Heather Ales Alba

Tasted 01/04/2005. 330ml bottle from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pours an orange hued amber with an off white, filmy, oily looking, head. Looks remarkably like glass of tea. Aroma is punchy and very reminiscent of maple syrup. The pine comes through in a reinous aroma. Flavour is as you’d expect from that strong aroma - maple syrup and pine resin. There’s also a woody bitterness, from the tannin I guess, that is similar to fuggles. Palate is the piney resin. Becomes warming, almost whiskey-like, as I get through it. A little cloying. Didn’t quite do it for me but it’s certainly interesting.

Pours a medium orange color. Thin head with large bubbles. Very sweet aroma with hints of malts. Not really a very piney scent. Fantastic flavor. Hints of sweet berries with some pine. Low carbonation which I think is best for an ale like this. Surprisingly good beer. I wish I could get more.

Cloudy orange color with a thick head and malt aroma. Flavor of berries and malt. It is medium bodied and leaves a nice aftertaste.

Bottle, giftpack purchased Christmas 2004 but sampled April 2005 (Oct 05 Best Before). Very dark orange with lots of floating sediment. Creamy white head that faded quickly. Strong alcohol and sweetness in aroma (sorry, no pine). Medium body mouthfeel but wow, lots of flavour that I was just not expecting! Lots of alcohol and sweetness and first and then a wonderful fruity aftertaste. Very slight bitterness but not much. A very enjoyable brew, I’m glad I rediscovered this giftpack I first tried years ago.

Poured a dark amber color with a large (4 finger) off white head. Lots and lots of large floaties. Fruity aroma with berries. Tastes of berries, pine, and caramel. I didn’t care for this one too much.

The third beer I tried from this sampler. It has a deep amber appearance with a sweet malt taste. For being at 7.5% abv it does go down smooth. The aroma definately has some spiciness to it.

Holy crap! Murky peat-bog body, musty sweet aroma. Sips smooth and velvety, with berry notes. In the mouth, the palate is rich dreamy perfect consistency of maltiness and action. Flavor is Mixed Berry Yoplait Yogurt, growing in sweetness and fruitiness long after the swallow. This is the most surprising aftertaste I’ve encountered yet--thus the high flavor and overall ratings. This was from a bottle, cold. Next I’ll try it as suggested at room temp. Wow.

got this from one of my good friends in scotland....not what expected at all....thought it was going to be a hoppy pine citrus thing. poured hazy brown with a thin whimsical tan head. nice malt nose of cherries and framboise. this followed on the palate with huge fruit berry flavors, some rock candiness, and malt fullness. very easy to drink and palatable. never realize it has 7.5% abv. more in the brown ale infused with fruit flavors. good.