Strong ale is a type of ale, usually above 5% abv and often higher, between 7 and 11% abv, which spans a number of beer styles, including old ale, barley wine, and Burton ale. [1] [2] [3] [4] Strong ales are brewed throughout Europe and beyond, including in England, Belgium, and the United States. [5] [6]
Scotch ale was first used as a designation for strong ales exported from Edinburgh in the 18th century. [7] [8] Scotch ale is sometimes termed "wee heavy". [9] [10] A recipe for an unhopped Scotch ale can be found in the 17th-century cookery book The Closet Opened . [11]
The strong ale described in John Mortimer's The whole Art of Husbandry (1708) was made from a ratio of eleven bushels of malt to a hogshead. [12]