Nimbus Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Date: 02/08/2006
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting

clear dark brown, headless, light sweet malt aroma with an earthy quality, big malt flavor, lots of smokey peat character, light balancing bitterness

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Growler thanks to FlacoAlto: Poured a clear deep ruby color with a thin cream colored head. Thin malty aromaa. Toasty and nutty notes along with chocolate and grapes/peat. Sweet malty flavor from start to finish. Dark fruits, a touch of peat, and light chocolate. Light bitterness on the finish. A nice beer.

Growler courtesy of FlacoAlto: Pours a dark copper mahogany with a thin ring of tan head. Aroma of sweet dark copper with some toasty chocolate chip cookie character. Starts with some pleasant sweet caramel maltiness and a toasty crisp, lightly dry, sugar cookie finish. A nice scotch ale.

Tasted on tap at the brewpub/brewery. This scotch ale pours a deep brown color. Small sized white foamy head. Aroma is malty, peaty, smoky and sweet. A medium to full bodied wee heavy. Malts are caramel, sweet and earthy. Nice earthy and floral hops. Very smooth taste. Good juxtaposition of hops and malts. Nice combination. Hides the alcohol very well. Solid beer. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

This beer sits a deep, rather dark, reddish amber color in the pint glass. It is topped by a thin, pale tan colored head that seems to be typical of a draught product. The aroma is a mix of sweet crystal-type malts, spicy hops and a bit of toasty malt notes as well.

The taste is fairly malty sweet and has a satisfying heft to it that just about coats the mouth. There is quite a bit of hop flavor here for a Scotch ale, though it would be on the low end for a Pale Ale. The hop character contributes a soft fruity note and a light herbal character, which, to me at least, seems characteristically English in origin. This brew has lots of caramel and toffee type notes; like a good Scotch Ale should be, it is dominated by a rich maltiness. The finish has a solid bitterness though (truthfully a bit more than one would expect in this style of brew), but it really helps to subdue the sweetness. There are some nice fruity notes here as well; I get notes of berries, some definite cherries, and even some sweet plum like notes.

The alcohol is quite well hidden in this brew, at least until your head starts to feel a bit fuzzy. This is a really nice tasting brew, one which I hope to sample a couple more times before it is gone. If I were rating purely to style, I might be a bit disappointed, luckily I am not and the light, but noticeable, hop contributions are a welcome addition for my taste-buds.

<font size=-4>Sampled: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/nimbus-brewing-company/1017/>Nimbus Brewing, Tucson, AZ<font size=-1>