Review: Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish Ale

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•   Appearance:  A    •    Aroma:  A-    •    Taste:  A    •
Overall:  A

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I've only tried a couple of different Scottish Ales but each has fascinated me.  They are very strong ales with a lot of malt character and lighter hops.  You have to be careful with these because they can go down easy and kick your butt early in the evening due to their higher alcohol content.  At 6.2%ABV the Belhaven seems a little lighter in alcohol than others I have had but that may be an attribute of the Wee Heavy style.

My first impression of this beer was this must be what beer was like in the old world.   It has a nice dark amber color with a generous tan head that keeps it lightly covered all the way to the bottom of the glass.  This aroma is in your face with malt, not hops like modern beers.  The aroma also comes across as very sweet (almost annoyingly so).  The taste doesn't disappoint, very robust, with a caramel malt flavor balanced with bitterness from the hops at the end.  There is a hint of smoke or peat or something like that, kind of like burning leaves but it is very subtle way and it really made me wish I was drinking it by the smoker or with some beef brisket (dry, no sauce).

This beer will definitely warm you up even at 6.2% (its about 20° tonight, so I was looking for a winter warmer)!  I paid about $4 for this bottle at a local liquor store but its worth every penny.

Cheers,

-D