Roots Organic Burghead Heather Ale

Brewed by Roots Organic Brewing
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Portland, Oregon USA

This beer is what the brewer is known for, and it shows. Even my friends who don’t like abstract (i guess that fits it?) beers enjoy this one. This comes off like a saison or some belgian style brew, the heather gives it an herbal spice tone that balances this brew out really well. Very soft feeling to this brew, but the flavors are very well balanced and easy drinking making this a great summer night brew.

Draught at the brewpub. Slightly hazy, orange color, thin white head. Smells of hay and light malty caramel. Complex flavor with earthy roasted nuts, brown rice, and wood (like the way pencil wood tastes). Grainy, plain oatmeal flavor at the end. Intertesting, but not all that great.

On tap at Henry’s 12th Street Tavern. Pours a murky straw like color. A floral aroma is most prevelant with notes of honey, yeast, and spice. Almost flat in texture and quite weak. Flavors are a mild boring combination of malt, yeast, spice, and a honey like sweetness in the finish.

Thin. No hops. Light flavour. Uncharacteristic but interesting on some level. (and there is a drunk girl on my lap trying to read my notebook)

The first time I tasted this, it was made at Alameda (the Roots brewmaster used to work there) and I loved it. Perhaps the burden of expectation was too much, because I was really not happy with this one. Hazy amber colour. The aroma is minty and with a significant footy yeast note not found last time around. Light yeast and malt character, not much else. Lacks heather and certainly is nowhere near as bright in either the heather nor malts as the same thing brewed at Alameda.

Draught at the brewpub. Cloudy amber, lasting head. Flowey heather aroma. Medium dry with soft mouthfeel and indistinct malt flavours. The flavours from the heather are just lovely. Low bitterness. An interesting, unusual ale.

This was interesting. Very hazy and murky appearance, light and honey colored, with some really fragrant floral honey sweetness in the aroma. Almost has a beeswax aftertaste, but the mouthfeel is very sullen and soft, with some fruity sweetness and some exotic taste from the heather. Different but satisfying if you are in the mood for experimenting.

Murky orange and grapefruit colors. Very luminous. Weird, smooth flowery palate, soothing even... but strange with no hops used as all. It’s very evident. Semi-sweet, almost some saison-like sweetness and spices. Grapefruit and kiwi flavors as well are present... it’s hard to describe this one other than to call it experimental.