Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle)

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

11.2 oz bottle, 6 months past the best by date. Aroma is weird- not really liking the "peaty"-ness. Color has a cool orange thing going on. Flavor has the peat in it, too, is that what old heather tastes like? The herbal aspect is nice and the malts go well with them, i just can’t get past the cardboard peat moss whatever it is. I’m blaming the lacking experience on age. Will rerate if i can find a fresher bottle. No offense to Scotland or Williams Brothers, it was really just that one flavor/smell that got in the way.

Bottle pour.The aroma was very floral with a hint or two of malt.Dark amber orange color with a decent white head.Flavor was very much like the nose,bitter but not harsh,very mellow with a medium carbonation and very easy to drink.I liked this and would not hesitate to drink again.

50 cl bottle. Pale, slightly hazy golden colour. The head is thin, ver finte-textured and creamy. Spicy fruitiness dominates the quite mild aroma. Peppery sharpness, some ginger and floral citrus fruits. The falvor is not very heavy either. It has honeyish maltiness, some caramel and dry finish with some bitterness and nutty flavors. A bit unfresh. Light to medium bodied and low carbonated. Smooth mouthfeel makes it easy to drink. This might work well with spicy food...

From a 500 ml bottle this poured a light brown with an off-white head and light lacing Nose is as its name implies, heather. Medium mouthfeel. Flavor is floral and full of the heather notes. Dry finish. Interesting and quite drinkable brew.

Pours a lightly hazy orange with a tiny head. Aroma is floral (heather?) Flavor is much the same with a hint of malty sweetness.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 11.2oz or 330ml bottle into a pint glass. The back label has a very clear best before date (month and year) notched out. The date notched was Feb. 2010 and it was sampled on 6-10-09. Appearance: It has a golden honey colored body with a lightly hazy appearance. There is not much of head, just a small light foamy covering that fades out to nothing quickly. There is no lacing to mention at all. Smell: The aroma has an interesting full floral bouquet with some honey like sweetness, some light grain notes and fresh salty sea air. Taste/Mouth: There is an odd dry grain with a hint of mineral flavor like sea air and a solid floral character throughout. Underneath there are some sweeter malt, honey and buttery notes that mix with the floral heather notes. The floral notes build up to the finish and add a pleasant bitterness and dryness to it. The palate is slick and smooth with light carbonation and a light to medium body. Notes: This is a very interesting flavored beer with a very interesting history to the style of the beer.

Nose is all heather and touches of honey. Flavor is the heather again - smells dead on like the thistles around the ranch. Floral and grainy, with a pleasant dryness and crisp finish. Pretty good.

I love hops but this was a nice surprise. A gruit ale with no hops. Nice looking honey colored beer. Cloudy. Head doesn’t last. Well-carbonated. The malt is slightly sweet (pale malt), with a little caramel taste. The heather gives an immediate but "mellow" bitterness. Balanced. Very little aftertaste. Excellent beer.