Heather Ales Fraoch 20th Anniversary Ale

Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale
Alloa, Central, Scotland

Bottle 75cl. @ post Borefts BF 09 hotel tasting
Unclear medium yellow orange color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate malty, fruity, moderate hoppy, heather, flowers, spicy. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20091031]

Bottle #5173. Pours a hazy orange with sediment. White head doesn’t persist. Sour with woodsy overtones. Finishes mostly clean.

Bottle shared by badnewsbeers. Clear, sparkling, cider-like body, thin-medium clumping off-white head. Nose of sour dusty oak, herbs, and green apple, reminding me of a perfume box. Tart, apply body, with heather and other spices, rather thin. There’s a plastic component that was light but a bit unpleasant. Odd yet somewhat compelling.

Bottle # 2228 from Champanes, has a dark gold pour with copper hues, produced a white head with lots of effervescence, looks very nice, there are a few particles in this beer but it hardly takes away from its looks, aromas of Whiskey, wood, faint toasted malt and caramel, flavors of Whiskey with faint malt and bread, caramel with mint in the background(?), finish is Whiskey alcohol on the tongue, I thought there was more malt presence on the palate than the nose, has a medium mouth feel with some creaminess on the tongue. The Whiskey is a bit much for the base aromas and flavors of the beer, I liked the smell of Whiskey but I want more than that, it would be nice if there were some beer to enjoy with the Whiskey, I think the idea of aging beer in Whiskey barrels is great if the beer has some malt aroma and flavor to balance, this was like a weak flavored beer with a Whiskey additive mixed in, I let this beer warm up to room temperature and still the Whiskey aroma and flavor were up front, the Whiskey was out front and not much else to enjoy.

Bottle from kingdom Liquors. Poured a clear copper color with an average off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Good aroma of honey,dough and earthy. Medium body with smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium bittersweet flavor with a complex sweet finish of medium duration. Interesting complex brew.

Bottle shared by Justin: Pours a slightly hazy deep golden with a clingy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of slightly oaked grassy horseblanket and tart cherries with a touch of sweet pale malt. Starts with an earthy grassy funk and pale malty sweetness with some light peaty smoke and fruity tartness with a touch of butter toward the finish. Pretty unique with a lot of funky tartness and sour fruity oak.

Bottle 0838. Almost clear gold color with a thin head. Very light whisky aroma. Hints of heather. Floral taste, both of heather and some light hopping. Sweet grains. Light, sweet whisky. Even after warming up past cellar temp, it never really seemed to jump out. The heather and whisky seemed to have canceled each other.

Bottle Shared at Ryan & Max’s Tasting @ Pauls. Pours a golden copper body with a white head. Woody spicy cinnamon notes, sherry, Shirley temple, ginger ale. A light mint note a strong alcohol warming, i really liked this boozy beer.