Best Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy?

I loved most everything Belhaven did before the Green King purchase. Not that I have anything against GK, just that they use their own "house yeast" in everything, and makes almost all their offerings taste the same. What made Belhaven unique before is now just familiar and almost boring. Not to mention clear bottles.

Anyway, to answer the question:
Traquair Jacobite and House Ale are my two standard bearers.
Orkney Skull Splitter
Founders Backwoods Bastard
Real Ale Real Heavy
Dark Horse Scotty Karate
Dieu Du Ciel Equinoxe
Silver City Fat Scotch Ale
Meantime Brewing Scotch Ale
Alesmith Wee Heavy
And a lot more...

 

Yep, Old Engine Oil and the Ola Dubh's are some of my favorites. Not to mention Cask Bitter & Twisted at The Prince of Wales or the Grill in Aberdeen.

 

i never had the old McGewan's, but i can vouch that this recent release to be up to par with the other Scoth Ale's listed.

 

Pipe works last kiss as well as Skull Splitter.

For BA versions , I just picked up some Wulver and its really good

 

Scotty Karate and Robert the Bruce.

 

I'm not a big drinker of the style but when I did a side by side of a half dozen available on the west coast including Oskar Blues, Silver City, Pike, etc, I was most impressed with Ale Smith's Wee Heavy. I thought Pike's Kilt Lifter was awful.

 

I have plenty of Wulver if you would like to set up a trade at some point man. Send me a message.

As for my favorites:

Founders Dirty Bastard
Founders Backwoods Bastard
Thirsty Dog Wulver
Olde Hickory Seven Devils
AleSmith Wee Heavy

 

My favorite is Loch Down from Arcadia.

 

Not sure when that ownership change took place but agreed on the clear bottles, not sure why any brewer uses them.

 

It was a few years ago. In fact one of my favorite pubs in Scotland that I mentioned above, Prince of Wales, was Belhaven owned. I made another visit about 6 months, well maybe closer to a year ago now. There are certainly more GK clips on all the cask handles since the buyout.

 

Old Chub and Scotch silly would be my picks

 

Was this ever put in growlers? Is there any chance of this being brought back? This combines two of my favorite things in beer that I would imagine would be awful together, but I must try. If anyone has any info on how I can get my hands on this, please PM me.

 

Kuhnhenn's A Few Shillings Too Many

 

Belhaven.

 

No, they never made this available in growlers. As for it coming back, I sure hope so but wouldn't know.

 

Too late for me to edit this to French Broad. Apologies.
Nobody caught it. Guess it's not too well known.

 

I had my first Scotch Ale over the weekend, OB Old Chub. Really liked the smooth, sweet caramel matltiness, combined with just the right amount of smoke, not cloyingly sweet though nicely balanced. Need to seek out some more solid examples of the style.

 

I like a lot of the the ones already said, and I would like to add lake Louie special reserve scotch ale. It is very good but only really known in Wisconsin and maybe a little in the Midwest. It usually comes out once a year in September and is very reasonably priced.

I really like backwoods but don't necessarily consider it a scotch ale.

 

Anything mentioned with "smoke" or "peaty" flavors are to be discounted. I'm personally appalled that Skull Splitter (my absolute favorite) has not been mentioned more often here. The Traquair ales are a given (strange, to me, I prefer the Jacobite over the others). Belhaven's is the benchmark. Old Jock from Broughton is also good.

A few American breweries do a decent job with making one that more closely resembles what you'd find in Scotland. Bear Republic's Heritage is mighty fine. And I wouldn't pass up Old Chub, Claymore (Great Divide), or Duck-Rabbit's version, for what they are.

But nothing quite compares to the Scottish offerings. And some of the Belgian examples are more faithful to the style than you'd think.