Kees Bubberman’s interpretation of the Scotch ale (’wee heavy’) style, with a modern craft beer twist in the form of Motueka hops, along with the very classic English Fuggle’s and East Kent Goldings. Medium thick, pale greyish white, lightly lacing head leaving a thick, moussy rim around the glass and a few thin patches in the middle, over an immediately misty, translucent mahogany brown beer with burgundy-reddish hue. Aroma of caramel candy, beef stock and even slight gravy, moldy walnut shells, stewed plums, overripe pear, brown rum, old cocoa powder, white pepper, oude ’jenever’, light cloves, moldy orange peel, dried mushrooms, warm toasted bread, blueberries, old and stale lime juice somewhere (this must be the Motueka), artisanal honey, butterscotch candy, dried ginger, baked banana, vague cinnamon, dry hay, sugared tea, fried egg, some very faint FFF. Soft, fruity, estery onset, lots of (dry) banana, pear, ripe blue plum and medlar sweetness with a sourish, blueberry-like edge and a thin rim of beefy and slightly porcini-like umami; carbonation is medium and fit for the style, mouthfeel is notably fluffy and rounded, filling and smooth. Thick malt sweet middle, deeply toffeeish at first with a nutty background, quickly acquiring a bittering toasted character, but the caramelly sweetness - intertwined with the banana and other fruit sweetness - still persists. Some clove-like, perhaps slightly too strong but still ’natural’ (and not medicinal or chemical) phenols in the end, as well as a light bready yeastiness and a quite powerful, herbal and peppery hop bitterness, a tad wormwood-like, matching well with the toasted malt bitterness. Unsurprisingly, a very notable alcohol presence plays an important part in the finish, heating the throat a bit and balancing on the brink of astringency, with a jenever- or rum-like quality to it. Starts sweet, ends bitter, fills the mouth and warms the chest: this delivers what can be expected from a wee heavy, that is certain. The bitterness is a tightly knit ’clew’ of toasted malts, hops and alcohol, with the latter being a bit too prevalent to my personal taste; I’m not sure of the purpose of Motueka hops in this beer style either, as - at least here - they are drowned in a somewhat ignominious way in a deep and thick malt structure, almost crying for help by uttering echoes of old, moldy citrus peel and stale citrus juice. Admittedly they do add a certain individuality, but I had beers in which they made a more glamorous appearance, let’s say. Interesting beer, pleasant winter warmer and credible as a Scotch - a style which has silently influenced a lot of the heavier, dark Belgian ales, hence, I suppose, the many references to the traditional Belgian style in older ratings here - but not Kees’ best effort so far.

Shared 33cl bottle. Pours dark brown with a messy beige head. Aroma of malt and wood. Taste is malt, oak, peat notes, caramel, rust. Decent.

33 cl. bottle @ home, bought @ Slijterij, Borger. Hazy dark brown with a beige head. Malty caramel aroma with quite some hops. Also some roastiness. Sweet taste with some underlying alcohol warmth. Very well rounded and balanced.

Bottle 330ml. [ As Kees Wee Heavy Scotch Ale ].Clear dark brown color with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, dark malt, bread, wood - smoked notes. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, alcohol, sweet malt, candy, caramel, dark malt. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20161018]

Bottle @ Johns. Pours very dark brown with a creamy light brown head, light lacings. Aroma of malt, caramel, little bread, smoked meat, grassy hops. Flavor is sweet, malty, caramel, smoked meat, light fruity hops. Medium body, light oily mouthfeel, soft carbonation, sweet finish. 181016

Bottle, 9.5%. Hazy dark brown with medium beige head. Aroma is malt, caramel, dark fruit, smoke and wood. Flavour is malt, caramel, toasted, chocolate, dark fruit, medium sweet, smoke and a little bitter.

Bottle @ Aarhus tasting, my place. Nice head with good duration. Color is dark brown. Aroma and taste are caramel, fruits, malt, wood, yeast and hops. Sweet finish.

Bottle @ Aarhus tasting. Hazy dark brown with a light brown head. Aroma is sweet, malty, roasted malt, caramel, dried fruit and smoked. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet and moderate bitter finish with warming alcohol. Oily. 181016

Sweet, herbal, quite powerful flavors. Nice, somewhat christmassy. Go Kees!

Tasting at Matt’s
The color is almost black. Some roasted and nutty aroma, and flavor, moderate sweetness, too much caramel in it; there is light malt acidity; correct bitterness.
To me, this is like a powerful Amber Ale cross-bred with an English Ale. Good beer, but I’m not impressed.