Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle)

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

This beer looks pink as it is poured, the body settles into a salmon orange color with full carbonation and a fluff head that dies down to a fine head after a sip or two. Piercing sweet aroma of swirling pilsner and indistinct blend of qualities with notes of unbalance--this aroma improves and becomes more resolved after it airs for a bit. Subtle malt body with refined flowery extracts that are the dominant flavor. Smooth and vernal, this beer has a light finish, relatively absent of bitterness until a last offnote or two of unbalance at the end of the glass. While this delicate brew is not a favorite of mine, I can appreciate the intention. Orange-water like (without the citrusness) iin some respects, this is a feint and fey ale that conjures up scottish lore.

I may have to go against the grain on this one. Smelled like it was from 2000 BC (that is how far this beer dates back according to the bottle) Brewing has come along way in 4000 years. Take advantage and get another beer! You may want to try to be "old school" I guess.

Bottle. Pours an orange-gold hue with a a thin, but solid, white head. There is quite a bit of rosemary and sage in the nose, along with some earthy sweetness. The flavor is very herbacious... again with the rosemary (I suppose that is actually the taste of heather), and some malt/hops in the background. Clover and other plants in the finish. This brew has a very organic feel to it all around which, to me, is very desirable. I can see, however, how this could be an acquired taste.

Bottle at home. Orange body with very thin head. Strong herbal nose. Spicy taste. Also sweet with caramel and malts. Watery texture. Decent.

500ml bottle, best by Dec 08. Clear gold with a thin white head. Spicy floral aroma, heather I suppose, very herbal and earthy. My wife just told me my beers smells "pretty". I am officially emasculated. She said it smells like a lavender satchel you’d toss in your underwear drawer. Delightful, I think. Anyway, flavor is much like the nose - pretty much overwhelming herbal heather. (Again, an assumption - never smelled or tasted heather. I knew a girl in high school named heather, She tasted wonderful, but nothing like this. There I go again, rating drunk. Oh well.) Somewhere under there is a hint of caramel, but really the heather overcomes all. Interesting, I guess.

Ambler look in color. OK head. Nice smell almost like an old ale slightly flowery but more heavily of scottish malt. Taste is lacking and seems watered down.

Poured a wheatish/copper with a slight head and a ton of protien globs hovering and dancing like a holiday snowglobe. Interesting aromas with beef broth, baby powder and floral notes over bread dough. Mildly sour with a flowery flavor of violets within a strong, wheat base. Buttery mouthfeel, but not off-putting. I like.

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This beer was as easy drinking beer as I've had. Fruits and Flowers in the aroma. Worth a try.