RateBeer
Score
8784
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution

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RATINGS: 760   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.37   EST. CALORIES: 225   ABV: 7.5%
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.


2.1
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 3/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 8/20
gunnar (2279) - Sandnes, NORWAY - JAN 5, 2012
Bottle from Vinmonopolet, Valkendorfsgaten, Bergen. Pours cloudy deep golden with a tiny white head.Sweet malty aroma, raisins and red berries. Taste is initially very sweet caramel before the bitter burn of alcohol steals the show towards the end. Aftertaste has some spicy and herbal notes, but this is not a beer for me, too sweet and alcoholic.

3.1
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 11/20
Palme (1200) - Bergen, NORWAY - JAN 2, 2012
0.33l bottle. This is a clear golden-red beer with a small bubbly and lacing off-white head. Caramel-aroma with a mild fruitiness, candy and a bit of strange dishwasher salt. Soft carbonation and a mild oily mouthfeel. Some strange flavors on this one! Not sure if I like OR if it’s meant to taste like this. Extremely sweet in a not too sweet way? It’s piny and pungent with more of that dishwasher salt, herbal tones, some ripe red berries and a distinct alcohol tone all over. Not directly bad tasting, original and really different/strange.

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 13/20
larsga (4435) - Oslo, NORWAY - JAN 1, 2012
Smallish offwhite head. Clear amber body. Sugary caramelly herbal aroma with earthy minty notes. A bit musty. Dry-sweet raspberry and caramel taste with earthy strawy notes. Fullish body. Mild, soft mouthfeel. Dryish caramelly roast sugar aftertaste with dusty earthy raspberry notes. Really unusual combination of flavours (and what’s with the raspberry?), but nice, harmonic, and highly drinkable. (0.33l bottle, wine monopoly, Vika, Oslo.)

2.9
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
pushkinwow (739) - Ontario, CANADA - DEC 30, 2011
11.2oz bottle. Hazy amber with a light tan head that dissipates quickly. Malt, fresh pine forrest (not hoppy pine), strawberry/apple starburst, and caramel. Fresh, above average carbonation, mild, slightly sweet with a bit of tang towards the end, also becomes dry with some fruit, spice and a bit of alcohol bite as well. Interesting but wouldn’t want a full bottle.

2.6
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 4/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 10/20
esp0r (657) - NORWAY - DEC 30, 2011
Bottle from Vika enjoyed at home
Deep copper hazy, thin beige head. Smells of ripe fruits, malt and something i can’t descripe. Guess it is the scots pine and other strange ingredients in this beer. Body is medium malty and direct sweet. Too much for me. Also some strange spice/herbal things. Quite oily palate and a bitter finish. This pine is nothing at all like the hop flavors that i like to define as pine. And the beer was hard to finish, close to be a drain pour

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
MaartenRF10 (347) - Wageningen, NETHERLANDS - DEC 27, 2011
As suggested on the label I drank this at room temperature from a wine glass. Clear dark/warm amber with small head. Aroma is caramel, malts and pine. Taste is sweet caramel, some spices and pine. Aftertaste is somewhat dry and bitter. Nice interesting beer.

4.3
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
S_Side_Smitty (42) - Lakeland, Florida, USA - DEC 24, 2011
This beer pours a hazy light amber color with a thin head. Aroma is unusual for me. I know it’s the pine, but it comes across as a strawberry candy-like fragrance. I can get that fragrance a couple of times and it goes away. Taste is just as tricky. Sweet cotton candy that fades quickly to a malt background. Wow. Different. The sweetness seems to disappear after a few tastes, as well. This one plays with you. Really, really interesting and good - a must try!

3.9
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
Benjii (1686) - Edinburgh, SCOTLAND - DEC 11, 2011
Bottle from Meadows Wines. Pours an amber colour with a thin beige head. Aroma of corn, broken pine needles, quite woody with a lovely earthiness. Some caramel, alcohol and treacle coming through also. Flavour is delicious pine needles again, earthy without being too smoky. Alcohol is definitely present and leaves a warming glow in the finish. Moderate carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Very nice.


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: Heather Ales Alba Rating Avg: 3.37 No. of Ratings: 760
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