Some of the most flavorful and misunderstood beers come from Scotland. Wee Heavy and Shilling Ales once dominated pubs and tap lists, but have lost favor for more hop-forward styles. However, these beers, and their history, are worth a closer look.

From his Make Your Best style series, try this recipe for Josh Weikert's Headsplitter—a richly malted strong Scotch ale, a.k.a. wee heavy (hold the peat).

Forget what you think you know about Scottish “wee heavy.” Courtesy of founder Gareth Young, this is Glasgow-based Epochal’s historically rooted take on a strong stock ale: huge, heavily hopped, and matured for months with hops and Brettanomyces.

Sometimes known as “kettle caramelization,” the Maillard richness of a boil reduction can add deeper malt flavor to any beer you brew—even if it’s not Scottish.

A rich and malty, brown elixir that spawned Kettlehouse Brewing's best seller Cold Smoke® Scotch Ale

Overlooked and misunderstood, the ale a French scientist once called “the strongest and best beer made in Great Britain” deserves a closer look.

Aroma: “Notes of peat smoke, chocolate, bourbon, plum pudding, vanilla, and spice. There are faint tart notes, hints of grape and caramel, and definite soy sauce as it warms.” Flavor: “Bourbon liqueur–filled chocolate. Lots of malt sweetness. Some nice dark-fruit notes like cherries and a bit of plum. The oak gives some earthiness, and this finishes with a nice warming sensation.” Overall: “Sweet, potent, and smooth. Like drinking a bourbon liqueur–filled chocolate.”

Aroma: “Esters are up front with grape, some stewed apple, light pear, and red berry. Caramel malt with some toast in the background. A bit of herbal hops and maybe a hint of citrus. Cola, burnt sugar, caramel, woody hops, mushrooms, and alcohol.” Flavor: “Red berry, grape, and cola. Caramel and toast. It’s a big blend of crystal malt and West Coast hops. Body and sweetness are about right for style, but the West Coast hops highlight the caramel malt in a somewhat unique way. Creamy and effervescent with moderate bitterness and a dry finish.” Overall: “This beer shows its strength but remains fairly balanced. It doesn’t fit the style definition, but the tweaks work to create a unique character. This is a crossover between an Imperial Red and a Wee Heavy. Fun idea, and one that gets rid of the harshness so common in big American reds.”

Aroma: “Peat smoke phenols, tobacco, alcohol, like a good Islay scotch whiskey with caramel, burnt sugar, and chocolate.” Flavor: “Oak and wood is strong through the flavor. The bourbon sits in the back. Some smoke. Dark fruits—dried cherries, figs, plums. Light in the body for a wee heavy, but stilll captures the expected malt flavors. Some burnt sugar and caramel malt, with a distinctive dry woodsy finish.” Overall: “Definitely dials up the smoke character for the style, but it’s not overwhelming and adds a distinctive character that pairs well with the rest of the beer. Like brilliant Scotch Whisky.”

Aroma: “Honey-glazed crystal malt, chocolate, lots of caramel, some soy sauce, dried cherry and fig, cardboard oxidation, stewed plums, and bourbon. Enticing and inviting.” Flavor: “Chocolate, soy sauce, stewed plums, bourbon, full-bodied sweetness, with some hints of cherry add sweet complexity in the flavor. Very malt forward, and the oak complements the flavors. A strong warming through the finish, which adds to this beer.” Overall: “A sweet version of a wee heavy with assertive bourbon notes and appropriate malt depth. Good caramel, a bit of chocolate with some toast, and slight dark fruits followed with some oak in the back. It’s sweet yet not cloying, and the oxidation notes really complement the beer, adding richness.”

Aroma: “Smells like a great dessert bread. Honey mead, grapes, burnt sugar, crème brûlée, and flowers—very intriguing.” Flavor: “Grapes! Root Beer! Cherry Jolly Ranchers! There is a lot going on in this beer. Malt forward and sweet but not too sweet. Sweet notes of caramel, toast, and honey. Fruit notes of prunes and plums add complexity and sweetness. Some burnt sugar. A bit of oak. Enjoyed the carbonation, and there is a dryness that helps to cut some of the sweetness.” Overall: “Buy this beer—refreshingly interesting and sublimely crafted. The barrel character is unexpected yet extraordinarily complementary to the beer. It’s a potent, smooth. velvet hammer.”

Aroma: “Soy sauce, bourbon, cherries, stewed dark fruits, and cardboard oxidation. Plus, raisins, figs, and plums make this a very nice combination of malt and esters.” Flavor: “Soy sauce, bourbon, chocolate, alcohol, oak, raisin, and dark fruit are all apparent in this full-bodied beer dominated by sweetness and cut by copious amounts of ethanol. The caramel and bourbon character work well together and the oak gives some earthiness and is present throughout the flavor and into the finish.” Overall: “A really good wee heavy—rich, complex, sweet but not overly cloying. The barrel character adds some great complexity, but is maybe a bit over the top. If you like boozy barrel- aged beers, you’ll love this.”

“Maple vanilla syrup on French toast on the nose, followed by a taste of deep syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and burnt dark malts that linger into the finish. As it warms, a hint of ginger and more burnt flavors help balance the sweetness.”

“Initial fruity esters (pear, apple) with toasted caramel malt, low toffee. Deep toffee malt aroma almost hints at bread pudding with roasted apples. Medium alcohol warmth and a pleasant carbonic bite. Good mouthfeel helps offset the alcohol level.”

“Heavy rich toffee, caramel, brown-sugar malt, faint roast malt, prune and raisin, hint of tobacco. Sweet malty flavor consisting of red apple, toffee, and tobacco. Dark-fruit acidity keeps this from being cloying.”

“Big red-apple and toffee aroma with notes of oak. Pastry malt and caramel flavors. Medium spicy alcohol, dates, figs. Low banana and pear esters. Rich toffee and caramel malt.”

This extract-based wee heavy recipe offers the chance to try boiling down some wort in the kettle to develop caramelization and deeper malt flavor.

is a traditional, top-fermented beer that is brewed to greatly varying strengths. Sometimes the term “Scotch ale” is reserved just for t...

Strong Scotch Ale has some kettle caramelization notes, low hopping levels, some restrained esters, and a rich malty background to balance its high ABV. It’s also a sweet beer, but not too sweet. It’s a tough mark to hit, but you can do it. Here’s how.

The Scottish 70-Shillings are similar to the 60s, but with a more pronounced malt presence