Scottish Heavy Ale

Scottish Heavy Ale is an English Ale beer style. Brewers Association category: Scottish-Style Heavy Ale. It typically presents as amber to dark brown.

Notes: These beers differ significantly from Scotch Ale, especially regarding original gravity, alcohol content, and malt attributes. While there are conflicting theories as to whether traditional Scottish Heavy Ale exhibited peat smoke character, the current marketplace offers many examples with peat smoke character present at low to medium-low levels. Peat smoke attributes may be absent or present at low to medium-low 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. Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.035-1.040 (8.8-10 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.010- 1.014 (2.6-3.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 2.8%-3.2% (3.5%-4.1%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 12-20 • Color SRM (EBC) 8-30 (16-60 EBC)

ABV: 3.5%-4.1%
IBU: 12-20
OG: 1.035-1.040
FG: 1.010-1.014

Alcohol & Bitterness

ABV:3.5%-4.1%

ABW:2.8%-3.2%

IBU:12-20

Perceived Bitterness:

Perceptible but low

Color & Appearance

Color:

Amber to dark brown

Clarity:

Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures

Gravity & Body

Original Gravity:1.035-1.040

Original Gravity °P:8.8-10

Final Gravity:1.010-1.014

Final Gravity °P:2.6-3.6

Body:

Medium with a soft chewy character

Flavor Profiles

Malt Profile:

Malty, caramel aroma is present. The style exhibits a medium degree of sweet malt and caramel. The overall impression is smooth and balanced.

Hop Profile:

Should not be present

Fermentation Character:

Yeast attributes such as diacetyl and sulfur are acceptable at very low levels. Bottled versions may contain higher amounts of carbon dioxide than is typical for lightly carbonated draft versions. Fruity esters, if present, are low.

2026 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association .

No beers have been reviewed in this style.