I'm currently drinking a "Wee Heavy" Ale. I was wondering why it is called that and the meaning of the terms. Any one know?
http://www.scottishbrewing.com/history/shilling.php Best I can figure based on the article it refers to a small (hence the wee) 6oz serving of a 'heavy' ale. I haven't spent a lot of time in Scotland, so hopefully someone else around here might be able to expand on the answer
Without any research, I'd say the 'heavy' bit deals with the alcohol content. Typically they are a little higher than the standard British bitter or mild.
The name "wee heavy" actually belongs to just one beer, Fowler's Twelve Guinea Ale. This was a Scottish "Heavy" , simply sold in small ("wee") bottles of a third of an Imperial pint.It never was a style, brewing records show no brewer ever listing a wee heavy. Scottish beer was classed by the wholesale price of a hogshead , which is a 54 UK gallon cask.There was 60/- (sixty shillings or three pounds sterling) at one end, going through 70/- , 80/- and so on.These were price classes and the beer could be of any style. Twelve Guinea Ale was 156 shillings a hogshead, pretty top class stuff.
