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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Ratings	Average	Score	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
622	3.39/5.0	3.38/5.0	7.5%	75.1	Dimpled 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.

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hiphops (280), caldwell, New Jersey, USA

2.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.5	7/10	4/5	3/10	3/5	8/20

Mar 21, 2006

this beer is wiggity wiggity wizzack. nah mean? it’s like a fucking tree. but id drink it again if there was nothing else above 7%. i dunno maybe iwas harsh but i dont think brew should taste like a pinecone. that shit is wrong

iambeer (255), Ontario, Canada

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	19/20

Mar 13, 2006

I get the distinctive taste of pine here. The higher ABV is a nice touch and barely noticeable. More smooth then expected, a good traditional ale.

biz82 (1328), austin, Texas, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	8/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Mar 9, 2006

Nearly clear blush with little head. Fruity, candy like aroma with tangerine, roses and caramel. Very fruity flavor, tangy and quite light. There are some wood notes in the finish but I don’t get any pine or spruce. Nice beer though.

Braudog (3751), Dayton, Ohio, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Mar 6, 2006

From the bottle: Poured rusty orange with a pillowy head that quietly withdrew. Sweet aroma. Sugary sweet flavors with a hint of what I guess must be the pine. Pretty good.

DuffMan (2737), the land of bitumen, beef & beer, Alberta, Canada

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	9/10	3/5	8/10	4/5	17/20

Mar 6, 2006

Deep orange, crazy aromas of clover, blood oranges, and tootsie-roll toffee (no pine though!). Rich full bodied palate, chewy caramel malt with a woody and floral character. Nothing about this says it was associated with pine/spruce in any way, but it is excellent and unique regardless. Worth trying.

gilvanblight (390), Windsor, Ontario, Canada

4.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.3	9/10	4/5	8/10	5/5	17/20

Mar 5, 2006

Brown red pour with little head. Strong woody (pine I assume) scent with some sweet caramel. Low carbonation. Deep malty taste, blackberry and spice. The finish shines with flavour. Way better then I expected and the best of the "great ales of sctoland’ gift pack. Wish I knew how to get this on it’s own.

kook (2034), Perth, Western Australia, Australia

2.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.3	4/10	3/5	4/10	3/5	9/20

Mar 1, 2006

Bottle: Very sweet berries in the nose. Reddy amber in colour. White head. Fruity, malty and a little cloying.

trokini (1027), San Diego, California, USA

1.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
1.9	7/10	3/5	2/10	2/5	5/20

Feb 27, 2006

Painfully awful. This beer smells and looks great. Darker amber with a moderate tan head. Aroma is very nice; piney and clean. But the taste is ass in your mouth bad. Its as if someone put a tree in a blender and hit "Liquify". Avoid.

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