Heatherdale Ale
Salt Spring Island Ales

On tap at Swans Brewery taproom on Vancouver Island.
Pours clear amber with a white, semi-durable head.
The aroma is mild, floral and hoppy.
The flavor follows and has mild bitterness.
Overall: interesting and worth trying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: amber with orange hues; low carbonation visible.
S: nothing. I'm swirling and swirling this and can't get any aroma at all. OK, maybe a faint stale beer smell.
T: again nothing. I don't mean clean and crisp; I mean like a beer that is slightly stale and has lost all it's flavour. It doesn't taste bad or even offensive. Just bland. Which I guess means that it is offensive for (a) any artisan beer, and (b) one that charges craft beer prices.
M: fine. Medium-bodied, low to medium carbonation.
O: very forgettable.

 

Salt Spring Brewing 'Heather' Ale @ 5.0% served from a 650 ml bottle . 473 ml can
A-pours a clean & clear gold with very small head almost no lacing along the pint/tulip
S-a very mild floral with some honey aromas as well
T-mild tasting honey adds to the sweetness , with very little hop allowing a crisp finish
MF-light and low in carbonation almost a mead like character
Ov-after a walk in the world famous "Butchart Gardens" this beer is a must , to be able to pull one outta the fridge and enjoy the view of your own garden from the sundeck ... priceless
prost LampertLand

4oz taster @ The Island Beer Festival, Club 919

I'll try my best at style-objectivity, since I have never had an Ancient Herbed Ale before and thought it tasted a little of old boot..

A: Earthy, gold-red, a little like mead, with pretty lacing and high retention (almost oily)

S: A lot like quinoa! Earthy, somewhat..pillish, like Codein. Lots of floral scents

T: Little like carob, again the old shoe, with a floral, long-lingering aftertaste.

M: Light, with moderate retention and low carb. The aftertaste was so strong, it was hard to notice the mouthfeel TBH.

O: Well, it's not my bag, but it was certainly flavourful. That being said, it wasn't all that complex, so probably not the best of the style.

Clear golden appearance with a small amount of head that auicy settles down leaving some retention. Smell consists of honey, some sweetness and a hint of malt and hops.

Taste is floral with honey and a hint of sweetness. Picked up some malt, hops and a hint of herbs and pine as well. Very light overall, but very refreshing. Light bodied with lots of carbonation. Aftertaste is a lingering floral, honey taste.

Overall, this beer doesn't have any crazy features, but very refreshing and the natural favors blend well together. Worth a try if your in Victoria.

 

. I Had Heatherdale Ale at the GCBF in Victoria. It pours with a substantial but small amount of head.The carbonation is quite low making it light enough to drink a few. It has a light golden color to it. I was skeptical about this ale at first; heather flowers in a light ale did not seem to appealing. The smell was amazing thought; it had aromas of piney hops, a delicate malt aroma, and a flora smell that had a slight rose aroma to it. The taste was multi-layered and was delicate. The taste began with a smooth malt body which leads to a floral piney hop flavor which leads into the heather flowers. The flowers give it a natural almost sweet and sour taste to it that made the beer very unique and tasty. It's a shame it is only available at B Gardens, if you ever get a chance to try it go for it.