A few years ago, we included Kees’ Wee Heavy in our packs. It was a delicious Scotch Ale, hitting all the right notes. But in true Kees fashion, he kept tweaking the beer and we can now present the new and improved ‘Dark & Stormy’.
Scotch Ales – colloquially known as ‘Wee Heavys’ – are part of the family of Strong Ales, which includes styles like Old Ales, Burton Ales and Barley Wines. These styles developed regionally in the UK, with the creation of the Scotch Ale attributed to Edinburgh in the 1800’s.
This big beer is very dark brown to black in colour, with a small off-white head. The aroma is all malt – lots of roasted notes, caramel and an abundance of dried fruits.
As you’d expect, the malt is the hero of this beer. The body is reasonably heavy with lots of dark bread and rye character. It is also heavy on the dark dried fruits with hints of raisins, prunes, figs and undertones of something earthy or even woody.
I don’t honestly remember the other beer that well, but I’m more than happy this iteration.