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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.

4.7
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20
unibrouefan (160) - Gatineau, Quebec, CANADA - DEC 25, 2010
Wow! Wow! Wow! Soo good. Intense and sweet. Taste the roasted nut. Bought at LCBO, never expected that would be soo good. I have 3 other from that brewerie...mes attentes sont maintenant élevées.

4.6
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20
khayman70 (154) - Indianapolis, Indiana, USA - DEC 18, 2002
Another beer from Heather Ale Ltd. that I love. I love the almost woody character of this beer. The finish is hard to even begin to describe.

4.5
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
LordCrabapple (98) - Merseyside, ENGLAND - JAN 6, 2008
What a wonderful beer. A ’sipper’ (as the Americans say. What a terrible word!); very strong, a delight to taste, but hard to find in England without the American gift pack. I would certainly recommend this to all good fellows.

4.5
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
mckstud2 (3) - USA - MAY 28, 2006 does not count
I would be satisfied with just smelling this beer - drinking it is an added bonus! Fruity on the nose, despite a fast-disappearing head. Very earthy tones that went down smooth. A must try in my book.

4.5
   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 10/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 18/20
flowerysong (25) - USA - JUL 24, 2007
Appearance: Pours a clear reddish amber with two fingers of off-white head that quickly dissipates. Smell: Spicy malt with a hint of pine and a lot of fruit notes. Taste: Sweet and fruity up front, leading into a wonderful mix of malt, apples, caramel, and pine on an earthy background. Long soft finish. Mouthfeel: Smooth and full with light carbonation. Drinkability: An excellent strong ale with lots of depth.

4.5
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20
BrotherLogic (226) - South Yorkshire, ENGLAND - SEP 29, 2011
Awesome - love this. Has quite a strong alcohol kick but quite a tasty soft flavour. Really tasty. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

4.4
   AROMA 10/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20
dwyerpg (3462) - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - JAN 18, 2007
Wonderful piny molasses aroma. Taste is similar, piny and molasses. Very good stuff; a slightly thin finihs, but certainly great.

4.4
   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 18/20
ChrisPants (317) - Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - MAR 26, 2005
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.


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