Heather Ales Fraoch (Bottle)

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

Bottle. Pours ruby with a small, white head. The aroma is spice, earth, pine needles and herbal notes. The flavour takes on the same character with the malt balancing the beer out nicely. Medium bodied and it’s actually quite hoppy, finishing in a sweet bitterness. Something different but drinkable, it’s fantastic to see the traditional ales after all this time alive and well. Great beer.

bottle from World of Beer, Clearwater - light orange head, taste the heather and other florals, light honey and dry finish - very enjoyable. 1st had this beer at Fox and Hounds Tavern in Gatlinburg years ago and got my 1st 2000 degree fire burned beer mug - those were the days!

Pours a bright brass color with a small white head. Nose is sweet, yeasty, and slightly floral. Taste is sweet, slightly tart, with subtle caramel and piney, herbal notes. Finish consists of the lingering herbal components of the flavor and some slight tartness.

Bottle sample at Muckfest 2009 Day 1. Cloudy orange color with barely any head. Sweet malt aroma with some hop and noticeable spice. Spicy cinnamon and nutmeg up front with some sweet malt and a dry finish. Wasn’t sure what to expect but either way, good brew.

11.2 oz brown bottle with freshness date notched on label (Aug 09). Appearance: Clear, pale golden with hues leaning more amber. Slight carbonation, large bubbles, and almost no head. Just a slight white ring around the edge. Nose: Sweet maltiness, orchids or some large wet flowers, clover honey, sweet rolls. Palate: Very soft carbonation, and an initial tartness. Hot crossed buns come to mind, at a kitchen table set with a floral bouquet. I imagine this tastes like heather (never experienced heather on it’s own), and I get that clover honey note again. There is an odd maltiness, odd only because there’s not much heft to the body, but the malt shows through in a large flavor way. Notes: All in all, a very interesting and enjoyable beer. A warm Spring day in the sun having an outdoor lunch would be the ideal setting for this beer. In a dark dreary pub in the dead of winter, this beer would be out of place. A food beer, maybe with camembert or better yet, Shy Brothers Farm Hannahbells...!

Pours a hazy gold with a thin, foamy white head. Has a floral aroma with a light, fruity, sweet smell that reminds me of honey or even a white wine. Flavor is lightly malty, with gentle floral notes. A green weediness comes through in the middle. Mildly bitter on the finish. Light and refreshing, but not too watery or bland. This is much nicer than I was expecting from something I bought for novelty.

Golden orange pour with a white head. Yeasty aroma with citrus and pale malts. Fruity flavor with a sweet finish. Doesn’t have any hop flavor with only very slight bitterness. Definitely has an old feel to it.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazed orange-bronze body with a finger-width, off-white head that dissipates quickly and leaves a light lacing. Aroma is malty with sweet, honey flowers and a light peaty must. A touch of lemon and vanilla too. Flavor is soft and full malts up front with a nice, flowery honey sweetness. A light lemon, vanilla, and buttery maltiness too. Finishes with a prominently spiced, peaty earth and a sweet honey-citric maltiness that lingers for a good amount of time. Medium bodied, silky smooth, and dry. Overall, a tasty, sweet honey spiced beer. The flavors are integrated really nicely and offer a crisp, tasty ale. Solid.