Heather Ale

As a sort of follow up to the last post The Chick has managed to get the whole line of ales from the Heather Ale Company in Scotland.

Oringinally we picked up the Fraoch as a novelty more than from any high expectations, but the results are that these are a fairly impressive set of ales. Although overall none form much of a head and all have poor retention. On the other hand all are either low or no-hop beers with some unique flavor profiles.

Fraoch. The Company's namesake Heather ale. This one is a medium golden that is flavored with heather flowers. The result is a very herbal almost grassy taste. Has a very smooth mouthfeel.

Grozet. This one has ripe Gooseberries added in. For those not familiar with gooseberries they are a rather tart green berry often used in pies. My expectations here were for a fairly acidic, tart fruit ale. Unfortunately it didn't really seem to have much flavor at all. It is light, refreshing and easy to drink, but not memorable.

Ebulum. Elderberries are added to a dark almost stout like ale. This one is a real standout. Rich in chocolate and black fruit flavors.

Alba. As much as I liked the Ebulum this is probably a new favorite. It has pine and spruce shoots added in. My experience with Juniper Ales had led me to expect a rather tart ale. That isn't the case at all. This ale has a rich almost perfume-complex sweet aroma and the flavor is sweet and floral. It is meant to be drunk at room temperature and you will lost a lot of complexity if you chill it.

Kelpie. Seaweed. Yes, really. This one is dark and dry. It has some interesting earthy notes and some other flavors I couldn't quite put my finger on. Not sure how I feel about this one yet, but I will try it again.