Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA)

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

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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IPAs are low on my list for a beer and had I known this was one it would not have been ordered. However, this beer was found to be a quality offering. The tart hops (normally the turn off for me) are evident but don’t dominate nearly so much. Pine and some sweetness could be easily found but this is mostly dry beer.

One of my favorites from back in the day. Don’t know why they would put this in a clear bottle now, never good news. Color of wet straw with a decent head that lasts. Nose is hoppy and astringent once the initial skunk has done it’s business. Actually has a very pleasant nose, a little medicinal and somewhat grassy and nutty. Taste is light hop and light malt, medium bodied, and some spicyness and grassy grain leading to an overall impression of refreshing. So the clear bottle didn’t absolutely destroy this beer. Alot like a good Saison with a spattering of Cascade hops. Wish I could compare to the old brown bottled version, but I like.

Orange-amber with a steady, off-white head. Scent is malt, slight caramel, skunk...(clear bottle blues, no doubt) Taste is sweet caramel, bread....it’s cloyingly sweet. Very little bitter, almost too sugary to allow bitter to present. IPA must stand for "It’s Pretty Average" on this one.....it’s certainlt not an IPA in the traditional sense.

Nice amber/orange color; Medium creamy body; Aroma of malt, hops, & some floral; Flavor of sweet malt, hops, caramel, and fruit; Finish is slightly bitter; Pretty good overall.

Appearance: Pours out a deep golden-hued body with great clarity and topped with a frothy, white head. Some bits of lace on the descent.

Smell: Moderately malty, sweet-scented nose that yields touches of honey and golden caramel with notes of bread, orange blossoms, and spicy herbs.

Taste: Gives a sweetish taste of crisp caramel-coated grains (also some honey), a bit of breadiness. A few faint drops of apricot juice precede the hops delivering tastes of spiced bittersweet oranges, florals, and a slight grassiness. Bittersweet, orangey, sudsy finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low, subdued carbonation.

Overall: A pleasant, well-balanced ale to drink while tentatively shopping for sofas online (and giving the cat the "don’t you dare ruin this one" speech -- I’m fairly certain it went IN one cat ear and OUT the other).

On tap at the Tap Haus Wellington NZD. Came in a pint glass, with a straw golden color 1/2 inch foam head. Flat carbonation, nose I get apricot, fruit and floral, creamy smooth texture, mild hoppy with some bitter but not too much surprisingly. Overall a medium IPA that I have had, leaning on the better side. I get more from say Dogfish Head 60 min than this, but a nice showing.

well balanced. a bit mild for my taste on an ipa but definitly one i would have again

Bottle shared by rschanke...um, thanks Rob? - Pours clear amber with a filmy light tan head. Smells like a skunk – the clear bottle makes me think this sucker is waaay lightstruck. Lots of brown sugar and agave syrup. Taste is like sugar water with a touch of brown sugar. Bracingly sweet. No hops to speak of. Really slick and syrupy, very little carbonation.

#1422 draught; nose is some pine, little rubber, red pepper, meaty note, feel is watery, carb is medium, taste is dry lemon, rubber, cake, later cedar, finish is weak stale piss, leaves

500ml bottle pours a golden orange color with a finger of white head that settles down to a few spots of lacing on the glass. Aroma is piney and citrus hops with some light fruits and hints of caramel. Taste is bold pine and citrus hop bitterness with some caramel malty sweetness. Body is quite full considering the ABV and has some refreshing carbonation. Overall, this is quite a well done IPA.

Pours off orange with nice off white head. Orange marmalade in the nose with piney hops. Malt sweet and medium hop bitter on the tongue. Medium to full bodied with a hop oily long finish. Nice melding of Cascade hops and Belhaven yeast and malt.