Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA) (Bottle)

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

Tap at David Copperfields. Pale golden beer, thick white head. Aroma of soft Maris Otter malts and light earthy hops. A bit fruity and floral as well. Not Saaz, but something else. Woody and flowery, lilac, rose and more flowers. Low bitterness but a very interesing blend of aromatic hops. More of an English Pale Ale, but it’s pretty good and very unique.

This is a decent Scottish interpretation of an American IPA. Clear copper bodied with a creamy off-white head, the aroma has a healthy grapefruit & pine hop aroma with some sweet caramel malt and a hint of peat smoke. The flavor is a rich caramel & toffee, lightly smoked, with solid, lingering hop biterness producing quite a dry finish. Very enjoyable.

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Very lightly hazed golden color with a few cm of beige bubbles. A full sheet of lace. Floor malt with a wild weed hops presence. Hints of citrus in the background. Fairly thin and quite bubbly in feel. Certainly a scottish side to this one. Mild peated malt flavors that extend throughout the quaff. Some mild band-aide flavors, that seem to find their way into many a smokey brew. Light pine and touch of citrus hops dance about in the middle. Fairly dry finish, but the linger is a full and long medium charcoal malt flavor. Quite different, but not quite the body I am looking for. Seems quite traditional, but when I now think of traditional I look forward to another Hitachino Nest Japanese Pale Ale.

Pale copper color with amber mixed-in. The head is light and creamy with a large amount of lacing. The nose is lightly herbal and toasty with a bit of a cheesy note. The flavor is malty and balanced with a nice stab of bitterness. Not only did I own an 83 tercel but it also put a soundsystem in it worth more than the car.

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.

Draught @ Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Pours a clear dark golden color with a longlasting white head. Malty floral hoppy aroma with some hints of citrus. Malty and very hoppy flavor with some floral hints. Long hoppy bitter finish.

Golden with a disappearing white head. Floral aroma with a hint of soap. Lack bitterness for an IPA.

Wow, this one is more underrated than a hooker without a gag reflex. The pour is chill hazy copper with a 2-finger, uniform, off-white head. The aroma is very piney hoppy, with some caramel malt. The flavor is very hoppy, very fruity and citrusy (pineapple, tangerine), with some mid-palate floral spiciness, and a lot of Bell pepper and ground black pepper flavors. Very complex flavor, but subtle, which I can appreciate. Smooth, medium palate. This one is a standout.