Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (Cask)

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

Cask at Guildford Arms, Edinburgh. this was the the first time I had this beer and it was a complete revelation. I had never had anything that assailed my senses from the get go like this one. I could sit there all afternoon just enjoying the aroma of lemon citrus and floral american hops. The fact it is only 3.8% amazes me that they can get so much flavour into it. I would happily drink this every week 4.8/5.0 Re-rate Cask at Guildford Arms, Edinburgh Nice tea and citrus, but nowhere near the explosion of flavour and aroma when I had this beer here for the first time 5 years ago.

Pint poured at the Halfway House in Edinburgh. A clear, clean orange with a big thick head. Aroma is of fruity hops, with melon notes. Would have liked more flavour to come through, but on the palate it is bitter through the mouth, with a sweetness left in the aftertaste.

Cask in the Standing Order, Edinburgh (Weatherspoons). Zesty lemon, grapefruit aroma, good mouthfeel, long bitter refreshing finish. Lovely.

Cask Conditoned at NERAX 4/28/2005
Is Silktork going to be mad at me if I say this is one of my favorites of the fest so far? Maybe it was the fact that this was soooo much better on cask than in bottle, but I don’t know, for whatever reason I really enjoyed it. Light and tingly, but still full of lemon, lemonpeel, grapefruit and pale malt. That little bit of herbal/lemony flavor that is disgustingly overwhelming in bottles is present, but only briefly and it seems to work well with the beer. Medium body for how low gravity it is, not watery. Citric acid all over the place, but still manages to be controlled. Not too sweet. Yum.

[draught at kirky puffer] Nose is intense fruits, lots of citrus with some apricot and some grassy hops, decent body and a nice bitter finish. Great session beer.

GBBF 2003 Champion Beer 2003. Piss yellow lager colour. Citric aroma, but very restrained. Soft texture with mild citric flavours vanishing in a soft finish. It’s the taste sensation of the moment in Britain - citric all the way! Soft, citric and yellow, that’s what the public like. [2.3]
Feb, 2005:JDW, Rochester. I was interested to try this again after seeing so many rave reviews, and it pops up in my local ’Spoon. Bah! This really is one of the poorest examples of the fresh citric Golden Ales that have taken Britain by storm. The dry, dusty coriander notes hold this back from a zinging clarity - and what citric flavours can be discerned are very poor quality, tasting more like washing up liquid than a freshly cut lemon. Very late in the finish some pleasant grapefruit dryness is felt - but it’s a case of too little too late. [2.4]
June, 2005. Catford Beer Fest. Fragrant aroma - fresh apple, citric, white lilly, clean, dry and refreshing flavour - but with a tendency to a soapy finish. [2.8]

Guildford Arms, Edinburgh( off princes Street) Fantastic!!! This pub has a vast range of ales and continental beers on draught, I found the Bitter & Twisted to be the best...hoppy and so satisfying, visit if you can!

Cask Conditioned at Banbury Beer Festival ’04. Pale gold with healthy white head. Floral aroma with a marvellous bitterdry and citric body. Plenty of lemon and Grapefruit. A smashing beer.