Wee Heavy-er? Well
that's a strange name now, isn't it? Beer geeks everywhere will most surely
be familiar with the style of brew named Wee Heavy. Wee Heavy is also
known as Scotch Ale in some quarters, though not to be confused with
Scottish Ale, which is not as big or heavy as Wee Heavy. Does that
straighten things out? I hope so.
Anyway, when I think of Scottish ales, I think of beers like Belhaven, with
a distinct caramel flavor and aroma, moderate alcohol content and superior
drinkability. Wee Heavys, then, are more of a sipping beer, best imbibed
after a rich meal or perhaps to chase the edge off of a cool fall evening.
Asheville, North Carolina's French broad brewery seems to have tried to
preserve some of the Scottish ale in their Wee Heavy, as you'll shortly see
below when I remark upon the interesting caramel flavors. Wee Heavy's got
their name from their elevated alcohol content, but don't assume that French
Broad's version is therefore meant to be heavy-er than your average Wee
Heavy, not even by a wee bit.
In truth, the Heavy-er portion of the moniker refers to the fact that the
beer began life under North Carolina's former alcohol laws, which restricted
all beer to a content of no more than 6% alcohol by volume. But after the
grassroots "Pop the Cap" movement managed to have the law changed, the beer
is now brewed to 7% by volume. See? It's Wee-Heavyer.
French Broad Wee Heavy-er pours to a muddy reddish color not all that
dissimilar to a handful of good old Georgia clay (you can find it in North
Carolina, too) with a decidedly sweet fruity apple nose and a very light
head formation. Taking a sip I'm very surprised at what I'm tasting, mostly
because this isn't a lot like any Wee Heavy Scotch Ale I've ever tasted.
This is something really different, a bit like a chewy malty fall seasonal,
with strong notes of treacle, sweet caramel, and fruity red apple, the
latter imparting a very pronounced caramel apple suggestion. I get a lot of
sugary, candyish notes here right on into the finish, which is balanced late
by a hint of bitter hops. Overall, though, this seems a very sweet beer
indeed.
Hedonistically, I like this one, though stylistically it does not get such
high marks. It's not as strong in alcohol as a wee heavy ought to be,
either, weighing in at 7%. Still, that's almost half again as strong as most
beers. I like French Broad beers, and though I think this one isn't exactly
my favorite, I would certainly buy it again.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.