Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (Cask)

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

Cask at Charlies. Clear yellow coloured with a white head. Fruity aroma of hops, grass and pine needles. Fruity flavour of hops, grass and pine needles. Light watery.

Draught. Low but lasting white and fluffy head. Clear golden body. Strawberries and grapefruit aroma with grassy notes. Strawberry hops and hay flavor with medium hops bitterness, little carbonation and a long bitter aftertaste.

(Cask at Akkurat, Stockholm, 7 Dec 2007) Golden yellow colour with greenish tinges, slightly hazy. Frothy white head. Fruity nose with grapefruit, lemon and grassy hops. Fruity, slightly grainy taste with notes of lemon, grapefruit and grassy hop in the finish. A bit soapy mouthfeel. Nice and hoppy beer.

Draft at Rustico in Arlington, VA. Pours straw golden with a white head. Aroma of toffee pale malts and grassy hops. Medium to light bodied with a light british-esque texture. Initial flavor of very pale british malts with some slight lemony notes, that is quickly overpowered by a dry herbal and catty hop bitterness. Bitter finish is chalky, buttery, and slightly watery. Enjoyable, but not worth revisiting.

Cask. (Gallows Bird, Espoo, Real Ale Festival 2006) Crisp citrus hops. Sweet malty body, some ginger notes too. Solid well-balanced golden ale. Fresh. Lovely.

Cask at The White Horse, Parson’s Green. Light apricot appearnace with a line of head. The aroma and flavour are dominated by tangy hops with a citrus hint, but there’s good malt balance to it and it is an easy beer to drink in quantity. The palate is light without ever being watery. Highly recommended if you like your beer bitter.

cask at tennent’s bar, glasgow. golden, slight head, lemon tea aroma, soft texture, some lemon rind flavour, lightly honeyed malt and plenty of tangy bitterness. tasty stuff

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 2     Pale Yellow(1)->Dark brown(5) : 2     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 2   White(1)->Tan(5) : 1   Lasting: 2   Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 3  
Yeast : 4   Bread : 3   Apple : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : 2   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX  
Malt : 2   Biscuity : XX   Hay : 3   Toasty : XX   Caramel : XX   Nuts : XX   Honey : 2   Cereals : 2   Grainy : XX
Hops : 3   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Spicy : 3   Floral : 3   Lemon/Lime : 3   Grapefruit : 1   Orange : 1   Herbal : XX   Grassy : 2   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : XX   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Sourness : 3   Bitterness : 2   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 2   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 2   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : 1   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: Here goes one of the ultimate UK classics and it is a sourish, refreshing, zesty golden ale of high quality, but that I consider has been surpassed since it innovated.