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Heather Ales Alba

Percentile
81
overall
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale

Alloa, Central, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
6223.39/5.03.38/5.07.5%75.1Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 doubleo (1104), San Diego, California, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/513/20
May 22, 2008  
330ml bottle. Pours burnt orange, very little white head, some lace. Smells sweet and sugary with a touch of piney-ness. Tastes malty , and then very sweet, pine and other vegetation type sweetness. Tastes good but the sweetness is a little bit much for me. Definitely an apertif. Medium body, good carbonation.


 Drink4Satan (585), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/515/20
May 20, 2008  
Pours a blush gold colour with a frothy beige head that fades to a thin film and leaves no lacing. The nose is ripe with notes of berries, toffee and wood. The flavour is similar but with notes of pine (or spruce, whatever) and corn-syrup sweetness. The finish is sweet and has a metallic quality that is barley noticable. The brewski lacks balance and complexity, but is drinkable and tasty nonetheless. The palate is slick and soft with long finish.


 emerica56 (579), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/102/56/103/516/20
May 20, 2008  
Pours a cloudy amber color with a redish tint and an off white head that fades pretty quick. The nose has a nice pine and floral hop aroma with a hint of berry. The initial flavor is nice and sweet with the pine hops and the tart berries and that roasted barley. It has a nice fruity and earbal taste mixed with an increased alcohol content that makes it an enjoyable beer. The finish is not that watery it is full bodied.


cavman (2), Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Heather Ales Alba  does not count
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/515/20
May 11, 2008  
Dark amber/red with minimal head, very little head with zero retention. Aroma had a nice malt and sweet mix, lightly floral. The taste was rather complex and not what I was expecting, the pine flavor is much more subtle than with certain hops. The malt flavors are quite dominant, but the floral/pine flavors linger nicely and theeir is a slight alchohol warming. Nice full body that leaves this is an enjoyable beer.


soulgrowl (52), Kitakyushu-shi, Japan
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/516/20
May 7, 2008  
Aroma: Rich and buttery, almost like buttered popcorn, with a strong, multi-faceted pine character: pine needles, pine cones, and pine nuts. Caramel malt provides a sweet backbone. Appearance: Lovely fox red. Greyish head comes and goes in the blink of an eye. Flavor: Very buttery at first, then very piney. An interesting, earthy spiciness. A bit on the floral side and perfumey, as well. Quite a distinctive ale. Palate: Smooth, clean, relatively light and unobtrusive. Overall: Now this is a Scotch ale! Very drinkable and enjoyable. Would be great around the holidays.


 MaltDawg (778), Richmond, Virginia, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/516/20
May 4, 2008  
12 oz bottle. Clear dark reddish/orange with small off-white head that didn’t persist. Sweet caramel malt aroma with pine, cedar, and floral overtones. Caramel malt sweetness with cherry, raisin yeilds to a slightly bitter piney finish. Very sweet full in the mouth with a touch of alchohol warming. Yep I liked this one, very malty with lots of complex stuff going on.


 ILoveNewBeer (113), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Apr 30, 2008  
Reddish brown in color. Mid to heavy bodied . Full flavored and delicious. Tastes like a triple style ale. I’m very happy with this sampler.


 VitaminR (426), Colorado, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/104/514/20
Apr 29, 2008  
Sweet caramel butterscotch nose, with huge floral notes. Hazy deep amber, with a small, but thick head. Reduced honey sweetness, the pine and spruce shoots gives it a very floral bitterness. Thick body, nice long finish. Not an everyday choice, but it is a unique and tasty beer.



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