RateBeer
Sign Up or Login : Advanced Search
Score
8784
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag | edit barcodes |
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.

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
bitbucket (2072) - Kirkland, Washington, USA - DEC 7, 2007
Bottle, pours hazy dark copper with a thin off-white head that quickly becomes a ring of foam. Sweet caramel aroma with berries, pine, earth. Medium body, a bit chewy, with light carbonation. The berries show up in the brown sugar-sweet taste, along with more pine. Dry woody and vaguely smoky exit. Interesting, and surprisingly tasty!

3.7
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
wilderthanyou (587) - Guelph, CANADA - DEC 4, 2007
Pours a dark hazy orange with a short lived white head. A very intriguing aroma, very sweet and malty, with some notes of fieldberry jam, and a light note of pine forest. The flavour is sweet, malty, with some caramel, pine, and something else I can’t quite pin, finishes with a sweet aftertaste. The 7.5 alcohol gives it good body that ties the whole brew together. A top notch brew that is better appreciated out of a snifter. Interesting and unique.

3.1
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
AlabastorJones (800) - San Francisco, California, USA - DEC 1, 2007
sweet alcohol nose, cherries, dark brown color, tan/gray head, woody smoked raisin flavor, sweet alc finish, notes of cherries and tart fruit, not bad, a little thin n the palate

2.9
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
Funknmilla (636) - Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA - NOV 29, 2007
Cloudy body and head...alcohol dipped spicy caramel aroma...zingy flavor with a suggestion of citrus, and perhaps i’m sniffing a pine cone in the distance as all this is happening...In the woods I am, or in Grammy’s house with the pine cone decorations...even tempered palate, a pleasant liquid creation

3.1
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 13/20
wickedpete (634) - Lexington Park, Maryland, USA - NOV 24, 2007
Pours brown and quite fizzy but with little head formation. Aroma is sweet with some sour notes coming at the edges. Fruity. Flavor is a little thin but has some nice sweetness, caramel, and fruit notes of apples and plums. Carbonation has all but disappeared within minutes leaving the palate quite lacking.

3.3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
Lowe1983 (1226) - Dayton, Ohio, USA - NOV 20, 2007
Pours a cloudy copper color with a white head. Aroma is of fruits, caramel malts, and a slight hint of some hops. Flavor is sweet with the fruits and carmel malts at first. Finishes with some oak flavor, a little bit of hops, and just a touch of some alcohol warming. Not was I was expecting, but not too bad either.

3.5
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
fattibobatti (246) - Tallahassee, Florida, USA - NOV 20, 2007
12 oz. liquorloft tallahassee. poured a dark copper with a half inch of head. great lacing. aroma was a fresh opened bag of red twizzlers and light scent of honey. taste is creamy honey with malt, finish is more red twizzlers and light wood. body isn’t thick like syrup but still heavy.

2.5
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 2/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 9/20
yarry (451) - Waterdown, Ontario, CANADA - NOV 17, 2007
330ml bottle, 7.5% a/v Pours a dar red with a thin tan head and little evident carbonation. The nose is very fruity and somewhat hoppy, with almost no notes of spruce or pine. The taste and palate are also very fruity.. not what i was expecting at all.


We Want To Hear From You



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

Join Us »



View Page
1 « 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 » 76
Tick this beer
  • Currently 0/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5



Rating Notecard:
Beer: Heather Ales Alba Rating Avg: 3.37 No. of Ratings: 760
Copyright © 2000-2012,
RateBeer LLC. All rights
reserved.
about us
About RateBeer
FAQ
Feedback?
New Beers
 add
Advanced Search
Add A Beer
Add A Brewer
Add A Place
membership
Log In
Edit Personal Info
Premium Membership
Your Messages
 the best
100 Beer Club
The Top 50