 tytoanderso (1152), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA
Apr 25, 2008 Draft. Arborfest 2008. A very well don example of the style. Aroma initially of sweeter, honeyed malt. Maple syrup. Some moist peat moss as well. Pours dark ruby/amber with a thin off white head leaving excellent lacing. Flavor shows true balance. Sweet caramel malt and loads of earthy peat and a dash of smoke. Lush, creamy with more carbonation than expected. Lengthy, almost tart finish.
wetherel (883), Carlsbad, California, USA
Mar 5, 2008 Tasted at 2008 Woodshop hosted by cquiroga. Hand bottle. Malty sweet. Amber color. Very nice.
Guerde (440), Welcome, Minnesota, USA
Jan 10, 2008 (on tap at Town Hall) Pours a dark amber with a white head. Aroma of sweet caramel, peat, but not much else. Taste is really sweet with a large dose of caramel, light toasty notes, and a subtle hint of smokiness as well. Medium mouthfeel with no bitterness to be detected. A good scotch ale.
OSLO (590), Minnesota, USA
Dec 15, 2007 [On-Tap at Town Hall] Pours dark brown with a light tan head. Aroma is malt, a little chocolate, and a huge amount of peat. Taste is quite sweet and also huge on peat with a little chocolate and maybe a hint of smokiness. Medium mouthfeel with a long finish. This isn’t my favorite style, but it was a good beer nonetheless.
islay (366), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Dec 1, 2007 10 oz. pour at the brewpub, as I joined with others from the Twin Cities crew during joet’s visit on 11-30-07. The aroma, which is not as strong as I hoped, features raisin and chocolate scents. Classic sweet barley wine aroma for the most part. Chalky, dry must smell that is not as unpleasant as it sounds but not particularly impressive either. Brown in color with an amber hue and a small amount of creamy, cream-colored head. Malt weetness and peat smoke smack the imbiber in the tongue on the first sip. Brown sugar, bourbon, and sweet corn from the malts. Lemon and tobacco dryness from the peat smoke. Dry, Scotch-like finish. Burnt grain / charred oak aftertaste. Heavy body. Smooth and oily in the palate. Tastes like a beer version of a peated bourbon (yes, bourbon, not Scotch, due to the heavy-bodied sweetness) or a lightly smoked barley wine. Town Hall Wee Heavy is unusual and unbalanced. It’s also a bit cartoonish; it seems like a mockery or an exaggerated simplistic interpretation of the wee heavy style rather than something authentic. I’m glad I tried it, but I must admit that I came away disappointed.
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