Fraoch Heather Ale - Williams Brothers Brewing Company

KajII

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

[Best served in a English pint]

Poured a medium hazy yellow with a small fizzy white head that dissapated quickly and had poor lacing. The aroma was heavy of a soapy yeast, light hay malts and a moderate floral hop. It tasted slightly sweet and malty at first and finished with a light bitter-sweet flavor that had notes of yeast and a light floral hop. Mouthfeel was light in body and watery in texture with a flat carbonation. Overall a very light ale with not much flavor to offer.
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Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 15:29:45 | More by KajII

kvnstfrd

Missouri

2.5/5  rDev -33.7%

05-23-2013 14:17:04 | More by kvnstfrd

PumaSaysRawrr

Pennsylvania

3.19/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I received this bottle of 'Maple Syrup" from a good non beer drinking friend in the UK for Christmas. I sort of got sick of shoving it around every morning in my search for the Shiriachi so I decided to drink it. I poured about 6 oz in to a Sam Smith pint glass to start. Beautiful pale amber with a nice white head. I was a little surprised to see how hazy it was to the point I just assumed my glass was dirty. So after finishing the first bit I gave the glass a proper scrubbing and to my surprise it was the beer that was hazy. If you give it a good squint there are little bits of sea monkey bobbing around. Not full on kingdom sea monkeys more like sea monkeys that had a wood chipper accident.
Very mild flavor a perfect drinking and matching socks all day kind of beer. Lightly carbonated which is good cause I don't know how well those sea monkeys will burp up! No smell at all which also makes it good for drinking and matching socks all day cause nothing is worse than socks that smell like spilt beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 03:53:35 | More by PumaSaysRawrr

kyle86

Michigan

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-20-2013 21:50:03 | More by kyle86

Jamison85

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

05-20-2013 11:52:10 | More by Jamison85

SpAiReArGsEonNE

New Jersey

1.75/5  rDev -53.6%

05-20-2013 02:09:40 | More by SpAiReArGsEonNE

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-18-2013 01:52:32 | More by HarmonMW

BeerRefugee

Oklahoma

3.43/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottle. Pours a dark yellow-gold color. Thin off-white head that dissipates quickly but leaves some residual lacing. Aroma is floral, grassy with hints of grain. Flavor is a mix of floral with sweet malt and clover honey. Light bodied and very dry finish that borders on astringent. Light, easy-drinking and sessionable, but not something I would probably seek out.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 20:01:51 | More by BeerRefugee

seinfeldette

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-16-2013 20:20:32 | More by seinfeldette

Lantern

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-14-2013 10:40:14 | More by Lantern

Schlafly33

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-11-2013 22:21:26 | More by Schlafly33

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-11-2013 01:31:40 | More by tommyguz

Bill235

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -27.1%

05-09-2013 14:16:18 | More by Bill235

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-07-2013 22:16:12 | More by onix1agr

JayReq

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured this into a small tasting glass.

Appearance: Deep golden hue, a little clouded. Pours a flimsy white head that settles down very quickly. Little to no lacing on the glass. Very plain.

Nose: A very fruity/floral head, with notes of honey and pine, and a tiny bit of syrup. Honestly, one of the best beers I have ever smelt. The scent matches the taste, and with a taste so appetizing, it is hard to rate this one as anything less than great.

Taste: Matches the nose in almost every way. A very delicate honey over fruit, a slight tinge of pine. Very, very drinkable.

Mouthfeel: Smooth over the tongue, it has a really bubbly finish that reminds me this is definitely an ale. A bit of a herbal explosion right before the swallow. Again, very, very easy to drink.

Excellent Scottish Gruit. Pick this one up if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 19:27:52 | More by JayReq

blknikon

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-30-2013 20:01:29 | More by blknikon

bmwats

Louisiana

3.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33 cl bottle into a footed tulip.

A: Deep golden hue. Pours about a quarter finger, foamy, white head. Quickly dissipates. Very distinct and persistent beer ring lacing.

S: A little freshly cut grass, and a slight pine hop. Strong scent of fructose, and sweetened indistinct fruity syrup.

T: Papery malt tone. Very slight bitterness. And a very light carbonated fruit soda thing. None of the components overpowering, well-balanced.

M: Light, but kind of a syrupy texture. Slightly dry finish.

D: Not much resistance. Very good drinking brew.

Atmosphere is really solid. Nice hue, not much of head, but light but distinct lacing. Nose consists of many subtle notes of grass, hop, fruit, and corn syrup. Flavor is a very light malt tone, accentuated with a little soda and fruit, and finished with a slight bitterness. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 03:05:34 | More by bmwats

wonothesane42

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-17-2013 21:20:59 | More by wonothesane42

BogBoyJD

Ireland

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-15-2013 12:57:23 | More by BogBoyJD

ohiobeer29

Ohio

3/5  rDev -20.4%

04-14-2013 06:21:09 | More by ohiobeer29

pathman

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

04-06-2013 01:44:18 | More by pathman

secondtooth

Indiana

3.7/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clean amber, with a solid head of off-white suds. Little residual lace.

Nose is floral and honey-like, with some unusual herbal tones. Not bad.

Taste is more of the herbal, with a touch of fruit in the mix somehow. Definitely a malt-based ale, this one brings a floral finish. Enjoyable and different from the usual craft ales.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 12:46:09 | More by secondtooth

RochefortChris

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

03-31-2013 02:19:28 | More by RochefortChris

kojevergas

California

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Full disclosure: I don't have any idea what "heather" is or what it might taste like. 1 pint .9 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded silver pressure cap acquired at Whole Foods and served into a flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average. Product of Scotland. 5% ABV confirmed. Best before: November 2013. Imported by St. Killian.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger biege colour head of fair cream, decent thickness, and above average (~4 minute) retention. Body colour is a translucent semitransparent pale copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Light even lacing sticks to the sides of the glass as the head recedes. It's generally appealing. There are no overt flaws, but there's nothing unique or special.

Sm: Quite pleasant, actually. Pale malts, a bit of crystal malt, lovely floral hops, pale grains, sweetness, nectar, flowers, mint, and herbs. I'm rubbish at plucking out specific herbs, but I do know there're herbs here. Sorry to state the obvious. Love the rich flowery notes. A bit milky. A mild strength aroma.

T: Hm. Tasty stuff. Quite floral (in terms of both hops and herbs). Some minty grassy notes in there too. Honey. Pale malts form the body. It's grainy and grassy throughout, yet surprisingly drinkable. I guess I expected some kind of weirdly herbal spicy undrinkable stuff, but I'm pleasantly surprised with it. A touch of lactose. Milky. Reminds me of a weird saison in a way. Balanced and flavorful. I quite like it. There isn't a whole lot of complexity here, but it's pleasant and enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth, smacky, and wet. Good thickness for the flavour profile. Good carbonation.

Dr: A very drinkable little beer for nights when you want something a little different. I'd get it again in the right mood and at a good price. Sessionable. It's a nice change of pace and I can see why it's potentially the most known example of the style.

B

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 01:33:43 | More by kojevergas

FLima

Brazil

3.63/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Amber orange color, a bit hazy. It made hardly one finger of head, left laces though.
Floral aroma, very easy to identify its heather herbs, I found it similar to juniper berries.
Taste is also very herbal and refreshing. Sweet malt with a clear hint of heather and gale herbs, giving a mild spicing sensation. Dry finish though not really bitter.
Light body with medium carbonation.
Interesting to have an idea, through this example, on how beer tasted a long time ago before the use of hops. Also the fact that it tastes a bit similar to juniper beers, it may indicate that this was the standard of how beers should taste like back then.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 20:14:10 | More by FLima