Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA) (Bottle)

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

500 ml bottle. poured amber with an ave white head. carbonation kept re-building the head all the way down the glass which left perfect lacings. i could count my sips in the lacings. aromas were hoppy but muted. pale malt was also in the nose. flavours were similar with the pale malt really coming through as it warmed which took away from the hops. overall it was ok but a little dissapointing, i was expecting more.

500ml bottle, that still says 6.1% ABV. Pours a nice deep copper, with a tinge of amber, and a large tan head. Aromas of hops, that’s pretty much it. The taste is nice, malty and hoppy the whole way through, very fruity, with a decent bitter finish, and fruity after taste (malt + hop blend). It’s not intenesly bitter, but it’s still got plenty of bite to it. I strongly disagree with the APA classification. It’s probably more like an IPA than it is an APA. I think EPA would be fair enough, or even bitter, but APA seems ridiculous to me. Is it just too malty without enough bitterness? It does remind me a little of St. Ambroise pale ale, but not all THAT much. I have no idea where the 5.3abv came from either, because this is a fresh(ish) bottle, and it still claims to be at 6.1%abv. I’m tempted to send corrections at some point, or at least inquire as to what the hell is going on. Good beer though.

Pours a orange/amber colour with a big cloudy creamy head that has good retention and sticks to the side of the glass all the way down. Aroma is floral and hoppy with notes of caramel and cardboard. Flavours are subtle but complex, with a light malt caramel backbone, and lots of hoppy bitter citrus flavours of grapefruit and orange zest, has a bitter herbal tasting finish. All and all a pretty damn tasty Pale Ale.

Draught. High creamy white and lasting head. Clear golden body. I suppose the aroma is from the barley malt but again it reminds me of muddy water. Sorry mates its not good. Mild burned malt flavor without much bitterness. IPA huh ? Low carbonation. Long bitter aftertaste. Thistle, well I have to believe its there because I cannot taste anything special.

16.9oz bottle-pours a white head and gold color. Aroma is mild caramel malt, (continental&) citrus hops. Taste is caramel malt, earthy/floral/slight citrus hops. OK I read the label, northwest hops-OK, but no continental!! OK effervescence. Nice.

Tap at Olivertwist , Stockholom ... Golden yellow ... light hop nose ... quite sharp hop with lots of fruity hop.

Tap... came out a bright, semi-foggy orange with little to no head. Floral, smooth, fruity malt up front followed by hops. Not as bittery-hop as I’d prefer. Possible session?

On tap at Lucky Baldwin’s IPA Festival ’07. Light orange gold color with a thin head. Subtly smoky, almost heathery aroma with a slight malt sweetness. Some light peated malt smokiness is perceived with a touch of malty sweetness and herbaceousness. Light body without much bitterness.