McFinn's Wee Heavy - Mickey Finn's Brewery

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a beast of a goblet at the brewpub.

This thing may be the heaviest glass I've ever had a beer out of. The beer itself pours an opaque black-brown topped by about a finger-and-a-half of ecru foam. The nose comprises light peat smoke, smoky toffee, figs, raisins, and molasses. The taste holds notes of smoked honey-baked ham, light roasted malts, molasses, brown sugar, and figs. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a ridiculously smooth feel. Overall, i think i may have found my new favorite beer at Mickey Finn's. Good stuff, I'm tellin' ya, and that goblet is ridiculous.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 22:12:44 | More by TMoney2591

prisoner1572

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

01-14-2013 16:14:16 | More by prisoner1572

EddieJoe

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

03-03-2012 19:52:55 | More by EddieJoe

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a thick goblet chalice at the brewpub

This beer was served a nice brownish grey with twinges of red in it, some white head with decent lacing. The aroma was pretty lackluster. It consisted of a bit of smoke, and slight almost fusel notes. The taste was super smokey. To the point that the smoked bordered on char flavoring, there was a hint of sugary sweetness in the background, but it was predominantly a smoked beer. The mouthfeel was really nice and smooth. This was a good beer to drink, I just think that there was way too much smoke for the style, but it was still damn good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2010 01:08:20 | More by Vdubb86

robbyc1

Illinois

4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a tangy version of the style, as a friend said it tastes like someone soaked a cigar in it (in a good way).

Chestnut brown cloudy with a small off white head.

Roasty malt nose with more than a hint of smoked malt. Rich with some chocolate notes.

Full bodied, up front smokey malt, blalned middle, with a dry balanced finish. Not heavy though a wee heavy, it's carbonated well. Easy drinker though the smoke will limit the tries. Good match for the savory dinners here.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2009 14:27:50 | More by robbyc1

Reneejane

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is Mickey Finn's best beer, ever! The Wee Heavy is served starting in November and lasts only a few months. The Oct '08 Beer Advocate mag describes Scotch Ales as "malt bombs," and in the McFinn's Wee Heavy case, that certainly fits the bill.

The beer is served in an 18 oz schooner. (if that's a bit much for you, they will serve it in the regular pint glass, if you ask.)

The beer has a lovely brown color with a cream colored head. The head retention is remarkable, it lasts until the very end. In the past his beer has had a distinct alcohol aroma, but it appears that the '08 vintage is more toned down. The smell includes some subtle hop notes, but overwhelmingly you smell the malt.

The beer has a sweet first taste. The complexity of the flavor includes notes of caramel, nuts, and coffee (but only just slightly). It goes down smoothly and is deceptively a very drinkable beer for it's relatively high abv! There are notes of hops but they are inconspicuous throughout and balance the flavor so that it is not remotely cloying. This is consistent with a style that require lots of malt.

The Wee Heavy is very true to style and is a stellar example of the beers that are brewed at Mickey Finns. Too bad this is only seasonally available in winter.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2008 03:43:44 | More by Reneejane

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a large, thick chalice this beer is a rich brown color with a modest, wispy head. The aroma is mildly malty, with a hint of grain and a boozy alcohol scent. It’s enticing, but could use a good dose more malt quality. The taste is nice, though, with a solid sweetness in the foretaste, followed by a modestly toasted character. There’s a nice warming sensation, a little caramel, and an increasingly prominent bitterness. It’s a clean beer, with no real flaws. I’d like more malt, a touch more sweetness, and some smoke, but it’s certainly good for what it is. Low carbonation, full body, and satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2007 02:31:46 | More by Suds

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

(Served in a dimpled chalice)

A- This beer has a nice warm nut brown color with a thin soapy head that last for a bit as a cloud of big bubbles. The body is clear and a bit dense with a nice carbonation of tiny bubbles.

S- The smell has hints of slightly sweet malt with a good toasted quality.

T- When I took the first sip all I could taste was plastic band-aids, boy that brought back childhood memories. I know that to much smoked malt can give the same flavor at first sip so I kept drinking. I wanted to find so smoke flavor but it was very faint if at all. There was a pot caramel note and a slight sweetness to the finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat at all in the finish.

D- I have to assume this is the way they wanted to serve this beer because the bartender was handing out samples to people and raving about it. I couldn't finish the chalice because it was just too much band-aid.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2006 15:11:36 | More by rhoadsrage

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

2.73/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Transparent dark brown with ruby hues and little to no head. Quite flat.

Smell: Sickly sweet dark toffee and caramel malts. Smokey.

Taste: Sweet toffee and caramel. Hints of coffee. Alcohol is very present in the flavor. Something is wrong here, rotten, too sweet, too much dank and rotting fleshy fruits.

Mouthfeel: Watery and rotten. Too sweet.

Drinkability: Low. High, uncovered alcohol plus too much sugar from rotten fruit equals low drinkability with me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2005 03:49:37 | More by DaPeculierDane