Malt aroma & flavor
Scotch Ales are aggressively malty with a rich and dominant sweet malt aroma and flavor. A caramel character is often part of the profile. Dark roasted malt flavors may be present at low levels.
British Origin Ale Styles
Scotch Ale or Wee Heavy
Ale · Light reddish-brown to very dark
What to expect
Scotch Ales are aggressively malty with a rich and dominant sweet malt aroma and flavor.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
15–30
Pale / strawBlack
Light reddish-brown to very dark · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
6.6–8.5%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
25–35
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 6 · PDF page 15. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Not present to very low
Perceived bitterness
Not present to very low
Body & mouthfeel
Full
Clarity
Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures
Color
Light reddish-brown to very dark
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters, if present, are generally at low levels. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at low levels.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Pleasant, low-level oxidation is acceptable in Scotch Ales. Examples exhibiting more prevalent oxidation are categorized as Aged Beer. While there are conflicting theories as to whether traditional Scotch Ales exhibited peat smoke character, the current marketplace offers many examples with peat smoke character present at low to medium levels. Peat smoke attributes may be absent or present at low to medium levels. Versions exhibiting higher levels of smoke character are categorized as Smoke Beer. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on presence or absence of peat smoke-derived attributes.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.072-1.085 (17.5-20.4 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.016-1.028 (4.1-7.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 5.2%-6.7% (6.6%-8.5%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 25-35 • Color SRM (EBC) 15-30 (30-60 EBC)