Sunday Night Suds - Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

After a week's hiatus, Kosher Beers returns with a review of Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

[Due to many issues which arose over the past week including what I will call "the Esther Project" as well as an incredible family simcha in Baltimore, I was unable to post to the blog after Sunday of last week. I can't blame my inability to post yesterday's beer review on anyone, but we can just chalk it up to my following the old adage, never blog while inebriated].

I picked this beer up in a Total Wine superstore in the Towson area. Those who live in New York are terribly deprived because there is no Total Wine outlet in this state. Having visited three Total Wne outlets over the last six weeks, I can attest that there is no store which is in any way comparable. They have aisles upon aisles of beer (at least eight in each of the stores that I visited) and they have two long aisles which are dedicated to just single bottle purchases. The upcharge on buying single bottles is a bit high (as much as 40%!) but the selection is unparalleled and the prices on six or twelve packs is competitive.

The Big Eddy line is a recent addition to the Leinenkugel family of beers and represents an initial foray into the "big beer" market. The Wee Heavy Scotch Ale is sold in four packs at prices starting at $10 per pack of 12 oz bottles. The beer has a 9.5% abv, which underscores the attempt to move beyond macrolike brews.

The Leinenkugel Wee Heavy Scotch Ale is the second kosher certified Scotch Ale which I have come across. The only other kosher Scotch Ale I saw was produced by Saranac in 2008 as a limited edition (it was the subject of the very first Sunday Night Suds review - http://kosherbeers.blogspot.com/2008/02/sunday-night-suds-saranac-scotch-ale.html). Although Samuel Adams has produced a Scotch Ale, it was never approved as kosher by the Star-K.

The Wee Heavy Scotch Ale poured a dark coffee brown with a little bit of amber foam. Before I had my first sip, I smelled the sweetness of the brew, but this is not a product of any additives or flavorings. Instead, the beer's sweet/toffee flavor is a product of the basic four ingredients and an extra long boil in the brew kettle. 

This beer is not for pairings with a meal as it is more in the line of a barleywine - something to be sipped after a meal.

Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, but like most Leinenkugel brews, it does not have an OU on the label. If you would like a copy of the LOC please contact me via email. 

To see what the experts on Beer Advocate think about Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, please follow this link http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/710/78261. 

As always, please remember to drink responsibly and to never waste good beer unless there is no designated driver.

If you've tried this beer or any others which have been reviewed on the kosher beers site, please feel free to post your comments (anonymous comments are acceptable). 

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