RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Heather Ales Alba

Heather Ales Alba  - Traditional Ale

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
81
overall
Brewed by Williams Brothers (Heather Ales)
Style: Traditional Ale

Alloa, Central, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
6183.38/5.03.38/5.07.5%75.4Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
View Statistics  P 

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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 jonno (542), Brisbane, Australia
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/104/514/20
Nov 7, 2009  
Interesting beer. Like an unusual tripel. Nose is pinapple and a curious character that must be the pine. Moutfeel is solid with hints of tropical fruit and sugars. A nice change.


 jde123 (715), Washington, Washington DC, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/513/20
Oct 26, 2009  
Bottle from a mixer of scottish ales (or more specifically - Ales from Scotland). It was a gift. Pours a cloudy red-orange, very nice looking glass of ale. Aroma is very sweet smelling, not what I was expecting. Very pleasant feeling in the mouth, the flavor is very holiday-ish, though with a twinge of sadness. Reminds of sitting in front of a fireplace at a children’s hospital. Interesting. Tastes red and green.


 fromred2green (141), , Ohio, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/514/20
Oct 21, 2009  
Bottle. Pours a brownish-orange a little lighter than amber with a thin, off-white head. I can see pulp/sedinent floating in the beer. Aroma is quite malty, as are most scotch ales. Flavor is also quite malty with some bitter freshness mixed in, pine/spruce it would seem. Just enough bitterness to taste. Overall not bad.


 TheHulk (106), Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/512/20
Oct 21, 2009  
A good strong dark malt smell with the scotch in behind it. Very dark and full of sediment. The malts come on strong and then mellow out as the scotch flavour comes in and lasts for much longer than most beer would. Creamy and smooth. Pretty good, but the scotch ale just isn’t my favourite combination.


 Cole (266), , Alberta, Canada
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/516/20
Oct 21, 2009  
Pours deep brown. Very earthy spruce aroma. With a subtle sweet caramel smell. Mlaty to start with a very strong spruce flavour the finish is very sweet and sappy, A a little alcoholic. One of the most inique beers I have evr had. I like it.


 DarkSong (102), Dacula, Georgia, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/59/105/516/20
Oct 20, 2009  
11.2 oz bottle. Pours a light brown color with a small white quickly vanishing head. Smells of malt, berries and a touch of pine. Tastes of pine and a bit of resin with a little bit of a burnt and roasted taste with maybe a little toast, toffee, date and cola. This was well worth the price in my opinion. I enjoyed this one immensely. .


 Pawola22 (676), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Oct 12, 2009  
11.2oz bottle. Pours a crystal clear, amber-bronze body with a thin, off-white, fizzy head that dissipates quickly and leaves a light lacing. Aroma is sweet blackberries and strawberries with just a hint of spruce trees in the background. A light, spiced caramel malt in there too, but mainly sweet and fruity berries. Flavor is sweet with a honey malt quality up front and a light caramel. A slightly grassy spice, molasses candy, brown malt chocolate flavor comes in during the middle before a more subdued berry presents itself. Finishes with a slightly dry woody spruce, but mostly rich malts and a nice fruity character. Medium bodied and exceptionally smooth and easy with a medium length aftertaste of rich malts, berry fruits, a pinch of grass, and honey-chocolate-brown malts. Overall, a very unique, one-of-a-kind beer. Nice balance between the rich, sweet malts and light grassy taste. Plenty of fruit and a tasty malt background. I really liked the flavor on this. Not very bold, but well balanced with a nice body and a relatively complex flavor. Absolutely no hint of the 7.5% ABV either. Solid beer.


 Snojerk321 (1917), San Diego, California, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/55/103/513/20
Sep 24, 2009  
Bottle. Just the smallest hint of pine on the nose. Mostly sweet malt. pours a rich, viscous copper brown with some decent sticky lacing. Definitely a some pine on the palate, but not overwhelming at all. Slightly herbal and woody with sweet caramel notes throughout. Decent carbonation with a fairly rich sticky body.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Traditional Ales

Hair of the Dog Matt (4.17)

Hair of the Dog Adam (4.12)

Hair of the Dog Cherry Adam from the Wood (3.97)

Traquair Jacobite Ale (3.91)

Hair of the Dog Adam from the Wood (3.88)

Thornbridge Bracia (3.8)

Haandbryggeriet Norwegian Wood (3.65)

Beer Here Påske (3.64)

Triumph Gose (3.63)

Bøgedal Nr. 0043 fad (3.63)

Hollolan Hirvi Kivisahti (3.59)

Cambridge LAmour du Jour (2007 - ) (3.57)

Bøgedal Nr. 0100 (3.57)

Bøgedal Nr. 0110 (3.56)

Bøgedal Nr. 0073 (3.56)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC