Braveheart Beir
Harmon Brewing Co.

This beer pours a hazy brownish yellow with a foamy head that settles into a light lace. It has a sweet and mellow aroma that tickles. The flavor is biting at first with a spicy tingle the heather comes out in the end as an after taste there is fruitiness to the spice that reminds me of spiced orange. It has a creamy feel that finishes fairly clean. In all this beer does the style well It reminds me slightly of an IPA. Give it a try.

Harmon assigns the odd spelling of “Beir” to this beer. It is a hopless ale brewed with heather tips in the old Scottish style and offered as a summer seasonal. At first the waitress tried to steer me away from it. “Most people don’t like it,” she told me, and insisted on bringing me a sample before serving me a pint. I applauded her honesty but ordered a pint anyway. It came with a soft white head that promptly receded and a punky-swamplike odor that I actually appreciated.

Braveheart’s flavor is sharp and peppery and hints strangely at rhubarb. The heather platform is not prominent until you get a satisfying belchback, at which point it is somehow more noticeable. A light touch of lime flavor also arises, suggesting a possible pairing with a citrus condiment.

Visually, Braveheart appears similar to an amber ale or bitter. It successfully represents the style and is enjoyable to drink though a lingering heaviness on the tongue tarnishes the finish somewhat.