A robust flavored ale with notes of spicy sweet pine from locally gathered spruce tips, balanced by roasty caramel malt and a hint of Chinook hops. About Vermont Spruce Tip Ale This hearty ale is a showcase for a traditional yet seldom used brewing ingredient: spruce tips. Harvested at their tender, ripe, bright green peak in Downer State Forest, Vermont, these spruce tips impart citrus, pine, spice, herbal and earthy notes. A host of malts, a hint of roasted barley and generous use of Chinook hops complement the unique spruce flavor.