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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.

3.3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
faroeviking (8598) - Kongens Lyngby, FÖROYAR, FAROE ISLANDS - MAR 1, 2007
Bottle. Pours a cloudy red/brown colour with a faor beige head. The aroma is sweet, malty and yeasty, fruity. Flavour is a bit sweet, nice maltiness, hoppy, some spices, fruity with some pine. An interesting tasty strong ale. "Alba" is Gaelic for "Scotland".

2.7
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 12/20
BeerBiker (1412) - Odense, DENMARK - FEB 25, 2007
[Tasted with Svogergylp at Røsnæs.] "Strange" beer in the way that it’s with pine, but in this way I find it unbalanced, because the pines are overall in the beer.

3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 12/20
BINGEBOT (236) - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - FEB 23, 2007
Red and brown in colour, weak head. Fruity and strong alcohol in scent. Sweet and crisp in taste. Can’t really identify what I’m tasting.. it’s good though!

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
beachbum25 (1033) - Powellville, Maryland, USA - FEB 12, 2007
12 oz Bottle-poured a dark copper color w/a small off white head. Had a sweet, fruity, floral arona. Strong up front roasted barley malt flavor, did have a touch of a pine/christmas tree tint to it. Sweet bubblegum flavor w/a touch of spice. This was a little different, but it was very enjoyable-a true "Scotch Pine". Moderate sweet minty finish.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
BeerHeadBobby (147) - Apex, North Carolina, USA - FEB 10, 2007
Bottled - Pours a fairly dark copper color with a small head.. LOTS of fruitiness on the nose.. almost like piney bubblegum...Pine is def. in the taste.. but lots of sweet dark fruits.. very different beer..

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
jblendy (519) - Hawthorne, New Jersey, USA - FEB 4, 2007
Again, unfortunately from memory. Medium palate, light fruit and bitterness, but very little pine flavor.Scots make some super easy drinking ale either way.Enjoyable, but nothing special.

4
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 11/20
Beeroness (2) - USA - FEB 4, 2007 does not count
From the bottle. Pours a lovely and cloudy copper with a soft head. The nose is distinctly pine and malt with some bready/yeasty notes. The flavor is true pine and very pleasantly so, if you’re a fan of that style. The mouth is light to medium body and finishes quite dryly. An altogether quaffable ale.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
SDalkoholic (1490) - Chula Vista, California, USA - FEB 3, 2007
Aroma is a average olfaction of a typical beer with some light spice of gigner or perhaps or some other kind of freshly cut root. Cloudy and filled with sediment. Mahogany color and has small head that started on its own as soon as i pulled the cap off. The flavor is rich in spice and has a background of bread and fruit. Kind of like a fruitcake flavor going on here, but some nice spice of ginger and touch of pine to make this a truly unique ale.


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