & smoke flavor, but much more subtle than I was expecting, especially after just having a FFF scottish ale. Seemed more ’tangy’ than smoky. Not as complex as I’d have hoped.