Belhaven Scottish Ale / Export (Bottle & Keg)

Brewed by Belhaven (Greene King)
Style: Bitter
Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

(can from Coaltrain Wine & Liquor in Colorado Springs, CO). Clear amber color. Medium size creamy, off white head. Light malt and alcohol aromas. Light malt flavor. Avg duration. Light bitterness on the finish. Thin/slick texture. Soft carbonation. Excellent lacing.

One of the finest Scottish ales I’ve had yet, this pours with an attactive dark brown colour and a creamy, thick head. Aroma and taste show the malt content, but not too much to be unpleasant. Very nice to drink.

At Chriso’s Pre-GBBF Shindig ’09. Bottle, best before June 1994, perfectly acceptable. Brown. Sweet honey malt aroma. Sweet sugary taste. You could pour this over a creme caramel dessert. If you felt so inclined.

Pours a clear orange, very little foam. Aroma is yeasty with a hint of citrus. Taste is not as biting as I would expect from a Scottish ale, and a bit one dimensional. Good, but not as good as I anticipated.

16oz bottle. Pours a a rich deep amber body with a two finger white head. Aroma of rich fruit with sweet caramel, nuts and bread. Tastes as it smells with a light hop finish. Smooth and well balanced.

On tap at the Flying Saucer in KC. Pours a cascading, nitro induced body that leaves it with a clear, copper color. Finger-width, very creamy, beige head that never completely dissipates and leaves a lot of streaky lacing. Aroma is fruity with a mild toasty toffee. Not getting much else. Flavor is a little better with more diversity. Toffees, a touch of roast, some fruit, a bit of an earthy bitterness, nuts, and a light smoke. Finishes malty and smooth with a mild nut, semi bitter roast, fruity, smoke aftertaste for a moderate duration. Medium bodied and smooth. Not as creamy as I was anticipating, but smooth. Overall, a decent beer. Sweet with enough balance to get by, but underwhelming.

1/30/2008: Belhaven Scottish Ale smells fruity with undertones of chocolate. It’s color is golden and it has a transparent appearance. There is a foamy off-white head that provides good lacing. There is a moderate amount of carbonation in this smooth, medium-bodied beer. The flavor is nutty and somewhat dry with a bit of "green" coffee bean characteristics. This beer is a little confusing since it seems to be a cross between a Bitter and and a Scottish-style Ale.

12 fl. oz. bottle. Rating #921 for this beer.

Come to me my lovely! This beer has every element that I enjoy. Complexity of malt aromas and flavours, just a dash of hops and a drinkability that begged me to have another. Alas, alack I only had the one bottle. Definitely a starter for next time.