Double IPAs, imperial red ales, New England–style IPAs—hoppy beers are certainly in fashion. I love hops-forward beers, but sometimes I want the malt to take center stage. It takes a big beer to balance those scales and a Scottish wee heavy offers the perfect example of malt writ large, where hops play a highly restrained role.
You might have heard the story of the Scottish brewery that still has the original hops cone from their earliest days, and they ceremonially wave it over each batch they brew. The style may demonstrate some frugality when it comes to IBUs, but it calls for a free hand with the malt. The best examples are celebrations of malt complexity. Caramel and toffee are just the start; toasted, nutty flavors and a bit of roast or chocolate malt should expand on that foundation.
I developed this recipe over several years, building up the malt character. I was aiming for a big rich beer, but I wanted to avoid slipping into cloying sweetness. What I settled on is nowhere near as syrupy as the style allows, but it doesn’t compromise on body. I start with pale ale malt, along with some Crystal 80, but the complexity comes from adding melanoidin malt, some home-toasted pale ale malt, and a bit of chocolate malt. I also intentionally drop the hops level a bit from the BJCP style guidelines.