AleSmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy

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

#1000!!!! Beer God finally! This beer is courtesy boboski, which is fitting, considering he is the person who really got me into craft beer and probably almost half my rates have come from him. His overwhelming generosity and willingness to share rare beers, even when he gave up alot to get them is second to none. Thanks again Jason, and everybody else who has shared beers with me, even the 2-3 years or so before I started entering rates seriously. Now to the beer. From one of my favorite breweries, and one I’ve been wanting to try forever. 2005, bottle 16 of 222. This poured a deep, cloudy, almost murky, dark brownish maroon, with a very small, bubbly light tan head. The bubbles hugged the egdes of the glass and left small swirls on the cap. Big caramel, bourbon, toffee, some dark fruit, and roasted malts all come together to form an enticing aroma that just sticks in the nose. The bourbon certainly isnt overpowering and seems to be somewhat balanced well with the other aromas. Can’t wait to try a sip. The flavor is lightly carbonated, almost certainly from the barrel aging, but still enough to give the mouthfeel some tingle. The bourbon is quite pronounced in the flavor, moreso than in the nose. Huge caramel characters, some vanilla, maybe a little oak, and light chocolate all seem to tag-team with the bourbon. The finish is a little bit roasty and very full-bodied. The aftertaste has a light little bitterness to it, with a big bourbon presence and a lot of caramel and vanilla flavors as well. This beer was pretty much what I was expecting, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Thanks again to Jason for sharing this rairty!! You’re my hero.

Bottle # 13 of 240, from the brewery at Fall 2007 release. Dark brown, chestnut with a small off-white head. Vanilla, bourbon, caramel, dark fruit and alcohol. Flavor is rich malts, brown sugar, earth and herbs, alcohol presence. Full body, smooth and gentle carbonation.

Boy, this bottle has quite a story behind it.

PART ONE: I had bought Droopy49 a Mephistopheles and a Dreadnaught. He was going to go beer hunting an find something for me. What does he get? This bottle...PERSONALLY SIGNED TO ME BY PETER! Juan, you are DA MAN!.

PART TWO: I get a room at the Hilton for the Knoxville Tasting. I share the room with Shigadeyo and Ross because I am a nice guy. All three of us had worked out trades to be delivered in person. One bottle I was supposed to trade with Ross was the regular Ale Smith Wee Heavy. In a hurry, I accidentally grabbed the BA version going out the door. After the tasting, we were finalizing our trade at the room when I noticed that I brought the BA Wee Heavy. Like hell I was going to trade that to Ross for 6 Duck Rabbit Impys. Needless to say, Ross and Craig really wanted me to open the bottle and were giving me shit. It was late and I told them to STFU and go to bed. But Ross threatened to teabag me while I was sleeping, if I did not open it. So I caved and opened the bottle.

THE RATING: Bottle 44/234. Pours deep brown/ garnet with almost no head. Nice aroma of vanilla, cherries, raisen, caramel, and faint nuts. Initial flavor of caramel, dark fruits, and brown sugar. Middle has some very moderate notes of oak, joined by some faint chocolate. Smooth malty finish with the alcohol very well hidden. I was expecting lots more bourbon and oak, but the barrel aging really just blended into the beer. I would say it added more vanilla and sweetness as opposed to smoke,wood, or char flavors, which this one could have used more of. Perhaps this one mellowed a bit., because I did not pick up a ton of bourbon. Still, a very nice beer. I wish I had more detailed notes, but I was in no condition to rate based on my barely legible notes. Many thanks to Droopy49 for getting this rare treat for me.

Huge thanks to the Turd for a sample of this beer. The pour was, as those mooks below me already wrote, a bit disconcertingly thin. Dusky, a bit faded, but maybe not too out of wack for the style. The nose was very sweet, with a pleasing but not cloying quality that merged well with the malt and peat in the base beer. Even though the barrel is softer than expected in the taste, it still tends to overwrite some of the more earthy qualities. The body is also rather thin. Enjoyable, but the regular is definitely better.

Bottle 2004. At sk8viking´s. Pours a clear red/brown with a tanned, dimminnishing head. Smells portlike. Very sweet with aromas of prunes, vanilla and lots of oak. Reminds me a bit of a mild, sweet port. Very full bodied. Crisry dry finish. Very nice.

Rerated at toncatcher’s... perfectly same score.

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.

2005 batch, #42/222, provided by kmweaver. Opaque dirty dark brown with a tiny, fading, tan head. The nose is fairly sweet with lots of toffee, bourbon, alcohol and dark fruits. The flavor is moderately sweet with lots of caramelized sugars, prunes, raisins and bourbon. Full sticky body with light carbonation and a hot finish. This was a boozy, sugary bourbon bomb. Not Alesmith’s best work.

’05 118/222. Pours a hazy amber brown color with no head. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, some peat. and some sugary sweetness. Flavor is malty, bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, brown sugar, some peat, and a nice sweet bourbon alcohol finish.