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Belhaven Scottish Stout

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A strong stout with a pleasing flavour!

Dec 10, 2010

by cpw1952
posted in The Beer Snob

Rating:

A creamy pouring beer with such a rich deep brown colour as to approach an opaque black. The head, a lovely cappuccino brown with reasonable staying power, is thick and creamy with, paradoxically, the appearance of being simultaneously dense and frothy. Generous fluffy lacing all around stayed long after the glass was well drained (which, if I may say so, didn't take very long)

The aroma is faint, rather surprising for a 7% ABV stout, but there are hints of smoke and coffee with chocolate coming in a rather distant third.

The taste is lovely - a beautiful combination of smoke, slightly burnt coffee and chocolate, very subtle sweetness, just the teeniest hints of fruit and, of course, plenty of hops and malt to remind you that, after all, this is a beer you're drinking. Carbonation is minimal and the beer has a very pleasant mouth and tongue feel. Unlike some other strong beers there is no hint of an alcohol taste. A lovely flavourful beer with no overpowering or cloying aftertastes that I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to sample. By the bye, you might be interested in knowing that Bellhaven also brews and bottles Innis & Gunn which is probably my all-time favourite beer.

P.S. Lots of beer reviewers suggest that clear bottles are a heresy that is a chronic cause of skunkiness. They may well be right (I wouldn't know about that) but I can say that there was no hint of skunkiness in this particular beer and I have NEVER encountered even the remotest hint of skunkiness in any of the MANY bottles of Innis & Gunn that I've consumed in my life.

Bellhaven Scottish Stout, a great winter beer for in front of the fireplace. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

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Sharrie January 03, 2011

Happy 2011, Paul! Cheers!!! Sound like the perfect drink for the start of a new year!

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About the reviewer

Paul Weiss (cpw1952)
Ranked #18

A modern day dilettante with widely varied eclectic interests. A dabbler in muchbut grandmaster of none - wilderness camping in all four seasons, hiking, canoeing, world travel,philately, … more