Comparison
Old ale vs Wee heavy
What is the difference between Old ale and Wee heavy?
The short answer
The main difference is bread & biscuit: Wee heavy has far more of it than Old ale. Old ale also leads on acidity and funk; Wee heavy on sweetness.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, body, alcohol warmth, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Old ale | Wee heavy | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Strong ale | Strong ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 5.5–9% ABV | 6.5–10% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 30–60 IBU | 17–35 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Amber to dark brown — 10–22 SRM, 20–43 EBC | Copper to very dark brown — 14–25 SRM, 28–49 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.055–1.088 | 1.070–1.130 |
| Final gravity | 1.015–1.022 | 1.018–1.030 |
| Serving temperature | 11–14°C | 10–14°C |
| Carbonation | 1–2 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Tulip glass, Snifter | Snifter, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | Old ale | Wee heavy |
|---|---|---|
| Bread & biscuit | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Acidity | None–Low | Not characteristic |
| Funk | None–Low | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | Moderate | High |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Malt intensity | High | Very high |
| Hop aroma | Not characteristic | None–Trace |
Which should you choose?
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.