Heather Ales Alba

I wanted to really like this beer, but it was sort of rough. An aroma which was a combination of of a burnt log and wet leather - not in a bad way, but interesting. The pour was light brown and hazy. The taste had a strange bite to it. Alba Scots Pine did have a distinct pine/spruce flavor to it - somewhat stronger than the pine-needle tea I used to make for my survival class. The flavor was there, but that doesn’t mean tasty or palatable. I was looking forward to this traditional beer and came away somewhat disapointed.

Had this beer sitting in the fridge for a while. Part of the Historic Ales gift set from last Christmas I received. Not sure why this one sat there for the longest time but finally got around to trying it. Nice dark amber with a small head and minimal lacing, sweet honey scent and spicy flavour. Felt like Christmas in April.

330 ml bottle. Pours a ruby amber color with a quickly fading head. Aroma was sweet with honey dominating the aroma and reminding me of a mead with slight alcohol as well. Pine and spruce aromas were very faint. Mouthfeel was sticky with minimal carbonation but very pleasant. Flavor was of honey, wood and earth notes. This is an interesting beer and if it was good enough for Vikings then it’s good enough for this Viking fan.

my kind of beer. i like it cold. just as they describe. wood and pine. medium body and a little slick. any weather beer. did’nt notice the alcohol.

In the 330 mL bottle from Cyclone Liquors. Pours a lovely reddish dark orange color with a thin white head. Outstanding aroma of a berry fruit dressing. Fantastic flavor that is malty and sweet. I get little pine or spruce from this, but it sure is delicious.

Appearance: toffee color. Medium head, of beige color, consistent and persistent. Good adherence to glass. Aroma: sweet malty, candy, toffee, truffle, honey and vanilla. Fruitiness of peaches; intensive in pine, eucalyptus and herby. Liquory. Without perceptible hoppy. I would not say complex, I would say “complete and exotic”. Flavor: candy malty, yeasty, soft toasty, toffee, milk candy, vanilla and propolis. Few fruitiness, peaches mainly. Very intensive in pine (obviously); too herby, eucalyptus and “avocado-honey” (in Chile: “palto-miel”, a natural medicine for cough) touches. Liquory, with reminiscences of Baileys (whisky cream). Sweet start, with progress to a warm and fresh pine final. Low dryness. Palate: medium body, oily texture. Low carbonation. Exotic, nice and complete beer, “own identity”, only a few excessive yeasty.

Pours a slightly opaque gold-brown with a small ring of foam but not much of a head. Pleasant pine flavour blends well with the hops and simply makes it seem more fruity. It has a caramel taste that reminds me of a Quadroupel, and a moderate fruity taste to it as well. Thin but smooth, creamy body.

Bottle. Last beer in the Historic Ales of Scotland set. I had put this beer off til last figuring I wouldn’t like it at all. Come on, brewed with pine and spruce, I was expecting it to taste like gin. I was wrong. The beer poured a murky amber in color, with a tan head. The aroma was a bit grainy/woody, but also a bit sweet/fruity?. The flavor was a mellow grainy, yet smoothly sweet mix with a touch of bite. Rather enjoyed this for something different.