6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Interesting blend of traditional Scottish Ale flavors and cask-derived wood and whiskey. The beer pours chocolate-brown with a thin tan head, and has an aroma of smoked peat, whiskey, and wood. Flavor is tangy with plenty of peat but dominated by sour wood and whiskey which is reminiscent of the malt vinegar people (myself included) sprinkle on fish at Long John Silver's. Finishes with a hint of chocolate but the sour aftertaste lingers in the back of the mouth and throat.
Tried
from Cask
on 05 Feb 2004
at 21:36
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
(500 ml bottle). Golden colour, moderate head. Moderate but decent hoppy aroma. Hallertau in a bitter? Must be unusual? Mouthfeel is initially quite soft and not very "bitter and twisted", but there’s a distinct lemony bitterness in the finish (Styrian Goldings). Leaves a nice aftertaste. Very refreshing. I can see why this beer has a broad appeal to the masses. Not a piece of art, perhaps, but a decent and well made bitter. Looking forward to sampling it cask conditioned. Rerate: This beer has become part of my staple diet, due to its availability here in Norway, and I will readily admit that I LOVE both the aroma and flavour. I’m upping it 1 point.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Dec 2003
at 13:28
6.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Close to pitch. Malty aroma - toffee, wood, molasses and Highland whisky. Rich malt flavours of molasses and earth, melded seamlessly with light peat and whisky notes. Finish is sweet, almost cloying, though there is also tartness there. For a barrel-aged beer, this is quite balanced. I had Calva Reserva last month and though they've both spent six months in their respective casks, there is a tremendous difference in balance. Just one more reason why Harviestoun is one of the top British breweries, I guess.
Tried
from Cask
on 26 Dec 2003
at 00:49
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pours a thick black with deep violets and dark burgundies. No head, maybe a touch of burnt beige around the edges. Decent lacing. Upon warming and sitting, the appearance is actually fairly clear. Good aroma, very chocolatey, lots of prunes, dark grapes, a very whiskey aged smell. Surprisingly, this is only a medium bodied ale at best. Very light upon opening, with the body being mainly chocolate, slight bitter grapes and some roasted barley. Carbonation is well handled however, and the finish is quite winey and somewhat complex. I realize old ales were never meant to be the thickest, richest, most full bodied ales, but this one could still use some more body. I like the relatively low alcohol.
Tried
on 20 Dec 2003
at 12:10
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Black, lowish head. Nuts and sharp lemony flavors dominate. Hops seem a bit dusty. Had some sharp edges I couldn't come to terms with.
Tried
on 20 Dec 2003
at 11:18
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
The aroma is very light hoppy with notes of grass. TH volor is a dark yellow and it has no head. The flavor is sweet, malty, and hoppy with grassy notes. A fine beer.
Tried
on 05 Nov 2003
at 12:41
8.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bright copper colour. Minerally, earthy, marmaladey aroma. The palate is complex, juicy, earthy, hoppy. Their yeast is absolutely wonderful, adding layers to their beers. Truly one of Britain's showpiece breweries, Harviestoun is well-deserving of their CBOB award for Bitter & Twisted. The Indian Summer is a better beer, but these guys are a stellar representative of what British brewing should be in the 21st century.
Tried
on 19 Oct 2003
at 11:01
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Sampled cask conditioned at Akkurat, Stockholm, Sweden.
Pale orange and slightly hazy. Rich perfumy aroma of grapefruit and apples. Sweet and light bodied. Rounded up front, but with rugged flowery bitter finish.
Pale orange and slightly hazy. Rich perfumy aroma of grapefruit and apples. Sweet and light bodied. Rounded up front, but with rugged flowery bitter finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 30 Aug 2003
at 13:08
5.4/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 4
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A yellow beer with a small head. The aroma is slightly bitter. The flavor is very fruity stemming from the Hersprucker hops with notes of lemon. A very fresh and lovely lager.
Tried
on 09 Aug 2003
at 15:42
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Sampled cask conditioned at Oliver Twist, Stockholm.
Amber colour. Grapefruit aroma. Fruity, rounded and salty. Raisiny and smooth up front, but rugged and bitter in the finish.
Amber colour. Grapefruit aroma. Fruity, rounded and salty. Raisiny and smooth up front, but rugged and bitter in the finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 05 Aug 2003
at 07:44