Real Heavy - Real Ale Review
A Scotch ale, or wee heavy, if you prefer, is a malt-forward beast fit for the highlands. It’s a style that reflects its people: hearty, amicable, and strong. Because a place that likes whisky so much likes their beers with some heft.
And Real Ale out of Blanco, Texas, is up for the job of creating their own Scotch ale: Real Heavy. But this is a beer style with history and standards, so even seeing an expert brewer like Real Ale take on the task gives us caution. Yet we’re pleased to see Real Ale uses English Crystal malt, English hops, and English house yeast for this beer.
You can’t create an English style without starting at the basics. And with a 9.3% ABV and 27 IBU, it can be easy to get lost along the way, creating a cloying and overly sweet beer. But we have confidence, and we have cheer, so let’s drink this beer.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--Deep, deep copper and topped with a thin beige head. Eye-catching for sure.
On the Nose--Malt rich and crisp. Toffee is prominent with a mouth-watering malt complexity and a mild floral note. We’re feeling good about this.
On the Palate--Real Heavy is so malty and so rich with a strong toffee backbone known to the style. The body is full and the mouthfeel smooth. The floral note from the aroma is more mossy and woody (almost like oak barrel, which is perfect for the Texas Hill Country) alluding to the peat character Real Ale said was present. This helps balance the sweetness through the dry and quite clean finish, with only a mild sweetness lingering.
Food Pairings: Real Ale suggests pairing Real Heavy with Shepherd’s pie, Haggis, and Stilton cheese, but anything rich, hearty, or grilled will do. I’m thinking a hefty roast beef sandwich sounds pretty darn good alongside this beer.
Final Thoughts:
Many great European styles lean so heavily into malt character that I’m often surprised how hop heavy American craft brewing is. And sadly, that often leads to some pretty poor attempts by American brewers to recreate malt-forward European classics. They need care and practice, and Real Ale has put their own care and practice into creating a great beer in Real Heavy.
It all starts with ingredients, as any brewer would agree, and going all English was the right choice by Real Ale. The difference can’t be denied. With such malty beer, the sweetness needs to be balanced, which is where floral, mossy, and woody English hops come in. And the English yeast adds its own character to the mix to make it a sweet and yet balanced sipper.
Wee, in wee heavy, comes from how the beer was originally served: a little at a time for all those complex flavors to come through. Trust me, you’ll feel a sudden urge to drink this wonderful beer down, but lean back and enjoy all the history and character. But if that doesn’t slow you down, the 9.3% ABV will. To all Texas drinkers or Texas visitors, give Real Heavy Scotch ale a try.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew
Try some other classics from Real Ale: Axis IPA and Hill Country Bock!