AleSmith Barrel Aged Wee Heavy

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

Serve in Thistle

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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!

UPDATED: MAY 11, 2012 2009 bottle. Deep murky brown, thin light tan head. Almost black, much darker than the regular version. Rich sweetness, plum, raisin, dried dark fruit, heavy bourbon flavors, alcohol warmth, oak, a bit of chocolate, and molasses. Thick mouth feel. This is very delicious and decadent. I love it. Cask at Alesmith Early may 2012. Wee Heavy with bourbon soaked oak chips: Pours a reddish brown, slightly cloudy, with a bubbly light beige head. Sweet malts, toffee, dried dark fruit, prune, raisin, oak, light vanilla, and a touch of bourbon note. A nice beer, but I like the bourbon barrel aged version quite a bit better. Total rating 3.9

Bottle shared at Palate Rapist tasting. 09’ 562/972. Big thanks to Phil for sharing this bottle. This was still a little hot and the bourbon flavor was everywhere, in the flavor and aroma. Very much a sipping a beer. Tasty to say the least.

2009 vintage, bottle #160/972, split with manuchampions and uhlan. Pours an opaque dark mahogany / brown with almost no head. Aroma of prunes / dates, liqueur, some wood & bourbon notes, but not much scotch whiskey - ultra complex nose. Flavour is no less complex with liqueur-coated dark dried fruits, wood barrels, bourbon and a little scotch. Not much of a boozy burn. Extremely rich and complex - the barrel aging done to perfection, though about on par with the regular. It has fewer of the scotch qualities but more wood than the original Wee Heavy. I slightly prefer the original; however, this was most fantastic.

UPDATED: MAR 18, 2012 2009 vintage, bottle 685/972, courtesy of stefanje for my 5000th rating. Thanks! Shared at the Baltimore Irish Hannukah Gathering, 3/17/12. Pours a clear dark red color with nearly no head. Aroma of whisky, soy, toffee, roasted malts, coconut, caramel. The taste is toffee, whisky, wood, caramel, chocolate, leafy hops, coconut, bitter finish. Full bodied. Nice.

Thanks HallingHansen. Pours clear brown with a small head. Aroma is roasted malt, bourbon, vanilla and dark fruit. Flavour is roasted caramel, bourbon, vanilla, raisin, plum and toffee.

At HallingHansen Grand Tasting, thanks for sharing. Vintage 2009. Pours a clear and brown beer with no head. The aroma is malt, caramel, wood, vanilla, fruit, dried fruit and alcohol. The flavor follows the nose. The palate is sweetness. Overall a really good beer.

Bottle 2009 version. Trade from Sean9689, thanks man. Mud brown body with a small head. Aroma is bourbon, caramel, vanilla, oak. Flavor is caramel, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit.

Hazy chestnut colour with a small off-white head. Aroma of malt and caramel with hints of dried fruit and oak. Very sweet caramel and toffee flavour with a hint of brown sugar, and some hot alcohol. The sweetness is somewhat balanced by tannins in this version of the wee heavy

Bottle shared by hallinghansen. It pours hazy dark reddish brown with a medium off white head. Heavy caramelish and toffee like aroma with notes vanilla and oak. The flavour is sweet caramelish with a bourbon kick that has notes of vanilla and oak. Long sweet toasted finsish. Thanks Jacob!

Pours brown/black with tan head. Raisin and brown sugar nose, fusel and chocolate. Chocolate notes, caramel, sweet and super solid. Dry, simple and tasty