Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA) (Bottle)

Brewed by Belhaven (Greene King)
Style: American Pale Ale
Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Bottle. Poured copper color with a large frothy off-white head that lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate tart citrus and peaty smoke aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium balanced flavor with a dry bitter finish that was long lasting. Good complex brew.

Now this is an interesting beer here. Pretty beer. Lustery and almost purple it’s so amber colored. Fizzy and only slightly filtered. Bubbles are pushing the yeasty bits around. Nose is solid. Much more hoppy than anticipated being british and with those dirty fuggles hops that are soo earthy. Citrus and a dry cobwebbyness and then something really strange but appealing, bacon, applewood smoked bacon. Hidden beneath the hoppy residue is a nice smoky malt! Ha! The malt base smells and tastes just like their scottish ale’s. Subtley smoky. Tart meatiness that the hoppy earthy bitterness matches supremely. Flavors reflect all of the above qualities adding a pleasent lingering bitterness from both the hops and carbonation. Syrupy residue. Mouthfeel is also exceptional. Better than most. Coating. Good beer.

Clear honey coloured body with slightly off-white head. Hop aroma backed well by some caramel. Good taste of hops ( grapefruit and orange ) without them overpowering it, with a touch of honey in there as well, not a big body beer but easily sessionable and alcohol is well hidden.

Pours dark amber into a shaker. Citrus, pine, bandaid and resin notes. Significant micro head that convexes above the rim and leaves plaster of lacing. Thin with upfront malt bandaid flavors and a lasting bitter bandaid finish. Didn’t really detect anything other than bandaids..ah, well.

Honey colored- white frothy head- bread, mint sprig nose- tangy orange, candy red fruit, clove with sight hop taste- smooth body – tart acidic after taste – not an exceptional IPA but a good beer just the same

(bottle) Pale amber colour with a lacing mid-sized slightly off-white foam. Floral hop aroma with toasted malt and orange-fruity notes. Bittersweet flavour, aromatic dry and slightly fruity hoppy and soft caramel-malty taste; medium bodied, smooth and almost creamy mouthfeel; moderately dry and bitter finish. Balanced and tasty.

Orange-amber haze into the glass with a decent head. Lot of yeasty particles abound. Aromas of Cascade hops, some spiced grapefruit and caramel as it warms. Hop flavor isn’t over the top, and it’s balanced nicely with some caramel malt and floral accents. Floral opens up a bit against a crisp finish to provide a nice bitter back. Mouthfeel is in direct proportion to the rest of the brew, filling but not thick. Very drinkable... I was nicely surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

500 ml bottle, from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours a hazy, ruddy amber with lots of tiney floaties in suspension and a large beige head that leaves nice lacing. Sweet, toasty and caramelly malt aroma with a distinct hop character that’s somewhat vegetal and herbal in character. Flavor is sweet, perhaps a bit oxidized, with the herbal and floral hops - again with a somewhat vegetal taste and a bit of pepper in the finish. Medium body, creamy carbonation.