Fraoch Heather Ale
Billed as an Ancient Herbed Ale or Scottish Gruit, the Fraoch Heather Ale is not only a new beer to me, but an entirely new style of beer that I don’t believe I’ve had before. A quick scan of BeerAdvocate’s database confirmed that fact. It also let me know that this style of brew “…has been said to stimulate the mind, create euphoria, and enhance sexual drive.”
Sweet. I’m there.
Oh wait… it also stipulates “…when consumed in significant quantity.” Crap. I only have the one bottle.
Appearance
The Fraoch pours a hazy yellow/orange with a large, full off white head that faded to nice lacing.
Aroma
Wow, this one smells good. Lots of floral notes up front with a subtle spice, as well. There’s a definite hop presence, but it works well with the heather aroma without dominating it.
Taste
This one took me a few sips to fully iron out everything that was going on with each drink. The heather has an interesting flavor when combined with the spices that were used. It’s floral and slightly sweet, but it’s also got a characteristic that sort of reminded me of mustard seed. Lots of herb throughout this beer. It’s nice and crisp and the active carbonation keeps the flavors rolling around in your mouth.
Overall
For my first foray into Ancient Herbed Ales, this was certainly a great way to get started. The lower ABV and wonderful hop and floral flavors would make this a great beer to have after a hot days work in the yard or, as I enjoyed it, after a long trail ride on the trusty mountain bike. I’ll be on the lookout for more of this one.
Rating: 3.5/5