High gravity beers complexity + malty greatness

[Polyphaeon]

Can anyone explain why I've only been able to find a particular delicious malty sweetness in >7.5% beers? Examples that have it are: Royal IPA by Big Rock, Salty Scots (scotch ale) by Parellel 49 and Shiny Penny (IPA) by Townsite Brewery and a barely wine I have made. With the IPAs especially they almost smell malty. I can definitly taste the alchohol and it is not it alone that is responsible. I have a few hypothesis but I expect that there is a known reason behind it. I've not been able to get to it on the google so here goes.

Possible explinations?
1) Some interaction of the ethanol with other compounds and your taste buds?
2) Much more grain per liter of beer = more malt flavors per liter
3) Different alchohols present? Yeast stress flavours?
Thanks.

 

[Hermit]

They start out with more malt?

 

[Polyphaeon]

Yeah, that is my top choice hypothesis (#2). I suppose the test would be similar grain bill but make up the last few percent ABV with candi sugar or the like.

 

[ajdelange]

Certainly more malt is going to lead to more malt flavor but there is also a tendency to use more flavorful malts (crystals, caramels...) in these heftier beers.

 

[MikeInMKE]

Not to mention, brewer's yeast does not attenuate out to 100%.

If the yeast used attenuates to 80%, that'll leave %20 of the sugars unfermented. All things being equal except for the amount of malt, there'll be more sugar left unfermented in a high gravity brew than in a lower gravity one.