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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.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
Rballs01 (264) - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA - NOV 22, 2006
Delicious. This was a very unique beer. Poured a dark orange brown. On the nose there was spruce,pine and sweet dried fruits present. It tasted delicious! Very different than anyother beer i’ve had. Almost candylike but not to sweet. If you can find a bottle of this you must try it.

3
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 12/20
bierkoning (7777) - La Tropica, NETHERLANDS - NOV 21, 2006
Brown sugar, plums and a slight herbalness in the aroma. Sweet sugary flavor with rubber and something woody. Slightly herbal, mixed with some tropical fruit. Not really my taste, but not without quality.

3.8
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20
StompBrockmore (316) - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - NOV 9, 2006
UPDATED: DEC 17, 2006 330ml bottle - pours darkish amber, with a slightly off-white, medium head. Aroma of malt with a bit of hoppiness (even though there are no hops in the recipe), fairly sweet. The mouthfeel on this is wonderful - very thick and creamy, you just want to hold it in your mouth forever. Taste takes what we get from the scent and adds in a number of botanicals that I had a hard time putting my finger on, but this is complex stuff. It’s quite malty, and very nicely done. On top of that are sweetly earthy flavours that I assume come from the pine and spruce. Quite flowery actually. The finish on this beer is long and lingering and my favourite part of each sip. It’s beautiful. A very nice traditional ale, unique and different from anything else I’ve had in this style.

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
markas101 (1439) - Sheffield, South Yorkshire, ENGLAND - NOV 9, 2006
33 cl bottle, Shelburne. Pours a deep amber, no head then one appeared. Malty aroma, thick and sweet tasting with heavy caramel flavour and a long finish with some pine sap lingering (as could be expected). Not overly alcoholic tasting for the strength. Interesting.

4.1
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
pootzboy (1284) - Hawgville, Ontario, CANADA - NOV 5, 2006
UPDATED: NOV 7, 2006 Bottle: Poured a hazy copper-brown ale in the glass with a fair cap that rediced to a surface cap and laced up the glass sides well. Aroma: Musty-earthy, grains, botanicals...light clover sweetness. Delightful profile: chewy caramel malts up front are quickly joined by a complex array of indigionous botaniocals...highland pine buds, spruce buds, highland meadow botanicals..then a light musty-earthy sweetness and into the finish which is wet, lingering, satisfying, herbal and lightly bittering. Damn I love these heather ales!!

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 16/20
tomthompson89 (1753) - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - NOV 2, 2006
sugary, caremel, fruity some berries, good one when its warm out, herbal intresting brew

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
skortila (4035) - Baarn, NETHERLANDS - OCT 27, 2006
Aroma is fruity and caramel malty. Perhaps some ginger in it. Clear, brown coloured with a lasting, medium brown head. taste is sweet, fruity and caramel malty. Slightly sticfky finish. Quite a nice brew.

3.6
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
thomat (1100) - Göteborg, SWEDEN - OCT 23, 2006
Clear redish brown color with a small tan head. Very complex fruit, berry and herbal notes. Like walking trough a pine forest on a hot summer´s day ! Medium body wit a nice bitter-sweet finish.


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