Belhaven Scottish Wee Heavy

[auld argonian]

They have the Wee Heavy on tap at The Duke Of Perth and it's not to my taste....too sweet...the Scottish Ale is much better (but then I get roundly criticized because I don't like IPA's, too). Sadly for many, the Wee Heavy stays on tap while several other better bevvies have come and gone. Must be part of the contract...that or the owner likes the Wee Heavy.

Best

AA

[ForresterModern]

It's only my own personal opinion of course, but I am suspicious of any drink that has to be so cold that it numbs your taste buds before it's deemed acceptable to quaff.

***

[Lyle1]

With tongue placed firmly in my cheek.

There you go, see what happens when you colonials get hold of a perfectly good drink, perfected over hundreds, possibly thousands of years, then you lot come along, using umpteen billion barrels of oil to cool the perfect brew that does not need cooling and then -----------------------you ruin it!

Jock now dives swiftly for cover!

Jock, When you're right, you're right, so no need to take cover.

[creagdhubh]

My favourite pints are all from the Belhaven family with my number one favourite being the Belhaven Scottish Ale - such a fine pint! I do like the Wee Heavy as well, but have noticed that it tends to get me pished much quicker than the other varieties, which at times, can be problematic. Ha-ha!int:

Slainte,

[Andy Proffitt]

I do like the Wee Heavy as well, but have noticed that it tends to get me pished much quicker than the other varieties, which at times, can be problematic. Ha-ha!int:

Slainte,

It does have the tendency to sneak up on you, kinda like a quiet steamroller. In fact their Wee Heavy is the reason (couldn't be my fault) that my first night in Inverness is only clearly remembered up to the fourth Wee Heavy, and the few things I remember after that point I try to forget. Spacing is key

[Joshua]

I wouldn't say prohibition was solely responsible for the beers drank in the US, because from the late 1800's until then, lagers were winning the battle of the American palate. This coincides with the influx of German, Czech, Poles, and other European immigrants to the US, as well as commercial refrigeration (this also coincides with the Mexican light lagers made in the Munich/Marzen style such as Dos/Tres Equis and Negro Modello.

These immigrants and newfangled technology created a demand for lager beers, many of which were boutique, and some were even slightly darker/richer than the common American light lager (but they still weren't ales, and they were still served quite cold in the German/Czech tradition) - sadly those did not survive prohibition. After commercial brewing "came back to life", the only beer manufacturers left decided on a common light lager in the Pilsener style... which has been watered down for sake of cheaper adjuncts (using sugar and rice instead of barley) and "less filling" to satisfy binge drinkers - you are now left with a beer of it's own invention, the American Light Lager (which now pales in comparison to it's Czech grandfathers, Pilsener Urquell/Budvar).

The story has a happy ending though - when prohibition was repealed, it wasn't until the 70's when homebrewing also was repealed, which spurned a slowly growing, stable beer renaissance in America. Today there are literally a thousand different boutique breweries in the US making everything from "American" style Pale Ales (more aggressive than their English cousins), to very traditional Ales and Lagers. 10 years ago I would have told you I predominantly drink imports. Today I am honored to say they might encompass 1/10th of my total beer intake total (most of that being Belhaven Stout and/or Belhaven Wee Heavy).

This soapbox was brought to you by the letter Z - Z for "Zymology".

[RayMc]

I love the standard Bellhaven ale, have never seen Wee Heavy or Stout. Will have to keep an eye out for them.
Thanks for the reviews, rabble!!

[creagdhubh]

Was I there in Inverness with you? Hmmm, that night sounds distinctly familar! LOL! Probably not as bad as me walking the 3-mile trek from Newtonmore to Kingussie (the latter being home), drunk as a skunk at 3 in the morning, singing a Gaelic song that I had only just learned a few hours earlier at a ceilidh in Newtonmore's town hall...hahaha!

Cheers,

[chemist93]

I've been drinking the FB Wee-heavier for some time now. It's good, but the Belhaven beats it. Alternative for me, since it's hard to find Belhaven here, is stout from Highland Brewing.

[brewerpaul]

Having brewed in a brewpub for 9 years I brewed two Scottish ales, one a standard and one a wee heavy. Belhaven by far comes to the tee of tasting like what I brewed. That only means I brewed as good as they made, not vice versa. When I finally tasted both Belhaven Scottish ales I had to smile and say I pegged it on taste. Full malty, rich and bread like, a hint of peat smoked malt in it. We served it proper from a beer engine with the Standard being the summer drink and the Northwinds Heavy Scottish being the winter brew. I tip my hat to Belhaven, they brew wonderful brews. Also a tip to beer hunter Michael Jackson who described the flavor of Scottish ale so well I could actually brew a proper pint.....

Prost \_/\_/