AleSmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy

Way too Heavy for me. The reviews here do it justice but it just isn’t for me. My impression was that it tasted like scotch but way thicker. GOt 2 bottles for my uncle who loves it.

Bottle (750ml) shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, tupalev, jerc & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. (No idea what number or vintage as the writing from the sharpie was all smudged) Pours a deep impenetrable reddish-brown with a small diminishing frothy off-white head. Sweet aroma of bourbon, brown sugar, light smoke, hops, spices and alcohol. Big bourbon barrel flavour, quite malty, along with brown sugar, dark fruit, light smoke and caramel. Woody, boozy, bitter finish. Medium bodied. Very good and pretty Impressive stuff. Thanks again to IrishBoy!

RBSG. Sampled from 05 and 06 bottles, courtesy Vac. Dark amber pour, sparse bits of soapy white head. Sweet bourbon and caramel aroma, backed by oak, vanilla, and rich malts. Rich sweet alcoholic taste, the rich malt base fights through the barrel character towards the end, but overall, for the 06 vintage, the barrel dominates. The 05 vintage less so, and this definitely made a more rounded brew. The regular WH is a masterpiece in it’s own right, but the BA versions are still phenomenal brews. Thanks again Vac!

2008-08-15. Very dark brown body with a very small beige head. (3+) Aroma is very sweet and boozy. Bourbon sweetness over sweet malts, but vanilla kissed bourbon reigns. (7+) Flavour is sweet and boozy, sugary malt wants to come out but can’t quite break apart from the bourbon. Smooth medium bodied palate. (3+)> Pretty good but to be honest I’d rather have the non-barrel aged version. Bottle shared by HogTownHarry

"Music was better during the Barrel Ages..." - Tupalev

Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, garthicus, GregClow and jerc - thanks again to Irishboy for the . Deep mahogany pour, smallish frothy beige head. Woody, oak/vanilla aroma, mild sweet roast, floral and herbal-sweet. Taste - same - roasty sweet, vanilla/oak woodiness, borderline carbonized - quite different from the regular Wee Heavy. Average slick body, astringent, alcoholic and somewhat burnt - excellent stuff.

750, capped. Thanks SuzyGreenberg! Pours clear and coppery dark amber with a lacy beige head. Sweet caramel and chocolate nose. Sweet caramel, chocolate fig and vanilla taste. Not quite so sweet or full-bodied as the regular version, which leaves it more balanced.

Bottle 161 or 169 (I can’t read it). 2005 vintage. Pours semi-still. Some carbonation. Dark brown molasses color. Taste is sweet hoppy alcohol. Not overwhelmingly bourbon, very nice bourbon flavor. Aroma is very fruity, bourbon, vanilla. Very rich and sweet, oak too. Taste is as I said, hoppy alcohol, sweet simple sugar. Finish is slightly sour, and disappointing. This beer lacks a decent finish. --- As the beer warms I get more chocolate and alcohol and complexity. This beer is fantastic and verges on world-class. Still, there are flaws. I had this at a 3.6, but bumped it up because I mixed it with a Petit Syrah and it turned into something amazing.

Bottle from kmweaver. What a generous trade—big thanks for this! Opened this one with Fin, Loz and Traci at ours. Cheers on Rating 2000 Fin! Deep leafy brown pour, a bubble or two with the pour that quickly disappear, leaving the surface as slick and dark as a forest pool. Vast lovely rich caramel, toffee and fig aroma, so warm and big it goes all the way down to the bottom of my lungs. Sweet bourbon with a nice charred oak edge. Absolute silky-soft on the palate, every sip coating and soothing, as if velvet had been pressed and distilled into some kind of precious elixir. Raisin, rum, chocolate, vanilla. The barrel character is strong, but the beer clearly thrives under the influence that bourbony goodness. Flavor and aroma both beautiful, but man, the palate is really something astounding.