Scottish Ales: Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

Notes: Pleasant, low level oxidation is acceptable in Scotch Ales. Examples exhibiting more prevalent oxidation are categorized as Aged Beer. While there are conflicting theories as to whether traditional Scotch Ales exhibited peat smoke character, the current marketplace offers many examples with peat smoke character present at low to medium levels. Peat smoke attributes may be absent or present at low to medium levels. Versions exhibiting higher levels of smoke character are categorized as Smoke Beer. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on presence or absence of peat smoke-derived attributes.

  • ABV: 6.6%-8.5%
  • ABW: 5.2%-6.7%
  • IBU: 25-35
  • Color (SRM): 15-30
  • Color (EBC): 30-60
  • Original Gravity: 1.072-1.085
  • Original Gravity °P: 17.5-20.4
  • Final Gravity: 1.016-1.028
  • Final Gravity °P: 4.1-7.1

Style info provided entirely or in part by the Brewers Association 2021 beer style guidelines.

19 Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy Reviewed

Beer Brewery Rate Avg.
AleSmith Wee Heavy AleSmith Brewing Company 8.00
Backwoods Bastard Founders Brewing Company 9.22
Black Scotch Ale O'so Brewing Company 7.00
Dirty Bastard Founders Brewing Company 6.00
Highway 78 Scotch Ale Stone Brewing Company 9.06
Louie's Reserve Scotch Ale Lake Louie Brewing 8.00
Odell 90 Shilling Odell Brewing Company 8.40
Old Chub Oskar Blues Grill & Brew 8.22
Robert the Bruce Three Floyds Brewing Company 9.00
Scotch Ale Brau Brother Brewing Company 7.82
Scotty Karate Scotch Ale Dark Horse Brewing Co. 7.35
Shaggin' In The Wood Tyranena Brewing Company 8.94