Gearys Wee Heavy

Brewed by D.L. Gearys Brewing Co.
Style: Scotch Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Serve in Thistle

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Pours light brown with an off white head. Smells of sweet malt, some peat, some pepper, earthy, dry. Tastes of dark fruit, molasses, brown sugar, some roasted malt, lightly smoky. Great beer!

A wonderful, if not quite so traditional as they claim, Wee Heavy. Had it on tap at the Great Lost Bear on December 16th. Information about this is sparse on their website at best..anyway. Huge malty/hoppy aroma, sweet up front with a long hoppy finish. This has a much larger hop profile than is appropriate in a Wee Heavy. Lacks the peaty/malty dominance of a true Scottish. Had I tasted this blild, I would have guessed a somewhat high gravity Winter ale. *Excellent* brew, if not entirely faithful to the style guidelines.

A dark reddsih borwn ale with a thick dark brown head. In aroma, vinous licorice and herbs, chinotto, treacle, like a barley wine. In mouth, a smooth scotch ale with nice caramel, molasses, very nice and smooth. Rich and nutty. On tap at Boston Beer Summit, Jan. 15 2011.

Pours a three finger light tan head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Deep mahogany color, Slight caramel/smokey nose. Medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Flavor is almost sweet caramel with smokiness, light bitterness and caramel at finish. $2.70 for a 12oz bottle from Tully’s Beer & Wine Wells, Me.

12 ounce bottle from Beer Run in Charlottesville, VA. Pours a very dark brown color with a medium brown head. Fair head retention and lacing. Aroma is malty with lots of toffee notes, some molasses, cinnamon and leafy hops. Taste is molasses, brown sugar, raisin, earth, alcohol. Medium-full bodied. Slightly sticky.

Jet black. Light smoky-sweet aroma. Flavor is of deep roasty malts. Well balanced. Not overly sweet. A bit of an alcohol burn on the backside. Warming. Lingering roasty finish.

A nice scotch ale...reddish-brown body, frothy head. Strong malty aroma, slightly sweet and chewy. Not too sweet, but nicely filled with chocolate and caramel. Quite a pleasant beer overall, but nothing striking.

Pours deep mahogany into a Thistle. Creamy tan head with excellent retention leaves spotted sheets as it slowly recedes to coat surface. Smoky chocolate aromas. Upfront creamy chocolate and soy turning smoky and licorice in middle and on to a lightly bitter lasting finish.

Bottle. Pours a dark brown body with a creamy tan head. Woody scotch character with hints of caramel and some dark fruit and etoh notes. Big woody apple etoh bite with some caramel notes. A good brew.

THOUGHTS: A very nice Scotch Ale. There was a crazy fruitiness that I can’t fully describe. It was very malty. Got a bit cloying fairly quick. There could’ve been a little more balanced. It hid the alcohol very well at first and then it started to dome out a little more as it warmed, but it fit in nice with the beer and its style. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark, brownish ret with an average, off-white head that kept a nice sheet and then jut a ring, but left fair to good lacing. The aroma was heavy, molasses, slight caramel, a hint of coffee; apple, cherry, toffee, brown sugar, maple syrup and that crazy fruitiness I mentioned above. The initial flavor was rather sweet and slightly acidic; while the finish was heavily sweet, slightly bitter, lightly acidic and ever so slightly sour with an average to long duration. There was caramel, toffee, maple syrup, molasses, apple, cherry, a little alcohol, chocolate syrup and brown sugar. The medium body was oily and a bit syrupy and then dry with fizzy carbonation and a chalky, very dry and lightly alcoholic finish.