AleSmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Thistle

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Sampled at Noogfest-II. Thanks to John, I think. Dark opaque chestnut color. The aroma was very strange. I swear that this smelled like cheese (mozzarella in brine). Though I also noted oak and brown sugar. Heavy aroma but the cheese thing was just too much for me. Well mellowed alcohol (bourbon) with oak, brown sugar, light smoke, and lightly sweet dark fruit. Overall a combination of flavors I might usually like, though not as much as I thought this time around. Very creamy body, slick and lasting. Overall, I was disappointed. This was the one that I thought would be a real stand out for me and it was just OK.

A brown appearance with virtualy no head. The aroma is filled with chocolate and whiskey. The flavor was somewhat sour and nutty with some chocoate, raisins, vanilla, and of course a lot of whiskey showing up. Pretty awesome, thanks JohnC.

If I were male, I swear I would get an erection from the aroma. I was afraid I would be disappointed by this beer, and it wasn’t even close. Aroma is butterscotch, bourbon, with some fruity hints. Flavor is much the same with an amazingly creamy, smooth mouthfeel. some age on this puppy and it will by far be the best scotch ale i’ve ever had.

(Noogfest2) Off-white head atop a hazy dark copper body. Aroma is moderately sweet, bourbon, caramel, smoke. Taste is moderately sweet, bourbon/vanilla, smoke, caramel. Medium-full, sticky palate.

Cloudy brown, no head. Whisky, butterscotch aroma - not particularly diactyl, but noticeable - and hints of cherry and apple. Very syrupy palate. Some alcohol heat, and whiskey, vanilla, then smokey malts, then note of caramel. Nice notes of port or cognac, as well. Sampled at Noogfest2

Thanks to Hopscotch for sharing this at the Dark Lord party and to Sprinkle for trading it to him. Nose was loaded with butterscotch and vanilla. The BA-ing was not overdone it simply added to the delightfullness of this brew. Has a little rawness to it that seemed to be alcohol burn but it still was tasty

Unless the bourbon from the BOURBON BARRELS equates to too hot than I’m not sure about this beer being too hot . Anyways pour is darkish brown with minimal head. Nose is big on bourbon....Let me rant a little..... this bourbon barrel thing yeah its new, but its basically a new style no? So why not just get used to the idea that its a style unto its own and stop complaining hoping the style . Pour is deep mahogony with lite off white head. Nose is brilliant vanilla, bourbon, with a great maltiness coming through to really top thing off nicely. Flavor really takes on the bourboness and hard core vanilla. I do wish I had more of this to age and feel out over the years, but by no means do I feel its too hot to drink now.

Bottled 2004, number 28/234. This dark brown ale poured with a nice tan head that dissipated quickly, eliciting a very malty aroma. There is a distinct alcohol note to the already smoky flavor that leaves a bourbon taste on the tongue. I light up a Trinidad Fundadore and view my spring garden in a California back yard, with magpies and jays seeking worms. I listen to Yusef Lateef screaming his life into "Like It Is." This is a definition of the essence of life! Possible the best beer I have had.

UPDATED: FEB 10, 2007 Bottle #17... DLD06.... This beer rocks!... Lightly hazy, caramel-colored ale with a small, fizzy, off-white head. The aroma is a wonderful blend of chocolate, coconut, oak, vanilla and sourmash. This bottle’s still a little hot. Lots of bourbon, caramel, dark fruit and chocolate in the flavor. Full-bodied and silky with lively carbonation. Finishes bourbony, malty and bone-dry. Given a choice, I would have layed this one down for a while, but I had to share it with my "drinking buddies" at the Hampton tasting. Another world class beer from Peter! Thanks goes out to sprinkle for the trade.

UPDATED: AUG 31, 2008 I got another chance to try this, and while it is much better than I remember my first sample of this was, I still think they screwed up a good by by putting it in that barrel. I bumped the aroma up 2 pts and the overall up 2 pts.

Sampled at the Dark Lord/Hampton Inn tasting 06. Many thank yous to hopscotch for sharing this much sought after treat. Looks kinds of watery in the glass, but beautifly colored with browns and yellows. This beer is still overwhelmed with bourbon. Aroma, taste, palate, you name it, there’s bourbon. All of the typical bourbon barrel character is there: vanilla, oak, some smoke. Some trace nuttyness and caramel can be detacted, but for a beer that was released with some age already on it, it is still way too hot.