AleSmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy

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

Bottle 156 (I think) out of 200some. Bottle says 2006. This is one crazy beast. Absolutely, 100% no head, despite my efforts. Pours a dark red/brown. Has the clarity of pond water. On the surface the aroma is that of a nice woody single malt scotch, without brutal alcoholic assault on my senses. She is still a little rough around the edges, but nevertheless, I’m enchanted. As it warms, other aromas come out more-maple candy, hint of butterscotch, and caramel/toffee sweetness akin to it’s non-barrel aged brethren. Palate is silky silky smooth, maybe a touch of slickness from some diacetyl. Carbonation level is just about right. The flavor goes through so many stages it’s hard to quantify or qualify. Starts out woody, melds into savory chocolate with a little bit of dark fruit (plum,currant, maybe anise), maple candy, and caramel/toffee sweetness. Finishes remarkably dry with a surprising amount of bitterness and maybe even some earthy hop business and very slight metallic twang. But soon, this finish dissolves as the malt reconquers my tongue coming with tons of savory chocolate and of course caramel/toffee sweetness. Finally the wood comes back in to smooth things out wonderfully. The hop bitterness and metallic twang do hang around for this, but only in a back seat role. There’s a bit of warming alcohol, but really the perfect amount. Let it also be noted that upon first sniff I thought the barrel aging was going to be over powering and the beer would not be so good. I was wrong.

2006 bottle. This is a really weird beer. It looks a bit very muddy swamp water with no head and overall little carbonation. It somehow makes me just want to drink it more though. The aroma is a brown sugar, caramel, and then some bourbon. Flavor is really sweet and quite complex. It starts off with a bit of a wood character, evolves into a caramel/brown sugar sweetness and finishes with a lingering bit of alcohol, but nothing like the crazy BA beers that leave a burning in the back of your throat. And even after that remnants of plum and fruit lingers. It’s a really weird beer, but it is a really nice and complex one.

2006. Murky brown pour with no head. Aroma of bourbon, wood and vanilla and chocolate covered raisins. The flavor is good, but what bumps it up to a 9 is its complexity. It takes almost a full 10 seconds for every aspect of the flavor to appear. First plum, brown sugar and grape, then bourbon, wood and vanilla, then finally a ridiculously sweet caramel/raisin finish. Smooth, relatively full mouthfeel with little carbonation. Mild alcohol presence. The way the flavor in this beer develops on your tongue is just awesome. I’m not sure I’d want to drink this all the time, but a must try.

Now I have to revisit the regular version. Bottle 154/256 2006 I believe. This has to be one of my favorite things that I have drank so far. So sweet. Lots of vanilla and a little bourbon and wood. Not too much alcohol present. Smooth and delicious caramel and sugary.

What cna I say about this beer that already hasn’t been said. Complex with an amazing nose.

Thanks zuluflyboy for the share of this 2005 bottle. Pours dark cola brown with almost no head, even in an aggressive pour. Aroma is bourbon, malt, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and oak. Flavor is bourbon, malt, maple, brown sugar, and amazingly smooth mouthfeel. Lingering malty and sugary finish. The word awesome in liquid form.

Split this with a friend. Poured brown with a small fizzy head. Beautiful aroma of bourbon and caramel. Lots of mellow bourbon up front with some caramel and a hint of fruit in the finish. Soo good.

Bottle courtesy of zuluflboy. 2005 bottle (151/222). Pours a murky brown to black color with absolutely no head. Aroma is boozy and bourbon with lighter notes of wood, chocolate, some ripe dark fruit. Flavor is malty and boozy with notes of raisins, maple syrup, ripe dark fruit, some notes of molasses and brown sugar. Generally medium to full body with a boozy finish.