Haven Heather Ale
Notch Brewing

Brewed exclusively for The Haven in Jamaica Plain, MA. Served in a pint glass with a fingers worth of off white head that falls to a swirl atop the beer and leaves a nice lacing. The color is a deep yet clear amber, leaning a shade towards brown. The aroma is very malt focused, with a sweet caramel backbone and hints of honey and graham cracker. The smell of english hops and some herbal tea sit less noticably in the background. That same malt flavor is present in the taste, but overshadowed by a moderate hop bitterness. Freshly cut grass hop flavor blends nicely with the herbal, spicy, almost peppery flavor of the heather. If I was unaware of the heather I would probably guess this flavor was actually due to yeast esters. The hops, heather and caramelized malts all come together to give this a nice, dry finish, to go along with a smooth light to medium body.

Don't go into this expecting a gruit and you'll find a nice, drinkable session ale with an interesting twist.