Town Hall Wee Heavy

(Hand bottle, thanks hopscotch) Small beige head, clear cola brown body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, some peat. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, some earthy, butterscotch, alcohol, light peat. Medium body, some stickiness.

Date: 01/31/2007
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Tasting

cloudy brown, wispy beige head, sweet caramel with dark chocolate and smokey peat aroma with light yeast, big body, rich malt flavor, lots of smokey peat, nice earthy hops and bitterness, light caramel sweetness, dark fruit,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***/4

Hand bottle courtesy of footbalm: Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a thin, froth of spotty-lacing tan head. Aroma boasts lots of sweet caramel malt, nice peat and complex dark fruity notes. Body starts with a full , sweet dark caramely maltiness with notes of butterscotch, dates, and dark cherries. Finishes lighter in body and smooth, hiding the alcohol very well. Great complexity and a unique brew, thanks Eric!

Hand bottle... Clear dark mahogany ale with a small, creamy, khaki head. The vinous, earthy aroma is of molasses, maple syrup, must, brown sugar, light chocolate and whispers of smoke, buttery diacetyl and mild acetaldehyde. The flavor is robust and malty-sweet, but bittered nicely for a semblance of balance. Notes of molasses, maple and brown sugar on the palate as well. Full-bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Bittersweet finish. A huge SHOUT goes out to footbalm for going to the trouble of bottling and shipping this sample my way!

12 ounce handbottled sample from who else? footbalm the king of Minnesota handbottlers-traders extraordinaire, sampled at roughly cellar temperature from a Dieu du Ciel! glass. First I have a couple of confessions: 1) I’ve been spurning trade offers, and not seeking any out myself for a while because I’m too lazy, too disorganized, and have too much damn beer to drink already and 2) I’ve always been a bit suspicious of the "hand-bottled" trades making the rounds....though I’ll admit to having tried a couple, I’ve never sought one out. But this was Town Hall, a brewery I like a lot, from Minnesota, where I hope to live soon; this was a Scotch Ale, my favorite style and in fact the third-highest rated example (and I still want BA Alesmith WH bitches); and this was Footbalm, a wonderful gent if my hour or so spent with him is any indication, and a genius trader. So I couldn’t turn it down. Thanks Eric! Now on to the review:

A tiny bit of fizz as I pop the cap, good sign.....it pours translucent/near opaque dark chestnut-to-maple, with a smallish but lasting off-white head that slowly dies into a thickish lasting ring....the aroma is truly gorgeous, stunning, something I dream about: gingerbread and maple and light smoky-peaty malts, molasses and raisins and a touch of whisky, just exactly what I want in a Scotch ale, deep and rich and decadent and oh I can only imagine what this is like in absolutely pristine condition....the velvety body belies the circumstances of a thousand mile journey and unplanned-for bottling and decanting, velvety-soft and again decadently rich and thick, with upfront port-wine sweetness mellowed by very bitter chocolate and heathery-peaty earthiness....at first I thought the roastiness a bit overdone, too charred and bitter it seemed, but after a couple of minutes it softens enough to become truly enjoyable, although there is a very faint flatness and chalkiness at the finish that’s a slight detraction -- but only slight. The more it warms, the more dried fruits and lightly sour cherry-wine notes show up; the complexity is wonderful, but the drinkability remains high. I had expected this to be good, but it blows me away; one of the best few I’ve had in the style and my new favorite from Town Hall. Thanks again so much Eric!