Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

keethrax

Minnesota

1.63/5  rDev -56.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Appearance: Started out looking a litte thin, but with nice color. Formed a promising head which sadly vanished in the blink of an eye.

Smelll: Farly tame, some malt and maybe darker fruits, but not a lot of aroma either way.

Taste: Tasted sorta like someone added brown sugar and alcohol to a normal Leinenkugel. Not malty, just sugary. Kinda sour, kinda sweet, just a bit smoky. Would maybe be tolerable if the price point was closer to their normal offerings, but at this price it was completely unacceptable.

Mouthfeel: way too thin and fizzy.

Overalll: Ignoring style and cost this might get a 2-2.5. Taking those into consideration it gets dinged a bit further.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 22:05:20 | More by keethrax

WVbeergeek

Ohio

1.8/5  rDev -51.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

The hard part to get over is Leinenkugel's is making craft style ales that are up nearing 10% abv yet they pour like fizzy yellow carbonated beers. The color is nailed a deep ruby nearly mahogany body with a light khaki head forming thick, and dwindling and fading fast, specks of lace are said...this beer misses the boat on appearance. Aroma has tart fruit notes, dark ripened raisins a bit of booze marinating those plump jewels of shriveled grape. Definite caramel notes a hint of smoked malts, and a tart apple cider lingering quality in each sniff. Flavor harsh acidic grape juice with ripened raisins and fake oak chips with a strong booze overriding the whole experience, each sip makes want to gag, this is truly the worst pseudo craft sin I've come across yet I will drink a six pack of the Anheuser Busch Wild Blue before I ever reach for this again. I honestly have a headache from the first sip, drain pour with a capital D, get out of here cloying gag inducing sips of unrefined malt sugars floating around in a watery substance. Prolonged alcohol burn in each sip, burns the back of your throat down to your gut. Overall get out of dodge stay the fuck away from this beer, please do not enter...truly horrible creation and a sorry excuse for any beer let alone something attempting to be a craft beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2012 03:05:21 | More by WVbeergeek

BEERWOLF1951

Wisconsin

2.15/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance- Deep ruby with thin to no head.

Smell - Sweet with smokey peat.

Taste - Raisens, slight malt, toffee and then the unmistakable peat-smoke flavor, which I am not a fan of. Somewhat clean finish.

Mouthfeel - Thin for the style.

Overall - I would really enjoy this beer if the peat flavor (correct for the style) was less apparent.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 13:47:28 | More by BEERWOLF1951

dahlen22

New Jersey

2.28/5  rDev -39%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

Appearance: Dark brown with almost no head at all.

Aroma: Smokey, malty, and some dark fruits.

Taste: Beer is big and malty with some burnt sugar, dark fruits, and a weird rusty after taste.

Overall: Heard a lot about this beer and mostly good things. Not a big fan. While I love Scotch ales, this one's after taste is just too rusty and weird. I have always believed that good beers do not linger after a sip for more than 20 seconds. This one lingered too long. If you like Scotch ales, and I do, go for the Oskar Blues Grill & Brew Old Chub or the Belhaven Wee Heavy...even the Dogfish Head Indian Brown ale is sort of a Scotch ale. Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 22:03:27 | More by dahlen22

association330

Michigan

2.35/5  rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours murky brown with no head

Smells vaguely of toasted malt, but the strongest smell by far is bacon. It's smoky, but it's a "meaty" smokiness. I have no other way of describing it.

Tastes oddly sour, with that same "bacon" finish. I typically hate rauchbier (smoked beer), and this tastes similar.

Mouthfeel is too thin for the style.

I think I might've gotten an infected bottle or a bad batch. Either way, this was pretty nasty, and not a scotch ale I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 17:08:44 | More by association330

homebrew311

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on tap in a snifter at Lucky Monk. Appearance is a deep red/brown with minimal head and lacing the nose features sweet molasses and caramel. Zero hop character present, a hint of smokiness present. Taste is very sweet with some candied fruit, caramel, toffee, and a touch of breadiness. The mouthfeel is light and thin, seems off for the style and abv. Overall, this is a lackluster wee heavy. The flavor is minimal and watered down, this certainly does not meet the level of quality that the Big Eddy RIS.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2012 00:13:36 | More by homebrew311

scaliasux

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Cola brown. Dark, but appears clear. Maybe a little red. Short tan head. Fairly persistent.

Smell - Rich medium-roasted malts. Molasses, raisins, syrup.

Taste - Sweet and malty. Initial impact is a little subdued, at least less flavor than I was expecting. Rich and raisiny. Finish has a little citrusy sourness. A touch of alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel - Medium. Feels a little light.

Overall - Doesn't have everything I want in a Scotch Ale, but it's quite a lot more interesting than Berry Weiss.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 04:12:28 | More by scaliasux

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark, but still barely transparent with a small tan-yellow head. The smell is unlike any other wee heavy I've had. The smell is very sweet, and smells mostly of tobacco. The taste is pretty much more of the same. I knew it would be sweet, but was still rather taken aback by the astounding sweetness I was affronted with. I love sweet beers and after a few sips, I was OK with the level of sweetness, but it's definitely the sweetest beer of the style that I've encountered and at first I thought it was too much. It also has a smoky, tobacco-like taste and a roasted malt bitterness. It's VERY sticky. It's definitely within style, but is an extreme example of the characteristics with which the style is generally described. VERY sweet, VERY alcoholic, VERY smoky, particularly tobacco-like flavours, and ALL bitterness is roasted malt-derived. This is an extreme example of the style, so be prepared. It's not bad if you're into that kind of thing, but it's right on the edge of being over-the-top.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 04:52:01 | More by ElCommodoro

jtierney89

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep beautiful amber color with a 1 finger brownish head. Nice looking beer. Big boozey nose with burnt caramel and dried dark fruits. Medium in body. Sweet burnt caramel up front rounded out by a lightly kilned malt taste and some alcohol. Low carbonation. Creamy, thins out slightly on the finish. Reminds me of some ancient scotch ale, unrefined and very raw. Big bold one note flavors that have their moment in your mouth then fizzle. Decent but the alcohol is very noticeable.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 02:06:57 | More by jtierney89

blackcompg

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Pours a finger of khaki/tan head, color of the beer is a translucent dark garnet amber color. Head diminishes to a ring in minutes, and barely any lacing.

Smell - Sweet ripe dark fruits, bourbon pound cake, whiffs of dark carmels and some vanilla. Really nice aroma.

Taste - Follows the nose, all the flavors come at once, really no transition here, except that the booze comes on strong at the end of the sip. Good flavors, definitely get the dark fruits, dark toffee and vanilla, but just doesn't have the depth and complexity I prefer for this style.

Mouthfeel - Mouthfeel is almost medium, it is smooth, but is also very slick and feels a bit watery. Carb is nearly medium and adds some welcome edges, but there is no transition after this - just more of the same flavors and then the booze.

Overall - It's not a bad beer, but it is not one that I will purchase again. There are some nice flavors here, but really no depth or complexity, and the mouthfeel is thin and a bit watery. As this warms, the booze picks up too. I loved the Big Eddy RIS, but this scotch ale seems to falter a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 06:02:36 | More by blackcompg

maximum12

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a four-pack of this recently in hopes that it reaches the goodness of the Big Eddy RIS. Nice to see an old staple branching out into unlikely territory.

Poured into my stylin' Captain Lawrence glass, this beer positively beams a deep, luscious red. Big & quiet, almost zero evident carbonation. Nose is low-voiced as well, with sweet malts & a whiff of smoke from a distant fire. Neither strong nor distinctive.

Big Eddy Wee Heavy is less of a piggy & more of a smoked bacon. Surprising amounts of smoke come through, so much that it's not only in front but suffuses the whole beer. Underneath the conflagration are toffee, caramel, what you'd expect, but with the mute button floored. Bitter roast crowns just at the finish. A little boozy & the flatness dings it a bit, & a touch thin to boot.

This isn't in the same league as the Big Eddy RIS. The smoke, while not bad, is a surprise, & everything else plays off of it. Pretty good, but seems a bit underdeveloped.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 02:37:57 | More by maximum12

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an oversized wine glass.

A- Pours a beautiful deep dark ruby color. Has a rather small off white head. Very dark with very little light penetration.

S- Very sweet smelling with a strong scent of sweet and toasted malts. Almost a bit fruity smelling with some hints of strawberries. Has a small alcoholic tinge to the last bit.

T- Very sweet, with hints of candy caramel, some dark fruits, toffee and toasted malts. Has a very nice sweet finish to it as well with a nice slightly bitter toasty tinge to it.

M- Very smooth and full bodied with little to no bite from the carbonation.

O- A very good beer, however it seems a bit overly sweet for the style. Not enough toasted flavor for my taste. While it definitely is good, here's definitely better choices for the style. With the hefty price tag I highly doubt I'll end up drinking this again. Worth the try if you're a Leinenkugal's fan though.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 21:35:04 | More by Zachtheporter

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

He's big, but only a wee bit heavy... ...sorry... Anyway, this stuff pours a deep ruby-brown topped by over a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises light roasted malts, clove, brown sugar, light molasses, a pinch of black pepper, and a smidge of fig. The taste brings in more of the same at the start, but as things progress a definite sense of strong banana weaves its way betwixt all the other flavors. It gets pretty damn strong at times, competing directly with the spicy roast for my tastebuds' attentions and detracting from the overall wee heavy experience. Near the finish, this banana bit starts to appear a bit toasted. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a decently solid Scotch ale, but one whose banana character holds it down.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 15:09:20 | More by TMoney2591

jegross2

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing the Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.
Score: 84

The 2012 release of this brew is the first ever. This bottle has two codes on it. The top code is "03212." The bottom code is "821011220." Served in a Great Lakes snifter and enjoyed on 03/06/12.

Appearance: Pours a deep caramel/dark mahogany color. Depending on what direction the light hits the beer, it's either transparent, translucent or moderately opaque. Just under a finger of creamy, sand colored head at pour quickly settles into a ring around the glass. Average lacing, slightly above average retention. 4/5

Smell: Creamy and sugary vanilla, tiramissu, caramel, and a touch of barley. Moderate alcohol esters and a little toffee too. Some roasted chocolate malt and dried fig too. 3.5/5

Taste: First impression is a "smoked fatty meat" flavor. Just a very savory smokiness. Beyond that, I taste "watered down" caramel and toffee. The flavor is there, and there's certainly a residual "smokey caramel" flavor in the finish, but a thin body really prevents the balance of the flavor from making a bold impression. There is a subtle candied dark cherry/fruitiness on the midpalate too. Finishes with that "smokey caramel" flavor alluded to above. Quite drinkable and not very sweet. 9.5% ABV is almost completely hidden. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Overly light bodied with low carbonation. Really digging the silky, creamy mouthfeel, but the beer is entirely too thin bodied. Finishes moderately sweet and malty. 3/5

Overall: Not a bad attempt at the Scotch Ale by Leinenkugel, but not a great success either. The thin body of this brew is a real weakness. The Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout was much better.

Recommendation: I'd recommend trying this once if you get the chance, but I cannot recommend going out of your way to try this brew (or buying a four pack). Probably a great starter craft beer for casual beer drinkers.

Pairings: Bacon, probably. I do not eat bacon, but it is smokey and salty. If you do not eat bacon, pick a different smokey and salty meat. I could see this being a great "wake up" beer to drink on a weekend camping trip where you are cooking your breakfast over a 6 AM campfire.

Cost: $10.99 for a four pack or $3.49 for a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 06:42:53 | More by jegross2

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Saw this on the bottle shop shelf and was kind of intrigued.

Two finger light tan head. A clear dark amber beer. Head didn't stick around for too long.

Caramel, some roasted malts. A little bit of toffee.

Caramel and a good amount of smokiness. Minor vanilla and booze notes. Surprised at how well the alcohol was masked.

A little bit thin for a wee heavy and the carbonation seemed to be a little bit too much. The beer did have a very clean finish.

A decent attempt at a scotch ale from this brewery. Very drinkable and you could barely taste the 9.5%. The only problem was that those were the only two qualities that stood out. The rest of the beer was just kind of one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 06:16:39 | More by jeremy13586

tisthesaisson

Kansas

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Beautiful see through deep burgundy reddish/brown, pours is slightly syrupy compared to more common less acoholic beers.

Smell: It smells of some light chocolate, smokey notes, and a slightly metallic twang through out the nose.

Taste: Smokey malty sweet frontnotes that are taken over by a boozy taste, these dissipate rather quickly for such a strong type of beer.

Mouthfeel: I expected this beer to have a heavier mouthfeel due to it being a heavy beer, but it has a pretty smooth mouthfeel that like the taste

Overall: This is an enjoyable beer, but I feel a little let down by the lack of powerfull smokey notes and how quickly the tastes dissipate and lack of a strong mouthfeel, but I could easily drink this with a nice steak or pork for those reasons and be happy.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:23:03 | More by tisthesaisson

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an effervescent orannge/brown with a pinky of fast falling tan head. No lacing or head retention, nice viscious look to this

S: Some caramel & toffee, nice boozey notes as this wwarms

T: Follows the nose, a touch leafy hops & a bit of peat & whiskey up front. Some boozeyness as this warms; a touch of toffee too along with some oak.

MF: Semi-chewy, low carbonation

This is pretty run of the mill as wee-heavys go. So far big Eddy has failed to impress me. This is a stye I love, but this one is noting special, but would do in pinch

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 05:26:14 | More by russpowell

KansasBeerLover

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an ale glass. Clear and dark amber color with a thin, light head that quickly disappeared. Minimal lacing.

Aroma was malty with alcohol.

Taste was smooth. Caramel, alcohol and heavy on the sweetness. At first it seemed to be honey-like, but soon became more of a sorghum molasses.

Mouthfeel was a bit thin when compared to other wee heavy ales. The sweetness remains for a long time.

Overall, a decent ale. Better than most brews from Leinenkugel.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 00:49:07 | More by KansasBeerLover

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wee Heavy Scotch Ale poured a darker brown color, with nice sized head that quickly disapated. The smell was a bit lighter, and a little boozy. The taste had a nice sharp bite, and notes of black licorice, but was a bit watery. Flavor could have been fuller, but wasn't too watery. Overall not a bad beer, better then other lenienkugel beers.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 23:18:50 | More by vette2006c5r

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: clear, orange-brown in color, 1/3 inch head, high carbonation

Smell: alcohol, toasted malt, peat, and brown sugar

Taste: follows the nose--alcohol, toasted malt, peat, and brown sugar

Mouthfeel: sweet with alcohol burn at the end, heavy body, high carbonation

Overall: I really loved Big Eddy RIS so I was really looking forward to the Scotch Ale. Unfortunately, I found the alcohol to be a bit overbearing and the rest of the flavors to not come together as well here as in other Scotch ales. I will finish up more four pack, but will not rush out to get this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 13:46:06 | More by tigg924

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Alesmith Horny Devil snifter.

A- Pours a dark amber wotha 1 finger light tan head. Little to no lacing left on the glass.

S- Smoked malt, sweet toffee, and dark fruits.

T- sweet, slightly sour dark fruits. Toffee and nice amount of smoke. Slight bitterness at the finish.

M- medium body, and carbonation. Has a syrupy feel to it.

O- not a bad beer or wee heavy. If you like the style it's a good beer for your money.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:16:33 | More by kawilliams81

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a nice looking deep brown color with a tan head on top. The lacing was a little sticky and the retention was pretty good too. The smell of the beer had a lot of earthy smokey malts on the nose. The taste of the beer was a little smokier than I expected. I think that the smoke in this one is a little too heavy for this style. The sweetness of the beer is spot on though. The mouthfeel is oily and thick with a gentle carbonation to it. Overall I liked the beer, I can't see buying a lot of them but I didn't love it or hate. It's worth trying in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:21:47 | More by Knapp85

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Very clear but very dark crimson color. Pours a 1 finger width head with an agressive pour. Some rather mild carbonation going on here.

Smell - Peated Scotch, Butterscotch, Caramel, Yeasts, Malts and a very slight boozy scent.

Taste - Peated Scotch, Smoked Oak, Burnt Malts, Caramel, Figs, Yeasts, Plums and it's still got a slight boozy kick to it. It's got a fairly nice complex flavor and it's also surprisingly smokey, which I was not expecting from this style! Overall, it's an interesting flavor.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied but the carbonation is very strong here, not to the point where it's tearing your mouth apart but it's getting there. It's hard to really take in the flavor when the carbonation is this intense. This one is definitely a sipper.

Overall - This was certainly an interesting beer. It's got a complex but not quite perfect flavor and the overall feel of the beer makes it hard to appreciate the flavors this has to offer. It's nice to see Leinie's is trying to enter the craft beer market but I really was expecting something better out of this

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 02:55:09 | More by NuclearDolphin

tdm168

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Wine 101 in Wake Forest.

A - poured a dark brownish amber with a big, dense, thick, brown head that has great retention

S - heavy apple aroma with some faint caramel

T - a bit sweet, a hint of sugar, faint caramel, big apple fruitiness

M - medium bodied, smooth, a bit crisp

This is a mediocre Scotch Ale. The apple notes are intense in both aroma and flavor. It's much better than the usual Leinenkugal offerings, but I probably wouldn't have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2012 10:45:19 | More by tdm168

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Single for $2.99 from the Village Pump. This rounds out the Big Eddy series (non -bal) for me.

A very dark reddish brown with a dense, light brown head with good retention and no real lacing, this looks decent. The nose is solid. Malt, burnt sugar, toffee, a little smoke, leather and English hops are most noticeable up front. There's also a nice dark caramel aroma, along with a little bit of an herbal, tea-like aroma. Petrichor is noticeable, along with a moderate nuttiness, rather almond/almond oil-like.

The palate, however, is mildly disappointing. Opening with plenty of malt character, this has some heavily toasted malt, burnt sugar bitterness, toffee, some grainy astringency and is, in general, rather intense. The leather pairs quite well with the dark brown sugar and dark caramel, but ultimately, the lack of balance is to the beer's detriment. Nice flavors of rum and raisins are also present. Rather dry and highly carbonated, this beer finishes with flavors of burnt sugar , brown sugar and some sweetness. Some earthy hop bitterness is noticeable as well. Medium-light in body, this beer is quite nice on the palate but for the high carbonation. As it warms up and the carbonation dies down, it improves significantly, and I'm upping my T score to 3.5.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:37:55 | More by DefenCorps