Buckeye Lake Wee Heavy Ale (8/10)

Buckeye Lake Brewery is, unsurprisingly, located in Buckeye Lake, Ohio.  They produce a wide range of beers in a variety of styles.  In this review, we'll look at their Wee Heavy ale.

The BJCP Guidelines call the Wee Heavy Ale a Strong Scotch Ale.  The style originated in Scotland.  The guidelines say a wee heavy should be deeply malty with caramel often apparent.  There may be peaty, earthy, or smoky aromas as well.  Hops are very low to not present in the aroma.  The flavor should be richly malty with caramelization often present.  Roasted malt or barley may also be there, along with nutty characteristics.  Hops flavors and bitterness should be low to medium-low, so that the malt can dominate.

Buckeye Lake's Wee Heavy pours a dark, clear mahogany with an off-white head.

The aroma is malty and toasty.

The flavor follows the aroma.  It starts with a burst of roasted malt, followed by a mild sweetness.  The finish is a touch bitter, but not out of line with the style.  It's one of the better examples of the wee heavy style I've tasted, and Buckeye Lake should be proud of it.

There's nothing on Beer Advocate or Rate Beer for this one, so you'll have to take my word for it.  This is a very good beer, and well worth trying if you like the malty styles as I do.  I'm rating it a solid 8 out of 10.

I was able to try this beer in 2014 at The Daily Growler in Upper Arlington.  You'll want to check Buckeye Lake's Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as BeerMenus.com, if you're looking to try it.  Better yet, you could visit the brewery and try it right from the source.