Wee Heavy (Barrel Aged)
Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub
- From:
- Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub
- Washington, United States
- Style:
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
- ABV:
- 7.4%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 9.97%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 12
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 21, 2014
- Added:
- Dec 16, 2011
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
We reserved a small amount of our winter ale for this extra special treatment. Aged in used oak bourbon barrels for six months, the beer has flavors that bring to mind currants, caramel, and bourbon. Enjoy!
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Ratings by DOCRW:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)
2.88/5 rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
2.88/5 rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Bottle: Poured a copper color ale with a small foamy head with OK retention and some light lacing. Aroma of woody notes with some grilled corn notes with light bourbon and vanilla notes. Taste is a weird mix of grilled corn, vanilla, bourbon with a bitter and astringent finish which is not the most pleasant. Body is light for style with medium carbonation and light warming alcohol. Unbalanced with too much corn notes coming through with also too much astringency for the style.
Sep 21, 2013
Reviewed by Orca from Washington
3.83/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.83/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
22oz bottle (bottled 11/30/2012) into a snifter. Pours a murky amber mahogany w/ a 1-finger off-white head that leaves behind some patchy film.
Aroma is fruity, bourbony, sweet. Rum-soaked raisins, sugary figs, w/ a hint of toffee.
Taste likewise is bourbon-forward and fruity sweet. Oodles of caramel malt, soft vanilla. Lots of residual sugars here and plenty of boozy heat. Not subtle.
Mouthfeel is light and a little thin. I don't like syrupy beers but this one goes a tad too far the other way. Oaky dry finish.
Overall I'm enjoying this more than my individual scores indicate. It's a tasty sipper of a beer, just not in the same league with some of the great barrel-aged brews out there.
Jul 17, 2013Aroma is fruity, bourbony, sweet. Rum-soaked raisins, sugary figs, w/ a hint of toffee.
Taste likewise is bourbon-forward and fruity sweet. Oodles of caramel malt, soft vanilla. Lots of residual sugars here and plenty of boozy heat. Not subtle.
Mouthfeel is light and a little thin. I don't like syrupy beers but this one goes a tad too far the other way. Oaky dry finish.
Overall I'm enjoying this more than my individual scores indicate. It's a tasty sipper of a beer, just not in the same league with some of the great barrel-aged brews out there.
Reviewed by Rutager from Canada (BC)
3.95/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance. Pours a hazy caramel-amber with a thin, amber tinted head.
Smell. Caramel, vanilla, sweet bourbon and some old dank wood.
Taste. Light caramel and woody bourbon, vanilla and a bit of grainy malt with a little hop bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium carbonation.
Overall. A very nice beer that drinks easy right now. Enjoyed it very much.
Jan 02, 2013Smell. Caramel, vanilla, sweet bourbon and some old dank wood.
Taste. Light caramel and woody bourbon, vanilla and a bit of grainy malt with a little hop bitterness in the finish.
Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium carbonation.
Overall. A very nice beer that drinks easy right now. Enjoyed it very much.
Reviewed by sukwonee from Washington
3.18/5 rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.18/5 rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Clear reddish dark brown body with 1 finger head.
S: Orange zest, brown sugar, bourbon, caramel, dark fruits - while this sounds good, it's not very interesting, imo.
T: Starts off ok. Bourbon note, hops, dark fruits... and it finishes off like... I am drinking sparkling water or club soda.... flavours disappear fast...
M: Very very thin body and sharp carbonation. Very very dry (not in a good way). It feels like you're drinking sparkling water.
O: For $8.99 a bottle, it was just cheap enough for me to try this... I DO NOT LIKE beers Hale's makes... bourbon aged or not. This is the most flavor-less bourbon barrel aged beer I have ever tasted.
Dec 24, 2012S: Orange zest, brown sugar, bourbon, caramel, dark fruits - while this sounds good, it's not very interesting, imo.
T: Starts off ok. Bourbon note, hops, dark fruits... and it finishes off like... I am drinking sparkling water or club soda.... flavours disappear fast...
M: Very very thin body and sharp carbonation. Very very dry (not in a good way). It feels like you're drinking sparkling water.
O: For $8.99 a bottle, it was just cheap enough for me to try this... I DO NOT LIKE beers Hale's makes... bourbon aged or not. This is the most flavor-less bourbon barrel aged beer I have ever tasted.
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