Heather Ales Kelpie

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

Dark brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma has prominently toasted malts, and some chocolate. Flavour has caramel malts and some spices. Light bodied, finishes watery.

Bottled(500ml). -Ruby dark brown (almost black) coloured, small to medium off-white head, chocolate and light smokey nose. Roasted malt, bitterish chocolate and caramel with light smoked notes and nothing else. Very smooth, no trace of seaweed.

Bottle courtesy of and shared with ogivlado (thanks!)
Poured a very dark red, almost black with a small white head. Quite roasty/smokey nose with nose of chocolate. The taste is quite similar too. A big roastiness mingling with dark chocolate that goes into a long smokey aftertaste, covering something quite light and a little acidic (in a good way). Quite likable and better than I expected.

Pours an attrative dark brown w/ nice head. Coffee-chocolate flavor. Body was on the light side, surprising because of the darkness. Taste was a little boring, single noted, very little sweetness, but very drinkable. Didn’t pick up on any seaweed flavors but maybe a slight seashore aroma. This was decent but not great.

Kelpie poured a dark rich brown into my glass with a generous soft fluffy head of at least two fingers. After a couple minutes, her head faded into a soft blanket which still rests on top of my Kelpie as she rests. A couple swirls and she fluffs right up again, leaving faint trails of brussels lace along my glass. Her nose is sweet caramel malts, dark fruits, and a hint of salty brine. The actual kelp used in the brew adds a nice pleasant salty aroma in the background. I take my first quaff and despite her heavy dark looks, Kelpie is actually a very light, effervescent, and smooth brew. This isn’t too surprising actually since her ABV is a pleasant 4.4% which is perfect for a session brew. Her texture clings to my mouth while drying my palate at the same time. I am reminded of how when I have some nori the texture and flavor lingers long after the nori is gone. not as sweet as the nose initially lent me to believe, I still get an array of chocolate, espresso, and hints of fresh cream. Her finish brings the salty briny nature of the kelp into the light. Not overly puckering, but just enough brine and texture to bring to mind a soft ocean breeze. Kelpie finishes just as easy as she started.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Kelpie, and thankfully everything about her was a pleasant surprise. I am used to complex yet easy to drink session beers to be lighter in color. Definitely not a Kelp Ale from Scotland as their Scotch Ales can be some of the heaviest beers out there. I thoroughly enjoyed Kelpie and have future plans of enjoying her with some fresh sushi and sashimi.

Tan head on a dark ale good carbonation,aroma molasses kelp or seaweed,hoppy liccorice.Flavour,coffee kelp saltiness (mild)malty smooth,good body,this is a winner for me.The bree gives it a nice extra tone.It,s smooth on the high note of rich flavours at the end of each mouthfull this ale,as at the finish,lovely ale,seaweed alone has a good flavour.

Ma la sorpresa della serata è stata questa straordinaria ale scura aromatizzata con le alghe marine; i sentori iniziali sono fortemente tipici da stout/porter, con grande presenza di scuro caffè soprattutto e un po’ di cacao, poi il salato e il salmastro chiudono la bocca in maniera per nulla disarmonica. Straordinaria birra; non è un caffè fatto con l’acqua di mare, ve lo assicuro.

Black pour with a pale, foamy head. Good-looking modern label. Mellow, hoppy aroma with something unusual in it, like fresh fruit or heather. Light-bodied and mildly carbonated, with a fresh, dry flavor. I don’t really taste (or smell) much seaweeed, but I do detect spicy hops, light grains, and a touch of salty ocean breezes. However, this is not an irritating, experimental brew - it is very easy to drink and enjoy.