Review Date 8/14/2012 Last Updated 4/30/2015
Try? Re-buy?
With all the rage around the “imperializing” of beer styles, it’s not surprising that Boston Beer Company, maker of the Samuel Adams line of beers, would eventually get in on the trend. They actually did this a few years ago, taking some of the beer styles that they already made and kicking them up to Imperial strength: Imperial Double Bock and Imperial White. For good measure, they also threw in an Imperial Stout, something they hadn’t released before, at least not en masse.
Samuel Adams Wee Heavy is a later addition to the Imperial series, arriving in 2011 to much aplomb. As with some of the other Imperial Series beers, Sam already had a Scotch Ale in his arsenal, though it was of much lower strength and not a regular release. That one seemed to me more of a Scottish the last time I sampled it, though it has changed over the years according to my tasting notes. At 5.5% alcohol by volume, it falls just under the 6% minimum that Greg Noonan ascribes to the style in his book Scotch Ale.
Samuel Adams Wee Heavy, on the other hand, hits the zenith of Noonan’s range at 10% alcohol by volume. This is indeed a potent Scotch Ale/Wee heavy, certainly a brew to be gently sipped, by the fireplace on a cool evening or with a book at bedtime (Noonan’s Scotch Ale perhaps?).
However you enjoy it, you should know that Sam says this about the beer:
Samuel Adams Wee Heavy was inspired by both traditional Scotch ales and Scotch whiskies, for a combination of deep roasted flavor and earthy smoke character. Traditional Scottish ales vary in intensity with the strong ales known as Scotch Ale or “Wee Heavy”. To create our own version of the style we added peat smoked malt to bring the unique flavor of Scotland to this complex and satisfying brew.
Ingredients include:
Malt Variety: Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60, roasted barley, and peated malt
Hop Variety: Zeus Hops
Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast
Samuel Adams Wee Heavy pours to a jet black color with a thick creamy tan head formation and a sweet sticky brown sugar malt nose. The palate is intimidating here, thick and syrupy with sweet malty goodness readily abundant. Flavors of chocolate, subtle coffee, sweet molasses, a hint of licorice, and powerful dark fruit (raisin and prune) emerge from a gentle pull.
Caramel is present too, and in the finish the brown sugar comes back. You’ll get some peat smoke aroma in the finish, too, though not as much as in the old Sam Adams Scotch Ale. I think the bigger malt body and alcohol cause the peat to fight to be heard here. Still, you can’t miss it, and it definitely adds to the brew. Malty sweetness and alcohol compete in the finish, but on balance the beer finishes slightly sweet.
A very good “imperial” wee heavy, if a pricey one at $9.99 a four-pack, I think.
Update April 30th, 2015: No, Boston Beer has not brought back Samuel Adams Imperial Series Wee Heavy. But I have. I found a bottle from the same 4-pack I bought in 2012 above hidden away in my beer fridge, set up next to the small freezer compartment as I am wont to do with high strength beers. The bottle does say "Enjoy this beer now or age it to develop rich and unique flavors" after all.
How amazing! It's like a trip through time to 2012, still sticky sweet and packed with the same notes of chocolate, raisin, molasses, licorice, coffee and brown sugar. Perhaps a hint of butterscotch too? I get caramel for sure and a warming peat smoky finish. I think it's better now than it was then, if that is possible. Just wonderful! I just kicked it up from 4.5 to 5 stars. Its that good.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft