Heather Ales Kelpie

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

Deep chocolate malts dominated this brew. Oceanic odor was pleasant. Low alcohol roasted more than potent was welcomed. The Kelpie is a legend, really!

A Mes rate: Bottle from Gwin Llyn Wines. Nose is pretty good but a lot of that is because it reminds me of being on the beach. Seaweed is obvious all the way through and I’m not sure it works other than in the aroma. Tangy malt and a milky note that also does it no particular favours are the order of the day. Thought it was lovely at first but once the seaweed kicks in erm... yeah...

Best by Date Sept 2007, Sampled June 2007
Pours with a frothy, initially fat-one-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head that sits atop an almost opaque, very dark, brownish amber colored brew that shows just a hint of a brilliantly clear deep sherry-bronw hue around the edges if held up to the light. The aroma smells quite beer like, or I don’t get anything initially that would be suggestive of seaweed. Aromatic notes of plums, dusty malt, molasses, raisins, toasted malt and even some concord grape notes are noticeable. There is something here that is faintly outside your typical beer aromatic; it is slightly musty, just a bit off and really so light that I can’t quite describe it.

The beer is lightly sweet with a light fullness to it that belies the level of sweetness in this brew. The beer has notes of coffee in the finish, toasted grain, perhaps a touch of chocolate and a soft saltiness that could be from the malt, but I would hope was from the seaweed. The seaweed certainly does not leave a signature taste in this brew, or at least one that I can taste. This is actually a bit dissapointing for that reason.

Very attractive bottle (the label is especially nice). Beer pours dark brown with a small cappuccino head that vanishes almost instantly. Aroma is mainly a clean, nutty smell, with a slight hint of seaweed. The flavour is smoky, with a sweet after-taste. It has a reasonably heavy carbonated bite in the mouth, but is full and cool. Overall, a very well executed ale indeed. I would certainly buy it again; in fact, it has made my short list of favourite ales.

500 ml bottle, bought in Scarborough. ABV is 4.4%. Very dark reddish brown colour, nearly black. Moderate creamy tan head. Aroma of dark malts and something undefinable strange which I guess is the seaweed. Moderate carbonation, smooth mouthfeel. The flavour has moderate roasted malts and very moderate hops - and again (but this time very moderate) "strange" sidenotes which must be the seaweed. The beer is definitely drinkable, but I’m still not convinced that adding seaweed as an ingredient in beer is a particularly brilliant idea.

Bottle. Dark pour, no lace very flat tasting. Slight hint of chocolate but couldn’t place anything else. I was expecting a somewhat overwhelming salty offering and was surprised that this wasn’t. Tastes like other porters.

Bottle. This was an unpleasant suprise from a brewery I normally like a lot. Dark almost black beer. Aroma dominated by tar and rope. The taste was unpleasant but very different from anything I´ve tasted before.

Has a very interesting aroma - malty and also salty. (Well, it is made with seaweed!) Beautiful deep, nearly opaque brown with a thick, tan head. Flavor is superb - rich, malty, with some sea tang and a hint of molasses. The finish is a little watery, but overall this is a very pleasant ale, smooth and distinctive.