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Heather Ales Alba

Heather Ales Alba  - Traditional Ale

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 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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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
6183.38/5.03.38/5.07.5%75.4Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
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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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
njbuddha (2), Pitman, New Jersey, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Heather Ales Alba  does not count
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/518/20
Jan 4, 2007  
Strong ale with a good mouth feel and texture. Hints of pine and spruce for an interesting flavour without being overpowering. Good ale with hearty meals or on a long cold night.


 Poperinge (359), Cowtown, Alberta, Canada
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/104/515/20
Dec 31, 2006    Updated: Jan 7, 2007
And us North Americans drink IPAs to get spruce and pine flavours. 494 Classic Brews to go. Out of one of those historic Scottish sample packs.


 johninmelb (688), Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/514/20
Dec 24, 2006  
Nose is zesty and toasty (obviously with some pine). Pours cloudy amber with a head that forms into yeasty clumps. Flavour is pretty good for a herbal, with an upfront grassiness that develops into citrus, sweet berry, and a medium bitter long finish. There is a little bit of sourness underpinning, and generally speaking it is complex, balanced and well-realised.


 VeloVampire (483), Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/514/20
Dec 17, 2006    Updated: Dec 19, 2006
330 ml bottle - pours somewhere between orange and brown with virtually no head save for a few bubbles. Aroma of pine, sweet malty goodness, and some peat, as well as a weird fake fruitiness, almost like strawberry gum. Flavour the same as above, though more floral at the front of the palate, and bitter near the middle, and damn if that isn’t a raspberry coulis in the finish, i don’t know what is....I hope this beer does not give me twins, or any children for that matter. Damn myths!


 thornecb (1736), Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Dec 16, 2006  
Pours bright amber into a shaker. Off-white medium head with very good retention. Alchohol and spruce aromas. Smooth with sweet honey and caramel. Lasting alcohol sting.


 KingpinIPA (842), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/58/104/516/20
Dec 15, 2006  
Cloudy amber with partials floating around. Smell of grass, pine, hops, malt, wood, sugar, syrup, citrus and herbs/spices. It’s like walking into a forest for a brief second and also it smells like a pine air freshener that is hanging from a taxi cab mirror. Taste of pine oil, malt, hops, sugar, grass, citrus, hints of chocolate and licorice. Bitterness and a little alcohol taste at the end. Very different beer.


 shintriad (698), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/514/20
Dec 8, 2006  
Very interesting. Bewitching reddish-orange colour with a thin, almost headless body. The scent of malt and wet paper is betrayed by the honeyish sweetness and nuttiness. I love that they’re trying something different, but it doesn’t truly assert itself. Perhaps my ’buds are ruined by NW IPAs, but I don’t quite taste the pine. Still, the smooth texture and the eventually balancing alcohol bite make it better than average.


 xav33 (313), Midland, MI, Michigan, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/103/518/20
Dec 7, 2006  
Heather Ale Alba Scots Pine Ale 12 oz bottle Medium pour in an English Pint Best before 02/08, prickled 11/06 Poured a clear orange red with a large slightly off white foamy head with a tiny ring of lacing. Smelt of moderate spruce and sweet fruit, similar to oranges, and cake. Taste was upfront moderate bittersweet pinetree and sweet pineapple and oranges followed by a strong bitter spruce taste with light sweetness on an average finish. Palate was medium bodied, creamy, oily to slightly dry, with light astringency. Overall, it’s like drinking watered down sweet spruce sap with a little malt kick. Genius. Its like a refreshing winter walk through a coniferous evergreen tree forest.



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