Alba Scots Pine Ale - Williams Brothers Brewing Company

longarm

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Viking beer? Let's give it a try. Cloudy brew reflects tints of red and orange. Maybe a little chill haze. Nice initial head leaves a small amount of lacing, but doesn't last.

Complex combination of aromas are quite difficult to disentangle. As expected there's some spruce. Aroma also has a little sweetness supporting the spruce and something like cotton candy and cough syrup. Slight alcohol hotness appears as it warms. The bottle recommends serving at room temperature. From an aroma perspective, I wouldn't let it warm too much.

The initial strangeness of the flavor is a bit of a hit for my 21st century palate, but the quality of the beer quickly takes-over. It's a little sweet, but no too much for a scottish-style ale. Seemingly no hops, and absolutely no off-flavors. This is an exceptionally well-crafted beer, in the truest sense of the word "craft". The brewers should be applauded for the attempt and success at producing an old-world beer to such a high standard. This is different and very good.

Maybe a little sticky mouthfeel.

Overall an interesting and drinkable beer. The first taste is a bit of a whammy and unexpected, but not because it's bad or poorly crafted, but simply because it's different. I can imagine why the Vikings once liked this style. Beers like this remind me why we are all lucky to be living in the greatest era in history for beer drinkers. It's well balanced and has an interesting and complex combination of aromas and flavors. I certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to experiment, but if I could find it in 6 packs, I'd make it a regular part of my rotation.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2007 19:02:39 | More by longarm

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

05-08-2013 20:09:28 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

juicebox

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

05-07-2013 01:08:23 | More by juicebox

wonothesane42

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

04-17-2013 22:14:10 | More by wonothesane42

secondtooth

Indiana

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a ruddy amber, with a limited head and no lace.

Nose is nicely woodsy, with definite spruce and pine needles and oils coming through prominently. Quite unique and appealing!

Tastes delicious -- very malty sweet, but the woody pine/spruce infusion adds an entirely different profile to this brew. I would gladly buy more of these if they were more widely available!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 14:10:24 | More by secondtooth

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

03-18-2013 16:56:39 | More by Whiskeydeez

akttr

Michigan

3/5  rDev -20.6%

03-10-2013 07:50:52 | More by akttr

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-07-2013 12:43:30 | More by t0rin0

gopens44

Virginia

3.99/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably the most striking attribute of this beer would be the appearance. Hazy copper with a nearly perfect foamy creme colored head. Oddly, virtually no lacing. The aroma immediately took me to a direction I wasn't expecting from something called pine - this thing smells balls on like a barleywine. No difference at all. Taste immediately goes the barleywine route (sweet malty goodness) until from out of nowhere, a pungent tartness pops up. The finish is just a touch tinny with a slight bitterness lingering. Body overall goes from creamy to thin by the finish. Overall, its quite different and a good departure from pretty much anything else but not something you can really throw down in any quantity.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 21:55:49 | More by gopens44

heygeebee

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -27.2%

02-21-2013 09:51:12 | More by heygeebee

Braz

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Floral and woody. Good amount of malt. Has a very sweet smell.

Appearance: Very dark but clear ruby amber color. Moderate white has leaves nice amount of lace.

Taste: Very different. Starts with malt sweetness, is then followed by a woodsy punch of pine. I picked up more pine than spruce. No bitterness.

Mouthfeel. A little sweet but nicely carbonated. Has a balanced feel but the aftertaste lingers quite a bit.

Overall: Glad I finally tried this. Interesting for sure. Probably not something I'd go to great lengths to try again. Mainly due to the aftertaste, it just kicks around too long.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:15:09 | More by Braz

lupercmda

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

02-19-2013 03:49:49 | More by lupercmda

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

02-10-2013 16:16:06 | More by DmanGTR

JackRB

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

02-06-2013 00:44:17 | More by JackRB

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

02-04-2013 02:46:54 | More by maclean25

jbenson8774

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.8%

02-04-2013 01:41:23 | More by jbenson8774

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.36/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Couldn't sleep a wink last night, but it's finally here, the best holiday of the year, HAPPY GRUIT DAY!!!!

Appearance. Pours a clear amber-orange with a half finger of white lace.

Smell. Very sweet honey and sweet grainy malts, caramel and woody herbs along with a little bit of pine forest.

Taste. Caramel and butter, some earthy herbs and brown sugar, maybe a little light fruit, and some woody pine in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body, a little bit sticky, Medium-low carbonation.

Overall. This is okay, a bit of a sipper and not really my cup of tea. I'm begining to not like International Gruit Day, wishing it was stout or IPA day instead.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:34:00 | More by Rutager

prkbball

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

01-31-2013 19:33:06 | More by prkbball

donjcarlsson

Sweden

4/5  rDev +5.8%

01-12-2013 21:14:39 | More by donjcarlsson

medic25

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.8%

01-10-2013 03:08:24 | More by medic25

Thorivan

4/5  rDev +5.8%

01-05-2013 05:06:18 | More by Thorivan

seymourbottoms

4/5  rDev +5.8%

01-02-2013 02:36:44 | More by seymourbottoms

ElGallo

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

01-02-2013 01:22:17 | More by ElGallo

Vyronian

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +25.7%

01-01-2013 05:28:30 | More by Vyronian

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear medium copper color with a smallish white head that musters quickly then leaves. The aroma is sweet with a sugary caramel and lightly fruity aroma. I wouldn't call it pine but there is a strange aroma deep underneath that defies all out detection. The flavor is sweet with lots of residual sugar mixed with a light sweet and almost tart fruit. Little to no pine or hop flavor but there is a light herbal quality to this elixir. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. Nice beer, very flavorful, easy to drink and just a hint different.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 23:16:22 | More by johnnnniee