Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle)

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

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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Clear amber or yellow. Head quickly disappearing. Characteristic but undescernable aroma -- perhaps these small artificial berries that is sometimes put on top of deserts? When you taste it though, the heather is clear. When you hail from west jutland, you know the smell of the heath. The flavour is spicy and a wee bit sour. Interesting, but a bit one dimensional.

A delightful Scottish beer from the legendary Williams Brothers Brewer, a beautiful light and refreshing amber ale. As the name would suggest the beer gives you a real floral experience from the aroma. A lovely smooth and overall sweet beer upfront, a bitter hint comes in however comes to a rather abrupt end quickly, leaving a soft back end taste. A great beer at a great price and availability! This is one of my favourite beers, not only is it an absolutely fantastic beer but it is also revitalising an old Scottish drinking heritage!

April 2008: Brown 500ml bottle with a fancy label. I love trying different styles and drinking around the world while sat at home. This was the second beer on one such evening, a Bulgarian (crap) lager was first, I’m in Belgium next. Froach is gaelic for heather. Heather Ales have been brewed in Scotland for four thousand years and claim to be the oldest style of beer still made today. This one had a life that was due to end before July 2009, I drank it in April 2008. Poured into one of my Gordons thistle shaped glasses it was a really light amber colour with a small white head that left the scene almost immediatley. I like my beers with a head, it’s just me, but that’s what I want to see. The beer may have been a bit to cold as no aroma was present at first, but as it warmed a slight peaty, flowery smell arrived to add an extra dimention to the beer. At first it tasted like a fizzy ginger beer too me. There was loads of cabonisation, but it wasn’t ginger I was getting, there was none of the hotness ginger gives. The flavour was strangely different, but pleasant, not even beery in some aspects. No hops are used in the brewing process and the heather flowers along with some other weird ingrediants gell to make a very interesting beer indeed. I difficult one to nail down, a bit gassy, but otherwise a very different beer. I really liked it, couldn’t drink it all night, but well worth finding. I will buy it again.

330mL bottle. Hazy blonde color, white head. Herbal, floral aroma. Spicy, heather, berry. Taste of pale malts, honey, clove, very herbal. Tastes like a blend of beer and a herbal white tea. (3326).

Gold-Tangerine color with a medium carbonation and head. Flowery herbal sweet aromas with the malts being present. Very light on taste, with a bit sweetness. A nice overall beer, session-able with a flowery aftertaste.

not for me thanks. looks like flat lucozade, heavy malt aroma when first poured but quickly just left with a very metallic smell with a little fruit in the background. tastes....weird! a bit of dark fruit a bit of fruity hops. sweet dry finish. lingering taste which i presume is heather. bottle. morrisons

500 ml bottle into pint glass, best by Aug 2012. Pours a hazy golden orange color with a 1-2 finger dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of honey, biscuit, pepper, herbs, light fruit, flower petals, earth, and yeasty spiciness. Some pretty nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of biscuit, honey, caramel, toffee, citrus, floral, clove, herbs, grass, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of honey, caramel, toffee, biscuit, and herbal spices on the finish for a bit. Great balance of malt and spiciness; with a nice and robust malt backbone for a 5% beer. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice and creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with barely any warming noticed after the finish. Very smooth and easy to drink. Overall this is an excellent herbal ale. Great flavor balance and highly enjoyable to drink.

330ml bottle pours a light golden color with a small white head that leaves very little lacing behind. Aroma is flowery with hints of scotch like peat and herbal notes. Taste is light malty sweetness with some peat and a mild herbal hop bitterness. Light to medium in body with some soft carbonation. An interesting ale that is worthy of trying at least once. Quite unique tasting.

Botella de 500ml. Copa Yard (Kwak). Saboreada en may´11. Color cobre claro y brillante. Algo velada. Espuma túpida, color marfil. Corona fugaz. Intensa fragancia floral y aroma de malta. Sabor fresco y especiado con sutiles matices de menta fresco. Paladar dulce y áspero. Cuerpo medio-lígero. Final de té. Notas de manzana en el retrogusto. Refrescante y sabrosa. Asimilación muy fácil. Buen equilibrio de sabores suaves y aromas. Comentario: una cerveza obligatoria que casi representa un Estilo en si misma. 500ml bottle. Kwak Yard glass. Enjoyed on may´11. Bright light copper in color. Chill haze. Off-white dense froth, brief crown. Intense floral fragancy & malty aroma. Crisp & spicy flavor , subtle fresh mint hues. Earthy & sweet palate. Medium/light body. Tea-like finish. Apple notes on the aftertaste. Refreshing, flavorful. Very easy drinkability. Balanced smooth flavors & aromas. Comment. A mandatory ,almost representing a single Style in itself, beer

Pours light golden and a bit yellow with a big white head. Nose is adjunct malts and corn syrup sugar. Taste is lightly sweet and bitter. Mouthfeel is crisp and clean. Short aftertaste. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle. Pours an amber color with a thin off white film. The heather provides a shot of floral to the nose. There is a background maltiness and a hint of peat as well. The flavor has bready malts splashed with honey and hints of the previously mentioned floral notes. This is moderately sweet, but the spices off set a bit. Light-medium body. Worth trying once.