Belhaven Scottish Stout

WWED Grade: B+

Appearance: Dark, dark beer. Black. Medium/thick brown head that died fast.

Smell: You don’t even need to bring the glass to your nose – this beer is potent! Mmmm….definite scents of coffee and chocolate.  

Taste: Very good. Traditional. The hops are light, but they are there – not very bitter. Great balance with the triple malts though.

Drinkability: Very drinkable. Medium/light carbonation. Creamy when you slush.

ABV: 7%

Serving Type: 500ml Bottle poured in Goblet

St. Patty’s Day is coming up. Time to drink some stouts! I suppose you could grab a Guinness, if you’re at the bar and that’s all they offer. It’s not bad, but kinda the Budweiser of traditional and quality stouts. Want to try something different, crafted with tradition and care? Check out Belhaven! A recipe that dates back to the 1800’s, and Scottish water drawn from the Belhaven brewery. It’s worth a shot.

Now - I keep my fridge at about 45-50 degrees, optimal for most beers. A stout like this actually opens up a bit more as it warms, so drink some when you crack the bottle – then wait a bit. Can you taste the difference? The flavors are slightly more pronounced. Dark chocolate, coffee – a slight bitterness at the end. This stout was good – very traditional. Didn’t knock me out because I feel as though I’ve tasted it before with a different label, but it’s definitely worth trying. Would I buy it again? Eh – maybe. But this beer is definitely worth buying once, maybe you’ll like it more than I do.