Miasmatic Review

Belhaven Scottish Ale

This week�s beer is brought to us by Petey of Petey�s Powderhorn. He gave me a can of Belhaven Scottish Ale Draught by the Belhaven Brewery Company LTD. In Dunbar, Scotland.

It came in a 14.9 fl oz nitro can. You know, the can with the widget in it that injects nitro into the beer making it extra creamy. The can is two tone with the upper half a tan color and the bottom a dark brown, which may be in homage to the way the beer looks in a glass. On the front of the can there is a picture of an old Scottish village. In a half circle above the picture is the name Belhaven. Below the image it says Scottish Ale in gold outlined boxes.

When poured into a glass it has a dark reddish copper color. It�s clear with no cloudiness to it at all. It�s too dark to make out what�s on the other side of the glass, but light still passes through. The head is thick and creamy. It has a nice tan color to it and it lasts for a long time. There is a very minimal amount of lacing on the side.

The scent is grainy and cereal like, almost like a whole grain or bran cereal. The gentle scent of hops follows along with a touch of fruit. The taste is much like the taste. There is a sweetness of toasted malts with a mild hop follow up. There is a fruit flavor that is reminiscent of apples or pears. A slight nuttiness is also present. The aftertaste is mild and fades quickly.

This is a medium bodied beer. There is a creamy coating that washes through the mouth as it is drank. It helps to lock in the flavor. It�s easy to drink and is refreshing.

I�m a huge fan of Scottish Ales. I�ve drank many of them, and this is a pretty good one. It�s a little light in the color and flavor, but still not bad. The smokiness and dark roasted malt flavor is not present like in most Scottish ales. Overall I like this beer; I�m giving it 7 out of 10.