Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA) (Bottle)

16 oz bottle from my BA Secret Santa (thanks Lackenhauser). Pours a semi hazy amber with a large white head. Nose is floral citrusy, mostly orange. Taste is the same with a good caramel maltbackbone and LOTS of hops..somewhat biscuity, and even some fruity esters.... Very tastey, lingering bittersweet aftertaste. Thin to Medum body and moderate carbonation. Incredibly balanced. World class English style IPA.

Grapefruit, floral and herbal hops are quite perfumey in the nose with underlying biscuity malt sweetness. Brilliantly clear golden caramel coloured body is topped by a fine bubbled white head that lasts well and sticks to the sides of the glass. Nice balance between caramel and biscuity malt sweetness, citrus and floral hop flavours, fruity esters and moderate bitterness. While it is certainly understated compared to American examples, this showcases that British brewers do know how to use the hops in a much more subtle and balcnced fashion. Medium body is quite dry with lively carbonation that verges on prickly. Snifter. Cellar temperature. Bottle (BB Dec-07, LCBO, Dec-06). Seems to be mostly North Americans that have rated this one. I wonder if it is primarily brewed for export?

Not very good, I’m not a fan. Lacked a potent hop punch and was just sort of... blah. Pass on this one.

One of the better english IPAs i’ve tried in a while. This brew has a great malt flavor, kinda earthy, smokey, fruity blend with some woodiness to it. Finish has a grassy and spicy hop character and dry finish.

Poured from the bottle with a towering fortress of airy foam over a light orange brew. Nice little woodsy aroma of pine needles. Big smokiness comes out in the first swallow ... wow, this is a perfect fall beer for the fireplace ... outdoorsy ... pine, smoke, and a sweet maltiness. Nice!!

500ml bottle - pours a very clear gold, with a fluffy white head. Great carbonation. Aroma is fruity hops, and very fresh. This beer goes down really easily, and has a nicely foamy, creamy mouthfeel. The flavour is fantastically balanced, making this ale incredibly drinkable and sessionable, giving some good airtime to the malts but which do not detract from the bitterness of the hops, of which there are quite a lot. As I said, everything is very well balanced here, but the hops still punch through in abundance, with a finish that is mildly bitter and lasting. A quality IPA. Very nice.

Holy cow, what a beautifully hopped aroma. The Urquell of IPA. The smell promises so much, and the taste and finish is absolutely elegant. It comes across so fresh and vibrant and has a fullness that is perfect. In a way the Thistle is a paradox - really balanced in the British tradition, but still proudly hoppy next to a lot of quite decent IPA’s from America. DFH60 and GD Titan have nothing on this for quality. Soft classy tang of bitter citrus rind & malt fruits play well together.

Botte: Clear, light amber coloured, huge rocky off-white head; distinctive resinous hoppy nose with hints of fruitiness and sweet dark malt; bitter-sweet flavour, medium bodied; soft, moderate bitter finish, well balanced with sweet malt; with a tinge of smoked (!) malt in the aftertaste. A fine IPA..............