A Wee Heavy

Smuttynose Scotch Ale, from the Smuttynose Big Beer Series, 7.8% ABV

A big beer indeed, in spite of the Scottish nickname for this style: "Wee Heavy." Scotch Ale, not to be confused with Scottish Ales, are characterized by sweetness, pronounced maltiness and very little hop bitterness and aroma. Since Scotland isn't as well suited for the growing of hops as their southern neighbor, hops were never a major feature of this style, or many other Scottish beers. Scottish beer was often bittered using various herbs and spices. Now that hops are widely and relatively cheaply available, we don't have to drink our Scotch ale through a mess of twigs and leaves. I've had some very sweet Scotch ales in the past; overbearing and cloying sweetness, but this beer is pretty well balanced. In the glass it features a deep amber color with little head and the aroma of caramel. Long boiling time leads to a caramelization of the wort which greatly deepens the color, drives up the starting gravity and delivers that caramel character. Eat a salty snack with this to cut the sweetness. This beer is a bruiser at nearly 8% ABV. I'm halfway through my first glass and my cheeks are already red. I have one more beer to review tonight and I'm not sure I'm going to make it. And yet I press on because I suffer for my art.