Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA (USA) (Bottle)

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

This is not a favorite nor will it ever be. Strong butterscotch candy aroma, witha bit of grassy hops, almost on the herbal side. Flavor is extremely bitter, with some biscuity maltiness

The label disturbs me with the whole " 3 centuries of..." crap. The cascade hop has not been around that long so this whole line is a wash. Plus is this the best you could do after 300 years? A nice smelling beer, warm hop spice. Flavor is lost a little with my acid palate but is light on the hops. Slightly dry finish. From a bottle, would it be better on tap? I dont think so.

Twisted Thistle IPA A - Light brown, red and orange hues are there as well. Frothy white head and ample amounts of lacing. S - Buttered malts, earthy, and grassy notes. T - Taste has a nice malty upfront backbone, waves of fresh Cascade and challenger hops. They really don’t come across much, and the bitterness is only slight, yet it balances well however, and taste comes out fine. Lingering light bitter aftertaste, with a semi-dry finish.

There’s a marked yet subtle difference between the fore- and after-taste: the foretaste is lightly (not at all extreme, as the previous reviewer suggests) malty and piquant, with hoppy overtures. The aftertaste transitions into what we all love about IPAs: creative blending of pleasantly bitter hops. I find this particular blend just right for mild moods, where one desires just enough bitterness to remind us of the acetic quality of hops without pushing the envelope. There are moods where I want the envelope pushed, but for lightness, this is a pleasant option. Bottle, 1Pt, .9Fl. Oz.

the only reason i had this beer was because i found a place that sells Stone here (it’s the only place i know of around here). suprisingly enough, it’s at 30th street train station. anyway, i went in for a stone but they were out so the bartender recommended this. i was wholeheartedly disappointed. this beer is not an ipa. it’s maltly as hell. all i needed was some ice cream and i could have had a malted milk shake. blech!!!

Bottle (500ml). Slightly hazy orange with a huge beige foamy lasting head. Very fresh light fruity malt aroma and plenty of floral/perfumy/funky hops - really nice, a great change from the full-on resin/citrus assault of many west coast IPAs. Taste is ... ah, petrol-y, a common Belhaven trait, very funky hop-sour - even the grainy malt seems a tad sour too, but refreshing and no aftertaste. Soft, light mouthfeel, a little acidic, not terribly carbonated - refreshing, a nice change.

Tap @ Kelvin @ Arms: Cloudy color, orange color, small head, white, good lacing. Somewhat watery aroma, some hops, not overpowering aroma. Watery hoppy taste, bitter & unbalanced. Bitter aftertaste. Smoother as it warms up, but still not much flavor.

Coppery/dark orange beer topped with a gorgeous frothy off white head. Unusually for a British IPA I can actually smell the aroma especially of the cascade hops, spicy and light grapefruit..some good malty aromas too. Great fruity hoppiness, tingly on the tongue then smooths out for a creamy malty finish, yet the excellent hop bitterness persists down the throat and in the after taste for quite a while. Very livelly taste..a "zing" and a great boost to the drinkability. I liked this a lot..a great American style IPA with a delectable British feeling..well done Belhaven.