Belhaven Scottish Ale / Export (Bottle & Keg)

Brewed by Belhaven (Greene King)
Style: Bitter
Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Pours from the can into my 25cl tulip with a creamy, tight, light tan colored head that stars out a fat two-fingers in height. The beer is a brilliantly clear, red-stained, deep amber color that shows a cranberry-red tinged, deep copper color when held up to the light. The aroma has a nice berry-like fruitiness to it up front, but becomes more toffee like once I start to focus on the aroma. Malt aromas of crushed crackers, lightly toasted bread and some hop & / or malt notes of grass and very faint herbs.

Lightly sweet tasting, which accents a nice, soft berry (currant & faint blackberry) character as well as caramelized malt flavors. Quite smooth as the widget clearly knocked out all of the carbonation, this is very light and quaffable as well. Finishes with an almost menthol-like, very faint herbal hop character and a touch of bitterness. There is some light, dry grain character towards the finish that provides hints of crushed saltine crackers and a touch of toasty grain character.

This gets a bit fuller and more flavorful as it warms up a bit; nothing overwhelming, but it is certainly a beer I would have again. While not overly flavorful, it does have a nice mix of notes that keep this an interesting tipple.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson AZ

Århus2008. 50 cL bottle. Pours clear and golden orange with a fully diminished white head. Light malty aroma. Flavour is light fruity hops with a mild bitterness and again a light fruity note towards the finish. Light fruity/hoppy finish.

in nitro can, light amber pour with nice white head as expected from the nitro, mild malt flavor with hint of hop bitter, nothing really different noted from any "normal" ale, mildly bitter aftertaste...won’t have again.

not a bad beer, but not one I’d buy regularly. very malty and not too bitter. it’s smoky and sugary with hints of banana.

Poured deep amber with a thin head. Smokey, sweet malt aroma. Taste was much the same sweet malt and smoke with a hint of fruit. A bit thin for the style, but passable.

(35.5cl bottle) Clear, copper colour with a quickly diminishing beige frothy head. Sweet toast-malty aroma with butter, caramel and lemon-fruity hops. Sweet-bitter flavour, light bodied, slightly fizzy mouthfeel. Initially toasty malty with notes of butterscotch; moderately dry and fruity finish with a pleasant and quite rounded bitterness (24.05.08).

Draught can (with a widget). Big, creamy, white head that sticks around. Cloudy amber head. Sweet aroma of molasses, candy and nothing else. Flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Light to medium body with a creamy texture thanks to the widget. Soft carbonation.There are some good things in this beer, all made worse by the widget.

A very nice brew overall. Pours a dark reddish brown colour with a full brown head. Full on the palate, nice and heavy- lots of creamy berry fruit with soft vanilla flavors. Malts are present, but not too rich. Subtle smokey character and soft oak.