As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to turn towards “the dark side” — with beer, of course! There are plenty of dark beers to choose from, and a lot of them are offered year round. When there’s a chill in the air, the dark, rich and higher-alcohol styles offer a pleasing warmth from the inside. One particular style that comes to mind is the Wee Heavy.
Wee Heavy, also known as Scotch Ale, sounds like a contradiction. Is it a little heavy? It’s actually the strongest of the four Scottish Ale sub-styles — Light, Heavy, Export and Wee Heavy. A beer style originating in Scotland, it’s not a hop-centric beer at all. Scotland’s climate isn’t favorable for hop production, and importing hops was expensive. This beer is malt-driven instead and one to sip slowly and savor all the dark caramel flavors — the perfect complement to a chilly evening.
The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Durham brews their Chemistree Wee Heavy this time of the year. To really drive the holiday spirit with the beer, they’ve added a beautiful blend of various spices throughout the brewing process. The result is a restrained, but beautifully balanced, aroma and flavor of Christmas spice that blends fantastically with the existing flavors. To up the flavor ante even more, the brewery has put some aside in a Maker’s Mark Private Reserve barrel. This should offer wonderful additional flavors of caramel, toffee and brown sugar from the whiskey. It will debut in December.
Glass Jug Beer Lab is an on-site brewery, bottle shop, taproom and outdoor beer garden located at 5410 NC-55 suite V in Durham. There is also their new taproom at Durham Central Park, featuring an exclusive selection of their beer on draft and to-go in cans and crowlers.
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