A Glass for the Bard of Ayrshire

A bonnie Robbie Burns Day to you all! Hope you ate massive amounts of haggis, read poetry endlessly, and drank a toast to the Scottish Bard.

I know I did.

Robbie Burns Day Beer: 
Alba Scots Pine Ale


Crikey this one's good. Ale is a general term for any fermented drink. Beer specifically uses hops, but hops were not much used until the 18th century. However, man being man, and Scots being Scots, every last piece of vegetation has fermented at some point. Alba uses fermented pine (think of a pine tree) and spruce (think of a pine tree) to create its flavours.

Now here's where things get awesome. According to the brochure, explorers would use spruce ales to ward off scurvy. As well, it's also supposed to make you awesomely fertile (ahem, ladies) and the style was introduced by the most awesome people in history: the Vikings. FACT: This stuff is awesome.

The bottle pours out a rich cloudy copper that sparkles and dances with its carbonation. The head quickly dissolves, and the nose reveals pine, spruce, a touch of caramel, and a good strong dose of malt. The label recommends serving this at room temperature and I can see why. Chilling this ale would take away from its warmth. Alba is comforting; the tepid serving widens the flavour and lasts long.

And what a flavour! This is one of the most complex drinks I've had, but doesn't go overboard. A good triple (7.5% ABV) that soothes with its deep flavour of spruce and pine. It's smoother than a puppy. It's smoother than Coltrane's "Every Time We Say Goodbye". It's smoother than Neil Patrick Harris.

The finish lasts longer than a Chaucer marathon. This ale could toss a caber. Alba Scots Pine Ale is an absolute treasure trove of unique flavour. Save this one for toasting the lassies and celebrating the poet's life. Lean back with this cup o' kindness, and take a right gud-willy waught for auld lang syne. Slàinte mhòr agad!