Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

walkerfrost

South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +29.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a a very dark brown with just a touch of red when the light hits it just right. It has a medium light head to it with a nice darker almond color when it is there. The lacing can be a wee heavy(pun intended) and linger on the glass. It smells of burnt brown sugar (ala creme bruľe) with the slightest touch of peat. The taste overall is kind of sweet with a bitterness that hits the back of your tongue with a Smokey peat flavour that lingers and completes the experience. The mouthfeel is thin but hints at syrup with a touch of carbonation. Over all this is a delightful beer especially for those who enjoy a a touch of smokiness in their adult beverages.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:45:54 | More by walkerfrost

nebula1999

Connecticut

4.65/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap in a sample flight at Backstage EDL in Torrington, CT

Dark brown/black with 1" brown head.

Aroma is amazing. Peat, caramel, smoke(?). Tons of roastiness.

Flavor is similar to the smell, but so rich. Carmel and peat-smoke, brown sugar, plums, creamy richness. To be honest, I didn't expect this to be so good. Especially against the other exotic beers in my sample flight. But this was my favorite. It just hit that spot and blindsided me with unexpected goodness in a glass. Should have gotten a full glass!

Really good on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 16:00:31 | More by nebula1999

ZAP

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Cherrywood colored...looks impressive

S-Really impressed here...loads of goey caramel, toffee and nougat....hints of vanilla...as well....really enticing.

T-A bit of a surprise as a smokey malt dimension fires the first blow...I got zero smokiness on the aroma but what a pleasant surprise this is....kind of a smoked meats flavor....the rich malt load provides ample backbone for the smoke to not overwhelm. The more I drink this the less noticeable the smokiness is...

M-Full bodied..barely...not quite as rich and decadent in texture as I expected from the aroma. It is fine. Just for a 9.5% ABV wee heavy I perhaps was expected something a bit more plush.

O-Leinie's Big Eddy series does it again. A wee heavy that ranks up there with the best.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:22:05 | More by ZAP

alex_hart

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

served in an over sized wine glass

had one of these a while ago, loved it, and never reviewed it (so of course i had to get another one so i could)

appearance: dark brownish, ruby color with little to no head. i don't use this word often for a beer, but when shown up against the light, it looks beautiful.

smell: sweet smell with a hint of dark fruit, earthiness, and a slight graininess.

taste: this is utterly delicious. smokey, deep, dark fruits, toffee, brown sugar. mildly complex, but perfectly balanced

mouth-feel: smooth. medium to thick bodied, but in a good way. easy to drink, but not one to chug.

overall: this is one of the most delicious beers I've had in a long time. been getting into scotch ales recently, and this is my favorite thus far. i know it doesn't have the highest BA rating, but it is absolutely one to try.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 04:39:53 | More by alex_hart

scot_chale

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Deep brown with hints of red, clear though, with a little sight of carbonation and a thin off brown head that fades quickly. lacing on the glass is very minimal.

S- caramel malt aroma that's mildly potent. some dark fruit notes and a bit of malty wort smell overall. very pleasant. it brings a smile to your face almost immediately.

T- that's a wee heavy. if you've ever had one, you know it as soon as it washes over your palate. it's sweet, it's malty, it's barely bitter, it's just very nice. there is a hint of dark cherry or some other dark fruit i can't put my finger on, but it's buried in malt. very tasty.

M- silky smooth at first, then the carbonation kicks in. it's bites the tongue slightly then washes away. it's not really dry at all, that malt bomb hangs out as long as it wants.

O- first commercial wee heavy i've had since Schell's 2012 Wee Heavy. It's nice, i would have liked a little better head retention to seal the deal, but overall it's almost exactly what I was hoping it would be. I drank it in an oversized wine glass, and I'm gonna try a pint glass and a slightly more aggressive pour to see if that helps the head out. I know I should cellar the rest of the 4 pack i have, but to hell with it, this is delicious. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:15:14 | More by scot_chale

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle into snifter

Appearance – Pours a deep brown color with a small off white head. The head fades fast to leave a thin film on the top f the beer.

Smell –Big aromas of roasted malt are in this brew. These are mixed with some darker fruit aromas of cherry and figs as well as notes of some whiskey and a warming alcohol smell.

Taste – A sweet fruit and malt flavor meet the tongue. They are quite big and bold. The malt has a heavy dark fruit bread flavor. Almost like a fruit cake made of only dark fruits. These flavors are present throughout the taste, but more toward the middle other flavors begin joining them. Flavors of some lighter fruits, whiskey, and a light burning alcohol flavor develop more and more as the taste moves toward its finish. In the end a very satisfying scotch soaked sweet fruit cake taste is left in the mouth. It’s really quite nice.

Mouthfeel – The body of this beer is thick and chewy. It is very fitting for the sweet robust flavor. The carbonation while on the lower end is very fitting and allows the thick and chewiness of the beer coat the tongue with all its flavors.

Overall – This is a really nice tasting brew. A wonderful brew to sit back and relax with; very quite soothing and warming.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 23:37:46 | More by Darkmagus82

1Nrwyscotch

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass
Appearance- deep dark with alight head that fades quisckly.
Smell- caramel infused with whiskey
Taste- sweet smokey caramel with some hops on the finish
Mouthfeel-smooth medium bodied light carbonation with alcohol well hidden

Overall- very drinkable smooth well balanced sipping beer that tastes like its been aged in bourban barrels.

Not a huge Leinenkugel fan but this was delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 17:53:31 | More by 1Nrwyscotch

coopsta12p

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served out of a bottle into my etched tulip glass.

A - A burnt amber color with a steady stream of carbonated bubbles rising to the top. Retains a thin layer of head and the lacing is shortlived.

S - Smells like most Scotch ales. Charred oak with a slight citric note.

T - Tastes smokey with a mild sourness. The prominent bitter flavor is balanced nicely with a, slow to arrive, fruity afterthought.

M - Light on the tongue and not as chewy as you would initially think. Does seem to stick to the top of your mouth for a good amount of time (but in a good way).

O - With relatively low expectations I was overly impressed with this Leinenkugels treat. It's refreshing to see a non-craft brewery stepping in and showing they have a true understanding of the brewing climate as it is today and ultimately being a part of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 22:53:44 | More by coopsta12p

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a three finger light tan head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Nice clear ruby color. Light carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Dark fruit and caramel nose, flavor is dark fruit and caramel, hints of the higher ABV. Decent scotch ale. $3.29 for a 12oz bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, MA.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 22:09:51 | More by jdhilt

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light layer of beige head. Color is a mahogany copper.

Aroma: A lot of caramel malt sweetness.. vanilla and toffee. Some chocolate. Peat and a little roasted malts. Some smoke, but minimal.

Taste: Vanilla, toffee, caramel, chocolate, and smokey malts. Bacon. Sweet, but roasted. Very malty. Some vanilla too.

Mouthfeel: Roasted, smooth, and creamy. Medium to full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends dry.

Overall, this is was a great wee heavy. I am super impressed with Leines on this one. One of the better wee heavys I have had. It is extremely drinkable for how high the abv. Don't go into thinking this is going to be bad because it's from Leines. It is legit.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 02:02:11 | More by mothman

Mora2000

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Big Texas Beer Fest.

The beer pours a medium brown with a tan head. The aroma is very nice and exactly what I want in a wee heavy. I get a lot of dark fruit and some peet malt, as well as some caramel and some alcohol. The flavor is more of the same. The alcohol and dark fruit notes are dominant, with the caramel and toffee malt and a little bit of smoke hiding in the background. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2012 02:25:37 | More by Mora2000

drrone

Arizona

4.21/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A- It pours a nice dark copper/amber color. Little head even with a aggressive pour and no lacing remained afterwards.

S- Great nose, that revealed a strong malt base with touches of delicious toffee and chocolate. Faint waft hops in there.

T- Wow, it really gives you kick. A great wash of malt, plums or cherries and peat flows over my palate. The malt profiles in this are excellent and complex.

M- Medium to full body. Slight alcohol kick. Quite easy to drink for being a higher ABV

O - I really liked this beer. I had an Old Chub earlier and followed up with this to compare. This had a much stronger smell and taste to it. Old Chub is great, but it is more subdued than this beer. The peat and the dark fruit have a distinct presence and make it stand out from the other Scotch Ales I've have. I will definitely drink this again. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 23:24:44 | More by drrone

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Big Eddy snifter.
9.5% ABV, 01712 printed in yellow on neck.

A - Pouring gorgeously caramel amber this clear beer becomes a deep ruby color in the snifter; fantastic color derived from a long boil. Big Eddy Wee Heavy retains it's thick light tan head surprisingly well for the beefy alcohol percent. Lace is pretty scarce though.

S - Sticky sweet caramelized malt aroma oozes from the Big Eddy Wee Heavy as it's bold presence unloads estery alcohol. Not to be confused with being boozy, the high alcohol certainly is perceived but brings with it fruity notes of candied raisin and dry fig. Solvent alcohol and faint peat smoke remain in the background.

T - Deep malt complexity drives this beer home though it's certainly not without a little earthy hop balance (albeit, low). Bold amber malt showcases a little toasted dryness while caramel and crystal malt add good kettle caramelization sweetness. The persistent, gently nagging alcohol pushes a Belgian-like fruity ester profile of faint candied raisin that's also found in the aroma. Also joining the party is a light peat smoked earthiness on the finish.

M - Incredibly soft, Big Eddy Wee Heavy has a nice fine level of carbonation that could be mistaken as a lack of bubbles. Hardly syrupy or thick, this well-balanced, full-bodied Wee Heavy keeps it's smooth sweetness in check with a clean dryness and thinning-feeling alcohol presence that never gets cloying.

O - While rich and complex, Leinie's Big Eddy Wee Heavy never gets completely in-your-face or potent, rather, like an introvert, invites you to discover it's depth and balance quietly and patiently. Surprisingly drinkable for it's boastful 9.5%, this Wee Heavy is definitely worth it's weight in shillings.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:58:55 | More by BeerFMAndy

kylehay2004

Florida

4.14/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Half finger off white head with poor retention on a murky amber brown body. Some lacing. Aroma is very sweet with lots of dark fruit, molasses, brown sugar and burnt caramel. Flavors of sour citrus, dark fruit mostly plum, burnt oak, roasted nuts, molasses and chocolate. Medium chewy body and moderate carbonation. Very complex and full flavored. One of the better I have had of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:12:44 | More by kylehay2004

Strix

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Clear mahogany, good initial head, very nice retention, a bit of lacing.

Very malty smell, toffee, caramel, a hint of dark fruit/spices.

Lots of malt, caramel, and a fig/dark fruit note. When cold, a smokey/musty aftertaste lingers, but this disappeared entirely as it sat awhile. A bit of vanilla and spice in there, with a subtle dark fruit booziness to the finish that works well with the sweetness.

Mouthfeel is quite smooth, seems perfect.

Leine's please: more big eddy.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:43:19 | More by Strix

CMUbrew

Michigan

4.06/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Founders snifter
2012 bottle date

A: A nice dark brown-bronze with deep ruby highligts in the light. Poured with a very thin yellow-brown head that lasted about 5 seconds. Not much carbonation rising to the top.

S: First and foremost I pick up some thick syrupy prune and raisin aromas. Then there's a scent that took me a while to pick out of there. After a minute I realized it's smoke. Peaty smokiness that I never expected to find in this Leine's rendition of a wee heavy. I can't really get much else with the heavy dark fruit presence though.

T: Inititally there is a quick wash of that dark fruitiness from the nose, then the peat and smoke notes. Following this is a mash-up of malts. No hops to detect in this year old brew. Alcohol is just not there with the first sips, and barely shows itself even with several minutes warming. At 9.5 percent that quite impressive.

M: Pretty good body here. Slightly touching on a slippery and slick feel, yet it comes off the palate nicely.

O: I'm really glad Leine's surprised me with this one. This is a great example of the style IMO because it really has all the elements it should, particularly the peat and smoke. If they had ramped up the malt profile a bit, maybe with bigger caramel, toffee, and sweet notes, this would have been an out of this world beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:10:58 | More by CMUbrew

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

brown almost black in color, finger of head which quickly dissipated.. barely any head.
smells of peat smoked grains, charcoal, bandaids, wheaties. the flavor is of bandaids, plastic, smoked peat up front. then sweet malty backbone and choclatey somewhat, smokey and somewhat boozey. medium to full body with a modest amount of carbonation.

this is a nice one by them, one of the few. usually this line is hit or miss, (i do mean the big eddy), so it's nice to have a hit!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 02:38:02 | More by facundoCNB

barnzy78

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, 2012. Pours mahogany with a very thin head that leaves no lacing on the glass. Aroma literally fills the room - sweet, earthy, caramel, peat, and wood. Tastes are earthy, boozy, woody, peaty, toffee, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, smoky, musty, and faintly peppery on the finish. Alcohol is well concealed. Mouth is full bodied; slightly cloying and with the high ABV it's definitely a sipper. Good representation of the style. I enjoyed this one, and perhaps the consistency of this one is off because I did not encounter some of the nastiness that others seem to be getting this this one. Leinie haters perhaps? I thought it was good.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 16:58:50 | More by barnzy78

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: shiny mahogany body, trace khaki head,
ok lacing.

S: caramel, peat, malt, nutty, smokey

T: caramel, roasted malt, nutty, smokey,
light/boozy smooth finish

M: med body, smooth mouth

O: Nice to see Leinenkugel deliver a really
nice brew. They will always have place in my
heart, since they were the 1st "craft-like" beer
I have ever enjoyed. Still like Sunset Wheat
during hot summer months.

VERY NICE, GET IT A GO!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 17:56:11 | More by BeerLover99

Phelps

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at Tops in a tasting snifter.

Cola-brown with good clarity, sparkling crimson where the light hits it. No head at all.

Sweet aroma. Tons of caramel, sugared dried apples, a hint of peat and alcohol.

Much more toast and peat in the flavor, which work really well with the deeply caramelized malts. Caramel, a little apple, toast, peat. Sweet and rich through the swallow. Good stuff.

Smooth medium body with moderate pinching carbonation. Just a little fizz as it moves. Alcohol is like pepper heat on the tongue and lingers long after the swallow.

A solid scotch ale. Displays the all-important smokiness. I enjoy it much more than the other Big Eddys.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2012 18:22:30 | More by Phelps

zeff80

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark burgundy color with a one-finger, white head of foam. It left thin trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of smoke and peat. Great earthy notes.

T - It tasted of smoked malt, peat, toffee and some caramel. A touch of bitterness added some bite.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry finish and a warm alcohol presence.

O - This is a nice wee heavy. The Big Eddy series is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:45:44 | More by zeff80

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A full finger's worth of active fizzy khaki colored head that quickly fades away leaving a mere splotch of lacing in the center of the glass and the slightest of collars... The color is a completely translucent sleek and glossy medium brown... A slight bit of carbonation can be seen moving at varying paces within...

S - A definite malt bomb... Caramel... Loads of toasted malts... A hint of vanilla... Some woody character... A bit of peat... Just the slightest touch of smoke... A bit of brown sugar as well...

T - Caramel... Toffee... Brown sugar... Some light wood and smoke notes... Toasted malts... Bread crust... Some light chocolate notes as well... The finish has notes of dark fruit and cherries... The after taste has a very slight, but not unpleasant medicinal character... Well rounded with nice depth and complexity...

M - Medium to full bodied, but closer to full... A bit sticky... A bit chewy... Even and consistent... Limited carbonation... Sleek...

D - A very nice Wee Heavy here from Leinenkugels... There Big Eddy line of brews has some very nice offerings... This one is a sipper... A nice brew to sit back and unwind with... I would gladly drink again and recommend to fans of the Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy style...

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 02:29:39 | More by philbe311

AMiz602

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer looks more like whiskey than a Scotch. It is a dark cherry colored beer that is actually pretty carbonated for being a heavy ale.

It smells of dark fruits with a sort of "woodsy" smell mixed in with the 9% or so alcohol that is quite prevalent.

It is quite biscuity, and has a rum-like finish due to the infusion of the Scotch flavor, aging process, and high alcohol content. After sitting a while it takes on a dark berry (cherry or plum?) flavor and sweetens up a good bit that helps to mask the alcohol taste. It tastes almost like a fine Belgian Trappist after a while, and takes on a roasty burntness that really helps to bring out that "woodsy" smell.

An interesting beer that will allow you to really expand your palate, and is nice with a hefty steak in front of you.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 23:53:48 | More by AMiz602

aasher

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tis beer pours a medium bodied cherry wood in color with a one finger beige colored head. The foamy head only lasted a couple minutes. It smells of plenty of sweet malts, toffee, light butterscotch, and caramelized sugar with an ever so slight bitterness in the finish. The flavors are nice and complex. It features an array of malt flavors such as toffee, caramel, cocoa, cherry, butterscotch, and cream. It's surprisingly well rounded. The cocoa comes around a bit more n the after taste. It's sweet without being overpowering and the lighter mouthfeel probably aids that. It drinks on the lighter side of medium in body but isn't sticky at all. The aftertaste is really nice. It's interesting. Overall I thought this was a fantastic scotch ale. The Big Eddy series mpressed once again!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 02:54:45 | More by aasher

Brenden

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Looking like a Wee Heavy, this beer is a red-brown color, completely clear. Off the tap, it forms a smallish light tan head that retains itself pretty well but does fade, dropping some legs as well as spotty lace.
Caramel and dark fruits show in an appropriately malt-heavy beer. Alcohol isn't shy. While big, the aroma isn't quite as complex as the flavor until it's allowed to sit and open up, when the peat and smoke-like characters, as well as a light banana note under the ripened dark fruits and caramel sweetness, are allowed to come out. In the flavor, the light smokiness sits gently and pleasantly underneath every sip. Alcohol, while strong, avoids going fusel.
The body is medium with enough going on to stay interesting. It's a bit smooth but not completely, with a touch of a crisp note just in the front. It goes just a touch thinnish, likely from the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2012 16:40:48 | More by Brenden