Hale's Wee Heavy Winter Ale - Hale's Ales Brewery & Pub

bifrost17

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Reuben's Brews snifter/tulip

A: Pretty nice looking dark orange verging on brown. Caramel toffy looking. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Thin head.

S: Not too much going on in the nose, malty, winter spices, a little booze, and breadiness.

T: Tastes pretty solid, kind of exactly how it smells, malty, cinnamon, kind of boozy, slight hop bitterness. There's also a really nice chocolate note in the finish, which leaves me wondering if they used a little bit of chocolate malt in the mash.

M: Mouthfeel is very good for the style, full, creamy, light carbonation.

O: Overall I'm not over, or underwhelmed with this beer. Definitely an interesting take on the winter ale style. Hales pretty much hit the mark with a big warming malt bomb for the winter season. I'd say it's worth trying if you happen to see it, but definitely not worth going out of your way to find.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 20:53:06 | More by bifrost17

constantine_272

Oregon

4.34/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy brown. Sticky foam with low retention that left flecks of foam in random configurations, not in rings. Appearance was the worst part of this beer. It's also the least important in my opinion.

S: Sweet smelling. Light roast smell. A little woody smelling.

T: Very unique flavor. The combination of sweetness with the roast flavors give it a bit of a fruity raspberry flavor up front. It finishes with a light chocolate flavor and a hint of vanilla. A home run, almost a grand slam if it weren't for the long aftertaste.

M: Again I wasn't a fan of the aftertaste. It had a tongue coating effect that tastes great, but just didn't finish when it was supposed to. Thicker and chewyier than others, which I like in a darker beer , so it was still good.

O: 'Wow' was the first thing I said after the first taste. The fruity, sweet, toasty flavor was amazing. It's clear this beer was purposefully and expertly crafted. A slightly cleaner finish would have been nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:28:41 | More by constantine_272

LiquidAmber

Washington

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a MacAndrew's thistle glass. Pours a hazy, medium ruddy orange amber. Two finger fine light tan head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, cinnamon, faint hops. Flavor of biscuit malt, light peppery hops, light cinnamon, finishing with the same peppery hops. Somewhat on the dry side and hoppy for a scotch ale, but nicely balanced. Medium body with a pleasant creaminess. I enjoyed this interesting take on a wee heavy with a nod towards a winter warmer. I'll look for this next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:35:35 | More by LiquidAmber

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy burnt auburn color with hardly any foam, despite a hard pour; the ringlet leaves a surprising smattering of dots all around

Smell: RIch caramel aromatics; some toast and a vague sense of the hop

Taste: Caramel, up front, but the hops intrude surprisingly, adding an earthy and piney character that balances out the hops, in the middle; the caramel adds a spice cake dimension, as well but, after the swallow, the profile is rather balanced

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, but somewhat flat

Overall: A very unusual beer and certainly not your typical Wee Heavy; still, reasonably enjoyable; just call it a Winter Warmer and it would be much more understandable

Thanks, bobertkuekn, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 00:07:16 | More by brentk56

harrymel

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled: unk, vintage 2011

A: dark ruddy copper with little head formation and only a target formation of foam. No lace.
S: bread pudding smell with caramelized sugars and some bread and cinnamon. Has a slightly aged smell to it.
T: Sweet with the slightest bitter and sharp edge to it. I've come to find a nice, subtle alcoholic blade in a Wee Heavy goes a long way to help harden the beer. This is no slouch. Some honey notes and rye bread flavors.
M: Medium on heavy with low carb and a semi dry finish. Nothing special, but suited for the style.
O: Decent beer. I would drink again in a heartbeat. Great for the season (or maybe a little colder).

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 07:26:59 | More by harrymel

Bookseeb

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is a dark amber with an off white creamy head and clingy lace. Smell is very light with roasted malt. Taste has the lightly roasted malt with a light hoppy citric twang in the end. Mouthfeel is medium, creamy with good carbonation. Nothing complex, but very enjoyable in these colder months.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 23:42:36 | More by Bookseeb

engisch

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours brown and cloudy. With an effervescent and lasting tan head. After every sip, tiny bubble replenish the thin head. Makes for nice looking beer aside from the hazy complexion when light hits it. Smells sweet and floral (bit strange/unique for a "Wee Heavy").

Tastes sweet with a nice balancing bitterness. Not typical of most wee heavys, which tend to be more sweet (sometimes sickenly). This is a very unique for the wee heavy category. Very Americanized in terms of hoppyness.

I would definitely drink / recommend this, but don't expect the typical wee heavy.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 02:13:10 | More by engisch

mtwentz

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

this is for a bottle of 09 wee heavy enjoyed christmas 010:

pours decent enough. a deep brown, almost black. after letting it come up a bit in temperature, it leaves a continent of creamy white head in the center with an uneven ring of the same around the walls of the duvel tulip.
smells raisiny, like iced fig nuten (spl?) filling.
the taste and mouthfeel is smooth. semi-rich sweetness blooms into a booziness. the aftertaste comes back with the iced fig thing (running out of adjectives). a buried bitterness.
Warming, but i wish it had aged a little smoother.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 03:38:57 | More by mtwentz

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 12/26/10

Pours a deep caramel brown, settling quite dark; ruby highlights adorn the base & sides of the glass. Giving the impression it might be a tad murky, it's too dark to tell. Billowy foam; two fingers worth initially, then dropping to a puffy island & a collar. Impressive swaths of crackly lace.

Ah, smells like it's heavy on the hops (at least for the style); no complaints from me. Mellow floral tones are abundant; earthy pine notions & a hint of citric solvency are cast just underneath. Further down is a maltiness suggesting dark fruit overtones & lightly toasted bread; solid but supportive of the hops.

Ah, tastes nice & hoppy, too. Here, though, the pine is most appreciable, making for reasonable amount of bitterness as well as a fast-acting dryness. Maybe spot of citrus. The initial dryness melds into a malt bill that softens it some, but never outshines. Dark bread, a hint of chocolate, wisps of smoke, toastiness & dark fruit ghost notes.

Closer to medium body than full; a robust feel, though freely moving all the while. Carbonation is moderate; it never seems out of place. The finish is likewise dry, dry, dry. Piney bitterness, smoke & toasted bread linger.

So, Wee Heavy Winter Ale might be highly hopped for the style. What of it? I really like it & would drink my fair share were I able. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 02:15:38 | More by Ryan011235

Bfarr

Washington

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy dark walnut with thin tan head, poor retention and no lacing. Light peat, caramel, and roasted malts. Tea and roasted malt with hints of peat and a bitter bite with a linger of sweetness. Slightly robust mouthfeel with light stickiness.

Not bad for a wee heavy with good flavor although a little heavy on roasted malt on the end. Otherwise easy drinking with no regrets on a sixer although I was ready to move on by the end.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 23:37:01 | More by Bfarr

notsoprobeer

Oregon

3.18/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very dark reddish brown with a tan head that dissipated fairly quickly, with minimal lacing. If you don't have bright lighting, the color would appear to be dark brown. Aroma is full malts, something sweet (I can't place it), and alcohol. I don't smell the hops. Flavor is mainly caramel malts with flavors of fruit (maybe cherry) and molasses. It has an nice combination of sweetness and a slight bitterness. Body is medium to heavy. The 6.8% ABV is not unsually high for a winter ale, but it left a lingering alcohol taste in the finish that I wasn't crazy about. After it warmed up, the alcohol taste was even more apparent.

I would drink this if someone gave it to me. If you can find it, and if you're looking for something different, you should try this. It has an unusual combination of flavors and a heavy body that I haven't tasted this holiday season. Only the lingering alcohol taste kept me from rating it higher. This isn't a session beer, but who wants to keep drinking the same beer over and over again!?! Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 08:44:37 | More by notsoprobeer

ebrauser

Utah

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle to a pint glass

Appearance: Deep red-mahogany with particulates floating (the reason for the low score). Loud, crackling, thick tan head.

Aroma: Immediate presence of alcohol is apparent, but pleasantly mixed with figs and apples.

Flavor: Bittersweet middle contains solventy tones before moving to a woody, earthy finish. Lingering bitterness. Warming, but in a manner that is slightly harsh. Fruity beginning comes out when the drink is warmed, but bitter taste still dominates the end.

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, sweet but pleasant texture to sip on.
Probably won't have another unless it is on tap (its always worth a second shot if its on tap)

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 05:50:57 | More by ebrauser

grittybrews

Washington

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a dark cola brown into a tulip with an inch of light khaki head. Nice malty aroma of toffee and a hint of fig.

Moderate carbonation and a slightly thin, syrupy mouthfeel. Toasty flavor up front with mild caramel sweetness, vanilla, some roasty coffee, and a slightly spicy hops on the finish.

Not too sweet and quite easy-drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 06:04:22 | More by grittybrews

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a deep, murky brown, with a two-finger, tan colored head, and has fairly creamy lacing.

S - Smell is of caramel, molasses, nuttiness, a slightly floral character, and a hint of peat.

T - Taste is of caramel, and roasted/nutty malts, with a solid background of balancing nut bitterness and hops (not in the piney APA/IPA sense, you just know they're there). Well balanced.

M - Mouthfeel is on the heavier side of medium, with medium carbonation, and a slick, creamy feel going down.

D - A bit heavy for sessioning, but a couple of these or so would be nice.

Overall - A pretty nice, basic scotch ale. IMO, a tad more sweetness, and tad less carbonation would bump it up from a good beer to a stellar beer though!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 07:54:00 | More by Flightoficarus

philbertk

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2009 12 oz.Bottle Rich rocky off white head.Clear dark bronze red color.BC sediment dust.No haze.Floral mild hop toasted malty vanilla nutmeg front.Sweet dry rich toasted black cherry malty sweet dark fruit mild toffee body.Dry mild hot hop EtOH clean end.New Amped Brewer.

Hale's Ales, Limited--Wee Heavy Winter Ale--Limited Edition Release--Bottle Conditioned--2010 12 oz. Bottle. 7.20% ABV. 25 IBU's. (3.75 / 5.0) Winter Ale--Roasted. Thin light lace light tan head. Thin pour. Bottle Conditioned haze hint thin amber bronze color. Chocolate hint toasted light hop peat hint front. Mild dry sweet fully fermented thin textured roasted sweet Scottish malt hint mild fruit body. Crisp toasty roasty mild hop end. Sampled 10/15/2010 from 6-Pack purchased for $7.79 @ Fred Meyer--Ballard, Seattle on 10/15/2010.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 20:28:35 | More by philbertk

jdense

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle from John's Marketplace PDX poured into Delirium Tremens tulip 12.26.09.

Deep brown body. One finger tan head, quick dissipation with above average lacing. Nose is complex malts, but not too sweet. The taste is not as sweet as I would expect for the style, a bit of chocolate, some piney hops. Pretty active carbonated mouthfeel, but a little thin. Not the best drinkability,but it is a wee heavy after all. Not my favorite for this style, but a decent enough holiday brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 21:01:09 | More by jdense

beertunes

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into bubble pint glass. Poured very still, no head, no lacing, minimal carbonation. A deep mahogany color with a slight reddish tinge around the edge. A solidly sweet malt aroma without noticeable spices as would be expected for the style. The flavor follows the aroma closely, with a slight alcohol kick on the finish. Solid body as expected for the style. Nicely drinkable, I think it should have a little more going in the flavor department, but an average example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2009 12:41:48 | More by beertunes

Arbitrator

California

3.15/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass.

A: Deep ruby/burgundy color with orange highlights when held up to the light. Moderate head that disappears quickly. Active carbonation up the side of the glass. Light lacing throughout the drink.

S: Roasted malts (almost too much, reminding me of that bad Old No. 38 Stout I had recently), toast, with hints of toffee and hops. I don't detect any smokiness or peatiness. I don't see how it's a Wee Heavy. Points off for the wrong style.

T: Dates, figs, a little dark caramel, and a strong presence of grapefruit hoppy bitterness. Nice and balanced flavor, but again, not a Wee Heavy in the slightest. Definitely a good Winter Warmer though; some mild alcohol heat at the end of the swig.

M: Slightly on the thin side, but moderate carbonation.

D: The roasted malts in the smell really bother me, but I'm acknowledging that that's mainly my issue and trying not to take too many points off. I'm also amused that Hale's seems to have mislabeled the beer. It's not bad, but I doubt I'll see this out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2009 22:56:08 | More by Arbitrator

dabudah

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle from Cost Plus "Winter Brews" mix pack.

Appearance: Beautiful deep burgundy but a thin off-white head (did leave some lacing).

Smell: Strong dark malt aroma, slight caramel and toast with a burst of chocolate. No hops to speak of but some alcohol.

Taste: Malty sweet up front with a little alcohol and enough bitterness to strike a balance. Some spiciness as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Ample body for size with a little bit of warmth.

Drinkability: Very nice, wish I had more than one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2008 05:14:40 | More by dabudah

froghop

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

pours a dark copper with a small tan head, heavy carbonation, and some lacing.

smell is of toffee, butterscotch, malt.

taste is smooth and creamy, sweet malts, toffee, some roasted nuts in the back, few hops, and a spice or two.

overall a surprisingly good brew from hales, normally i feel their beer is drinkable but nothing that great, this one is well above their usual brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 17:35:42 | More by froghop

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A fairly pedestrian brew. I look for a good malt-forward, peaty, earthy and full bodied brew when i crack open a scotch ale, but this was a bit light in the mouthfeel, and more than a bit underwhelming. It was more of a spiced winterwarmer than anything, which is fine, but it was also pretty boring for a winter warmer as well. Not to mention the low abv. Both wee heavy's and winter warmers generally have higher abvs, this ones really on the low abv end.

Overall, I could skip this beer, and don't really recommend if there's other wee heavy or winter warmer options.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 21:12:12 | More by SurlyDuff

djeucalyptus

Oregon

3.63/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a dark raisin color, with glowing garnet and ruby at the edges. Darker and more mahogany in the glass than I was anticipating. A thin tan head quickly faded to a meager collar leaving a bit of sticky lacing.

aroma of caramel malts, sweet and sugary. there's a piney note hidden in there, and a bit more dark fruit, along the lines of figs and raisins. A touch of yeasty bread proverbially rounds it out, although definitely sweet.

Taste follows aroma fairly closely, with the sweetness dominating. Fairly simple roasted malt profile with some ample maple and honey sweetness. There's a strong hop bittering that comes through, giving a rough almost piny finish.

Carbonation is thin but heavy at the same time, pairing with that finishing bitterness to leave a lingering tingling on the tongue, not far from licking a pine tree. Prickly and sticky, vinous and lingering. Not my favorite.

On the whole not bad. A bit more middle of the road than other hales brews, this one doesn't blow me away. Pair that with the overly bitter notes for the style and a slightly offputting mouthfeel and this one just falls a bit short. Not by far, and i'm sure I'll drink a few more before the season passes, but it's just not quite what I'd hoped for. definitely good enough to give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 10:03:06 | More by djeucalyptus

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.13/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours dark gold to brown, almost iced tea color. Head is thin and does not retain for long.

Nose reminds me of herbs & iced tea, and those hard crusty cinnamon sticks that are sold to go with coffee (biscotti?)

Palate has brown sugar sweetness, alcohol, iced tea bag, some cinnamon, and finish has alcohol warmth.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2008 04:17:50 | More by yemenmocha

Jason

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wow, bottle conditioned. Very dark brown with a leaning to garnet, the clarity is fine. Lacing leaves a few rings on the glass. Heavy head of malt in the nose, smells of brown malt and a deep mix of toasted grain and faint caramel. Maltiness starts off bold but then a quick running of hop character comes through, at first your taste buds brace for bitterness but it lands small but balanced. Then a lingering of herbal minty flavor fades to let the malt take over. Slight sugary note, more brown sugar right in the middle of the toasted malt. Faint amount of alcohol shows up but comes off relatively clean, malty finish pulls towards semi-dry.

Solid, very solid. Easy to drink and a bit of a malt bomb, but balanced. Worth the hunt if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2008 05:26:56 | More by Jason

ccrida

Oregon

2.85/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic, Hale's Wee Heavy is a pitch dark garnett with a medium sized bone colored head with large bubbles that quickly subsides to thick skim, leaving heavy lace.

Smell is sweet and very fruity, grapes - is this a quad?? It's uncanny how much this smells like the 11% homebrew quad I just bottled last night! Not bad, but not really what I look for in a 6-7% wee heavy.

Taste is also heavy on the esters, malty, sweet caramel. I like 'em sweet, but this one's a bit to one dimesional. Other reviewers have cited 6.8% ABV, in which case I'd say it's fairly well hidden behind the sugar.

Mouthfeel is average, thick but not to heavy - just a wee bit heavy!

Drinkability is a bit low, this wee heavy is just to sugary, and the esters are inappropriate for the style IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2008 08:55:51 | More by ccrida