Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (Bottle)

Brewed by Harviestoun
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Alva, Central, Scotland

Bottle. Strong citrus (lemony) and faint bready hop aroma. Clear golden pour with no carbonation and a medium, soapy white head. Taste is hoppy, tangy and only lightly bitter, mostly citric with a dose of bread and authentic, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. Somewhat chalky in the linger. Medium-full body, but still comes off as light and refreshing. Clean and organic, but somewhat disappointing.

imperial pint. pours from the bottle a lovely glowing shade of orange. 1 finger tall white foamy head. light lemon aromas are backed by soft grains. starts with light grain and moves to a strong lemony sourness. potent hop profile is a showcase for european hop varieties. grassy, grainy and herbaceous with a big tangy twist.

Pours a yellow body with significant white foam. A neutral aroma. A medium mouthfeel that leaves the tongue tingling. A good straightforward bitterness. Very drinkable.This English style IPA is another demonstration of very respectable beer under 5%. One can still be productive after this session pint.

Golden in colour. A good if dissipating head. Not much int he way of malt but the fiesty citrussness and nicely hopped taste gives it an overall well balanced feel.

Draft sample, pour was golden in color, generous frothy, almost soapy looking head apperance. Aroma was fruity esters over a soft grain profile. The flavor followed suit, fruity esters and grain qualities, finishing with a slight bitter element, some grassiness / earthiness contributed by the hops. A bit more hops in the end may have brought this thing along further, although it was a decent quaffer as is.

The aroma certainly meets the commercial description, the twist of lemon zest was apparent as well as a certain spicey element that I can’t quite put my finger on. The taste was thin, but surprisingly very fresh. The finish, as is normal for this style, was overly bitter for my tastes. It just seemed so darn simple, which is probably what appeals to many, just not me. Definitely not a bad beer, just not a great one.

Tasted 21/08/2007. 500ml bottle, filtered. Rumble’s. Pretty happy to see this on the shelves, after loving the Schihallion and Old Engine Oil. That excitement is balanced with the trepidation of knowing these guys have sold to Caledonian - and that this 4.2% beer has travelled halfway around the world to the warm sheld in front of me. Pours a pale gold, with a white head that rises tightly and then languishes limp. Bright. Surprisingly pale. Bready caramel malt and a surprisingly mild hop aroma on the nose. Slightly spicy, slightly lemony - certainly a little continental or new world in style. Nice hard water brings out a lot of subtle hop flavours in the mouth (spicy, citrusy, a touch herbal) with a very decent firm bitterness from middle through the the lingering finish. I certainly get the lemony zing in the end. Light-medium bodied and slightly more carbonated than I expected. A touch of honey comes through, from the malt and herbal character. Well balanced and superbly drinkable.

Bottle. Pours a clear gold with an average size mostly-lasting white head and decent lacing. Aroma of spices, a variety of hops, bread and some mild sweetness. Somewhat refreshing, yet slightly watery flavour of spices, hops, citrus, caramel malt and a light bitter finish. Average bodied. Easy to drink, it’s probably better on tap but as is it’s decent enough.