Wee Heavy-est Belgian Scotch Ale
French Broad River Brewing

Wee Heavy-est Belgian Scotch AleWee Heavy-est Belgian Scotch Ale
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From:
French Broad River Brewing
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
9%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.56 | pDev: 20.22%
Reviews:
54
Ratings:
63
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 14, 2020
Added:
Nov 24, 2007
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.03 by baklo from North Carolina

Jan 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Sep 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by aProtagonist from Georgia

Jul 06, 2015
Photo of portia99
Reviewed by portia99 from Massachusetts

2.74/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Going thru the cellar and unearthed this bottle from '09. 22oz bottle poured into a tumbler.

A - Pours clear with a deep brown color and a frothy finger of pale tan foam with good staying power. Foamy lacing left on the glass.

S - Molasses, brown sugar, tart, oxidation...smells like a 6yr old beer.

T - Rather odd, tastes a bit like it is partially brett fermented, tart, earthy and mildly funky. Brown sugar, caramel, molasses, other random sugary sweetness.

F - Thin in body, fizzy and foamy.

O - Well, time hasn't been kind to this one, and from other reviews it looks like it had flaws from the beginning.
Feb 28, 2015
Photo of grover37
Rated by grover37 from District of Columbia

2.86/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Tastes like a bad homebrew. Just terrible.
Jan 04, 2015
 
Rated: 2.75 by spycow from Illinois

Oct 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

Jul 19, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by Duff27 from Illinois

Jul 18, 2012
Photo of PDXHops
Reviewed by PDXHops from South Carolina

1.7/5  rDev -52.2%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
2009 (I think) vintage, poured into a La Chouffe tulip. The appearance is the highlight of this brew; deep brown body with mahogany highlights and a creamy light tan head that is impressively tenacious. Not as much lacing as I would have expected given the head construction, though.

Nose is a bit, well, odd. Fruity Belgian yeast, doughy, seawater(?). There's some caramel malt in the background, but even giving some leeway for a hybrid take on a style, this is starting off on the unpleasant side.

Explosive carbonation seems to accentuate the fruity esters of the yeast while nearly completely drowning out what I assume is a base wee heavy beer underneath. Smoke and deep caramel flavors emerge as it warms, but never really have a chance to establish themselves. Sea salt, coffee, lemon; there's a mishmash of flavors that just don't work together. The fizzy finish puts an exclamation point on this unpleasant experience.

French Broad does make some tasty brews, but this particular beer is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Jun 07, 2012
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle served in a Unibroue snifter. Different label and high ABV in this 2010 or 2011 bottle: 10.1% ABV. Improved with warming.

Appearance: dark mahogany body with some nice red and orange highlights. Creamy beige head that's too short-lived; lacing on glass.

Smell: earthy; yeasty, a bit sweet and fruity, with a touch of smoke. High ABV is well hidden if cold. Aromas blend nicely; more so than the flavors.

Taste: Earthy and yeasty, with a strong dose of dark malt and some spicy hops. Hints of bitter chocolate, coffee, Scotch and a good bit of peat. Mildly bitter. A lightly smoky flavor of dark malt, Belgian yeast and spicy hops lingers on in the aftertaste. High ABV is well hidden. 3.75

Mouthfeel: smooth but not quite creamy; slightly dry and astringent finish; the high ABV is fairly well hidden.

O: Interesting, complex and true to style -- not the Scotch Ale style but rather, as proclaimed, "Belgian Scotch Ale". Both styles are clearly evident in this hybrid ale, and with about equal assertiveness. FBB didn't make them blend together seamlessly, but at times it seemed that they meld more than they clash. Worth trying, although I prefer FBB's lower cost and lower ABV Wee-Heavier.
Mar 30, 2012
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

1.97/5  rDev -44.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Brought by jrallen34 to our Good Beer/Bad Beer birthday tasting. On the label it said "Belgian Scotch Ale." There's no way this is not horrible. Worst collaboration of styles since Metallica and Lou Reed got together for an album.

A - Dark brown beer with an off white head that left some stick on the sides.

S - Well, it is a bit peaty. There's also some belgian yeast, little bit of fruit, and some malts. Smells like brine or black olives. Also, it smells bad.

T - Not a good beer. Some olive notes, yeast, peat, char, burnt gunk, rotten finish. Has some chemical taste to it as well which isn't helping.

M - A little watered down with moderate carbonation.

O - This beer is ass. Don't drink it, don't buy it. Horrible idea for a beer in the first place, and it delivered on it's horrible premise. Not sure what the thought was here, but putting it into bottles was a shame.
Jan 12, 2012
Photo of Sean9689
Reviewed by Sean9689 from Illinois

1.99/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Thanks, Jason. Good Beer/Bad Beer tasting. Poured into Bell's tulip.

A - Pours brown, off-white head, thin collar, wisps on top.

S - The Belgian yeast is there, some nuttiness, and slight spice. Not horrid, but not all that great. Not really like any Scotch Ale I've ever had, or expect to.

T - Light fruits, yeast, peat, light sweet malts. Very interesting, and not all that good. It doesn't sound to bad on paper, but there's some time of harsh medicinal/char note and finish that kills this brew for me.

M - Too thin, light body, decent carbonation, alcohol is really hidden well, watery sweet finish.

O - Not good...at all. Jason did a great job picking out this beer for the "bad beer", luckily, he also brought a Bar Fly for his "good beer", which made me forget about how horrible this was. This beer is not a Scotch Ale, no matter what FB says. Can't recommend.
Jan 10, 2012
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

2.1/5  rDev -41%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Big thanks to Jason - this may have been the worst (non-White Birch) offering of the evening. Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a thin collar, wisps, and spotty lace. Transparent dark brown body.

S - The combination of peaty malts, smoke, and Belgian yeast somehow creates a dead ringer for black olives. There's also some alcohol.

T - The taste is more Belgian and yeasty, with less of the olive flavor. Some medicinal and phenolic notes, as well as a weird caraway note among some crackery and sugary malts.

M - Surprisingly light body for 9%. Low carbonation, a touch watery, and thankfully no alcohol.

D - Not only is this beer nearly unpalatable, it's also a total failure conceptually. Belgian Scotch Ale is about the last hybrid style that I'd guess would be successful, and French Broad has proved my theory correct. Perhaps they'll follow up with a Dubbel Gose or Milk Kölsch. Poured much of this out.
Jan 09, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by whitekiboko from South Carolina

Dec 27, 2011
 
Rated: 3 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
Photo of thain709
Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deuane pulled this one out of his fridge and said it was time to drink it. Vintage circa 2009. Thanks Deuane!

A - Poured dark brown with some ruby highlights...some sediment was suspended throughout...three fingers worth of pillowy, beige colored head formed...it never went away as it just slowly receded...nice lacing left

S - This was the only part of the beer that I though suffered from the age...it was light and watery...but it did have a malty richness to it as well as some big time dark fruits

T - Sweet caramel starts things off which the nose did not suggest a big caramel presence...the malts from the nose were very rich and added some depth...I think more caramel was coming out because of the dates and figs that were also present...some brown sugar actually cut back on the sweetness and added a richness to the body...light chocolate notes showed up towards the finish

M - Medium bodied...sometimes came up thin but other than that it finished sweet with some soft carbonation and a syrupy feel that added some depth

O - The two years of age cut down on the Belgian presence of this beer...I think there would have been a higher spice level as well as some brighter fruits...with the age this made a really good Wee Heavy
Sep 22, 2011
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

2.79/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
22oz bomber. The label doesn't look like the one on BA or RB and it's listed as 10.1% ABV on this particular one.

Pours a deep mahogany that shows through as a crystal clear amber underneath a small beige head that recedes to a bubbly collar and leaves only spotty lacing.

Aroma is odd and very nondescript for a wee heavy. it's got a heavily roasted nose with a cardboard character honestly. Not much in the way of the typical scotch ale aromas one would expect.

The taste is maybe a little better but is still very musty and stale overall. There is a hint of caramel malts and smoke but the finish is metallic, bitter and stale.

The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and fairly watery for a 10% scotch ale. Dry and bitter.

This is not one of the better efforts I've tasted from French Broad. It's a sub-par scotch ale, just tastes very stale overall with little flavor or complexity. Not so good.
Feb 21, 2011
Photo of Spica66
Reviewed by Spica66 from Indiana

1.16/5  rDev -67.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1
Got this in trade from thagr81us. Thanks, Calton.

Poured into tulip and shared with gwuilliums.

A: Dark brown color. Way too foamy. Have to "sneak-pour" it down the side of the glass to get anything but foam.

S: Smells like green homebrew. Slightly sour and off. No maltiness, no hops.

T: Tastes like it smells. Slightly rancid, maybe?

M: Completely thin and watery.

D: One drink each and down the drain it went.

There is no date on this. The label art has changed from what is shown here, so I am not sure that this beer is really retired, and I would love to know how old this bottle was.
Dec 10, 2010
Photo of Overlord
Reviewed by Overlord from California

1.59/5  rDev -55.3%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5
The mouthfeel is way, way, way too light on this beer. Just very distractingly watery. Light, overly translucent brown pour. Ridiculous head on it.

Smells likely somewhat rancid malt with a bit of caramel to it. Not much aroma.

Taste is also thin and watery. This was a drainpour. Where's the malt base? Where's the ... anything? Also a somewhat rancid, spoiled flavor to it.

Yech. Avoid.
Nov 28, 2010
Photo of drabmuh
Reviewed by drabmuh from Maryland

4/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by bmanning. I recently had the Terrapin Belgian Scotch ale, this one was considerably better than that.

Beer is brown, dark brown, with a thin off white head of small bubbles that doesn't leave lacing on the glass.

Aroma is mild and caramel, its sweet and good. I like the aroma.

Beer is medium to light in body and mildly sweet. There is some fruitiness in the midpalate region of the beer, overall its quite good. Drinkability is good and the mouthfeel is fine.
Oct 08, 2010
Wee Heavy-est Belgian Scotch Ale from French Broad River Brewing
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 63 ratings