Belhaven Scottish Ale / Export (Bottle & Keg)

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

The Belhaven Brewery has been brewing beer for years, to say the least, and their Scottish Ale is supping testament to the fact. Much lighter than what most would expect from the Scottish Ale style, it is nonetheless an exquisite supping delight which, once you taste it, is understandably their flagship beer.

She poured proud colors of mahogany, amber, and garnet into my glass while a fluffy copper head floats lazily atop her shimmering surface. Crystal clear, she sparkles and glints as light catches her good side. While her coppery tufts slowly recede, her nose slowly advances. Floral; somewhere there is a flower garden in full bloom while the apple and pear orchard next door weighs heavy with plump crunchy red apples and tantalizing green pears. Melba toast and maple crunchies crackle along with further notes of crunchy sweetness; treacle and toffee. A sprinkling of cinnamon sticks for spice, and I am more than ready to sup and savor. My first quaff is gently sweet and creamy-smooth. She shows her sweet side to me first with the finest maple, toffee, and treacle money can buy, coating the top of my tongue. Her flower garden blooms in the middle, tickling my senses with delicate floral esters before stepping aside to allow her neighbors to impress. Supermarkets need not apply. The apples and pears are as natural as Nature herself, ripe, and juicy sweet with a quick crunch of their skins for a momentary wisp of bitter acidity. My glass is decorated in the finest of silken lace, a beautiful testament to the quality of the Belhaven Scottish Ale. Considering how long they have had to perfect this brew, I shouldn’t be surprised. Cinnamon gently peppers my breath while melba toast starts to mingle with crunchy maple, toffee, and treacle. Lip-smacking delicious and extremely quaffable; a fine session Scottish ale. A few more crunchy apples and pears and flower blossoms later, and I am left most satisfied.

35,5cl bottle: Brown colour with a red hue and a minimal head. Light aroma of sweet biscuits, caramel and ashes, slightly metallic and peachy. Fine minerally and salty taste, with just a kiss of woody hops and butterscotch. Very quaffable, even a bit creamy. The subtle aromas in this Ale benefit significantly from a warmer serving temperature, I liked it best close to room temperature.

Bottle. Poured into a sensory glass. Clear amber pour, medium frothy head. Nice, light fruit aroma. Medium bitterness. Medium body with plenty of lively carbonation. A smooth, bitter finish that is shorter than expected. A bit too bitter all the way through for my taste, but something I would surely drink while watching the game on Sunday.

Fine beer for drinking while watching soccer. Pours orange brown with a thick cream head. Caramel and dough aromas. Much the same taste with a bit of spicy hop in the finish.

I have to say it tastes different here. When I got this in Edinburgh it was much different. Makes me torn because it sucks in the states compared to there. I’ll rate this one in the states though...still a good copper color and decent off white head. smells of good malt, nuts and a little caramel. Smooth and a little fruit taste at the end. Not anything more than ok here but amazing in Edinburgh

Pours dark red-brown with a frothy head. The color is nice if you hold it up to the light, but otherwise, it just looks dirty brown. Very pleasant aroma of apples, pears, and spice. Kind of a winey nose as well, I am alternately reminded of mulled wine, and spiced cider. The flavor disappoints a little bit. There’s just not much going on there. Just some musty malt bitterness. A little hoppy in the finish. Fizzy mouthfeel. It’s allright.

A clear copper pour with a big creamy head. It has a malty aroma with hints of caramel. The taste starts smooth with toffee notes followed by a slightly burnt toast flavor and a dry finish.

Bright clear brown-orange, big puffy off white foam, falling streaks of lacing. Aroma is metallic, thin, malty. Taste is malty, caramel, cocoa, toasted malt.