RateBeer
Score
8689
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 849   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.37   EST. CALORIES: 225   ABV: 7.5%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Bottled. A cask version at 6% is produced in March and April.
"Scots Pine Ale"
Introduced by the Vikings, spruce and pine ales were very popular in the Scottish Highlands until the end of the 19th century. Many early explorers, including Captain Cook, used spruce ale during long sea voyages since it prevented scurvy and ill health. Shetland spruce ale was said to "stimulate animal instincts" and give you twins. Alba is a triple style ale brewed to a traditional Highland recipe from Scots pine and spruce shoots pickled during early spring.Pure malted barley, is boiled with the young sprigs of pine for several hours then the fresh shoots of the spruce are added for a short infusion before fermentation.
A tawny brown strong ale with spruce aroma, rich malt texture, complex wood flavour and lingering finish.
Best drunk at room temperature from a wine goblet as an after dinner digestive.


Odin's rating

3.6
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 14/20
Odin (123) - Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA - JUN 14, 2002
Wasn’t expecting much from this and was pleasantly surprised with the sprucey taste. The aftertaste reminded me of Tootsie Rolls. Not an every day ale, but very good for a change.


most recent ratings

3.2
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
Archibaldo de la Cruz (1068) - FINLAND - MAY 19, 2013
Bottle. Hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Malty aroma with notes of toffee and pine. Sweet malty flavor with caramel, pine, grass and some fruitiness. Sweet aftertaste, medium to full body. Too sweet.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 16/20
Ret12 (377) - Maryland, USA - MAY 17, 2013
I really enjoyed this beer, it was something very different with a spicy pine flavor and a viscous mouth feel. Very good and very warming.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
laiti (3930) - Tampere, FINLAND - MAY 17, 2013
33 cl bottle @ home, BBE 06/2013
Beer started to come out of the bottle spontaneously. Aroma is sweetish with resin, fruity notes and caramel. Flavour has caramel, pine needles and toffee. Also slight woody and sherry notes. Quite intensive, but works with small sips. Nice, no off‐flavours even though the BBE was close.

2.5
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 9/20
olio (4082) - Tampere, FINLAND - MAY 17, 2013
33 cl bottle.
Pours copper-golden color with a small head. Aroma of herbs, some perfume, pine and malts. Quite weird aroma. Flavor of wood, some wet hay, earth and herbs. Slick palate. Weird and not very pleasant.
2323

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
lusikka (4046) - Tampere, FINLAND - MAY 17, 2013
330 ml bottle.
Pours a amber golden colour with a small head. Aroma of heavy sweet caramel, grass and some sherry-like notes. Flavour of sweet caramel, tart lingonberries, herbal, sherry, grass, wood and some bitterness. Medium bodied, slick mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Finishes sweet, berryish and sherryish. Rather heavy and sweet stuff, yet elegant.

3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
drowland (4994) - Jacksonville, Florida, USA - MAY 14, 2013
5/14/13. 12oz-ish bottle. Hazy amber pour, yeast particulates, small khaki head. Sweet aroma with pine and a bit of lemon sourness. Sweet caramel flavor, oxidation, and pine in the flavor, again with some sourness. My bottle was kind of old, but meh.

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
OKplus (379) - Oklahoma, USA - MAY 13, 2013
Poured into a tulip glass. A - Pours a clear copper with a touch of haze. Off-white soft creamy head creates a dense collar. S - Ripe cantaloupe, honey dew, sweet wood, floral alcohol, tart currents. T - Complex fruity yeast, sweet malt with some alcohol twang. The spruce is soft and not overpowering. Orange blossom honey and vanilla. Strawberries come out at the end M - Medium creamy body, Very fruity not what I expected. Everything worked together and the complexity assures you’ll taste new things everytime you drink this. Serving type: bottle 09-04-2011

4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Gurthnar (606) - Bratislava, SLOVAK REPUBLIC - APR 30, 2013
Bottle from Brewdog Slovensko. Aroma is honey, malty, pine, notes of wood and very light alcohol. Colour is deep amber with a spark, head is small and quickly disappearing. The body is surprisingly full, the texture creamy in the mouth. Taste is full of forest flavours, honey, grass, pine, flowery and herbal. Later some fruitiness also comes forward. Is it sweet or bitter or tart or sour or has it got a pinch of salt? Really hard to tell, this beer has it all - combined in a very elegant way. It drinks very well and if aroma suggested some alcohol, taste blows it away with flavours. Finish is rather dry. This is one very good beer, I will gladly return to it in the future. As it warms, it gets more sweet in a way that annoys me, I would ignore the recommendation to drink it at room temperature.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Lilja (952) - Malmö, SWEDEN - APR 12, 2013
Smak och doft av tall, granskott, grönsåpa, malt, humle. Friskt och väldigt speciellt öl. Trevlig beska.

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Yoggyvertigo (14) - - APR 2, 2013
Необычн& пиво с ярко выражен& оттенка& хвои. ////////////////////////////// ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone


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