Bitter & Twisted - Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On Cask at Town Hall Tap in Minneapolis. This beer arrives a bright golden-yellow color. The head is one inch of bright white foam that never recedes, and leaves rings of lacing down the glass until the beer is gone. The aroma is of lemons and limes with a hint of pale malt. The taste is similar to the aroma. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a silky texture, and appropriately low carbonation. Overall, this is a great beer that I could drink all day long without growing tired of it. This is the kind of beer that I wish more American breweries would produce.

Serving type: cask

07-08-2011 18:08:52 | More by KarlHungus

shamus

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +24%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Damn a really pleasant surprise. This one has no head but it smells like pot. A floral hoppy beauty. The first gullop lives up to the promise of it's bouquet. Yes. more. I like it.I will definitely buy this one again. it's been a long long while since I had such a definitely great new beer experience. i love pale ales and this is a great pale ale, but the bottle states "Blond Beer". Uhm why? Well who cares. it's what's in the bottle that counts. Or rather its what was in the bottle and is now in me gullet that counts.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2007 23:18:17 | More by shamus

mkabull

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On getting my glass beer is light golden in color , no head evident par for serving style .
The aroma is full of grapefruit (my favorite).The taste is great like grapefruit juice but no extreme pithe bitterness , hop bitterness does linger but not for long . The mouthfeel is light and refreshing . Drinkability is off the charts for me grapefruit light beer no extreme pithe bitterness loved this beer .

Serving type: cask

11-14-2008 04:01:21 | More by mkabull

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tried this on cask at the Romsey Beer Festival in the New Forest in Hampshire UK.

Pours a pale gold color with a moderate head and good lacing. The aroma is of lemony hops and some malts. The taste is very interesting, a very hoppy mix of fresh mown hay and pronounced lemon. This beer is brewed with both German and English hops, that might have something to do with the unique hop profile. The finish is very bitter and citrusy. An Excellent and very unique beer.

Serving type: cask

08-22-2004 04:59:09 | More by CAMRAhardliner

Sixpoint

New York

4.53/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

What a great beer. Had this one while cleaning up the apartment. While I was doing various chores, I found myself going back to my pint glass for more. What a treat!

A nice pillowy, white head that lingered all the way down the glass. A brilliant blonde color.

The aroma was a very nice hop profile - more spicy and herbal than fruity and citrusy.

The taste was very well-balanced; a deceptive malt backbone despite its light color. The hoppy snap throughout is a real palate cleanser.

The body was medium and the carbonation was soft, leading to an extra drinkable brew. If I were in Scotland, I'd definitely seek this one out on draft or on cask. What a session ale!

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2005 04:34:57 | More by Sixpoint

Offa

California

4.53/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is an excellent ale, complex and engaging, but the type of IPA that is really more of a very hoppy bitter.

Deep gold, it has a very big off-white head steadily shrinking to a foamy ring and a little foamy lace.

Aroma is bright, yeasty bread dough, herb, hints of fruit, jammy citrus. It's strong and full bodied.

Taste is nice, balanced, well-rounded with bright, strong bread, grain, herbs, lemon rind, yeasty juiciness, peppery bite. It has clear bitterness with balancing light sweetness. It is generally subtle and gentle but very complex and engaging with wonderful aromatic zesty bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 05:55:37 | More by Offa

Jdiddy

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the 2003 Nerax. What a treat! Nice orangish-brown color. Great hop punch with a nice malty/hop scent. Extremely smooth beer and bitter but not overly bitter. I can't wait to try the bottled version now. Nice sweet malt taste to coincide with the hop flavor.

Serving type: cask

05-11-2003 06:44:39 | More by Jdiddy

ypsifly

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Slow's in Detroit.

Clear honey with a small head of off white. Not much for lace but retention was decent.

Very hoppy with floral and citrus aromas. Their is also a yeasty smell that reminds me of apples.

Very bitter upfront with a lot of dry citrus. Almost lemony. There's enough malt sweetness to make it through and lend balance. The apple returns as the sweetness from the malt helps to bring it out. Hint of chalk into a very dry finish that retains some bitter apple. Good beer!

Medium mouth that has plenty of carb and is very drying. Very drinkable. Full of flavor but with a very sessionable abv.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2006 16:58:59 | More by ypsifly

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This poured a dark honey yellow/orange with a slight crown of head and abundant lacing. Smell is nice and hoppy, I knew I was into something good here. Taste is nice, hops are dominant but not overbearing. Aftertaste is minimal, and carbonation is very nicely balanced. As far as IPAs go, this is by far the easiest drinking one I've had.

A wonderful example of an English IPA. Something I would likely seek out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2007 01:24:09 | More by funkengruven

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Moderate head on pouring, settles to a film and leaves good lace. Hazy, apricot-orange - a good looking beer.

Sweet, hoppy nose is quite appetizing. Immediately bitter mouthfeel overlaid on malt sweetness. Nice lingering bitterness, nice balance of malt and fruity hops.

Smooth and easy to drink, very well made. A fine brew definitely worth an imbibe.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2008 20:01:35 | More by TerryW

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a bright copper with a one finger head. The head has great retention.

Aroma is very citrusy and spicy. Very aromatic hop profile, challenger and goldings are showcased.

The taste is zesty and lemony. There is a lemon rind bitterness with the classic spicy flavour of the goldings. Oranges, and a slightly grapefruit finish.

Medium bodied, not as thick as an American IPA, with a pretty low carbonation. THe mouthfeel does a lot for the refreshing quality of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 00:57:26 | More by EatsTacos

Jon

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Golden blond color with a nice layer of well-retaining head and excellent lace. Earthy hops, biscuity malt and a hint of citrus fruit linger in the nose. Pleasantly hoppy with mildly bitter hops and a sturdy, biscuity malt character lead to a zesty citric finish. Beautifully balanced. Wonderfully smooth mouthfeel -- reminds me of cask-conditioned real ale, though it's from a bottle. Immensely drinkable and quenching, this ale screams "session beer." Overall, tons of flavor and character are packed into this low gravity brew. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2003 03:02:55 | More by Jon

gfreed

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Somewhat yellowy-orange in the glass, this develops a decent, bright-white head containing loose bubbles before fizzing away leaving behind a small amount of lace. There's a bitter aroma that has some citrus, and a sharp lager-like twang to the smell that was rather unexpected. The taste, however, is nothing short of wonderful. Moderately sharp hops all around with a pointed flavor of grapefruit and lemon, falling mercifully short of the brutally over-hopped pale ales that seem to be everywhere these days. Nicely understated, and beats the pants off of just about any ale of this type I've ever had, American or British. Light carbonation and low alcohol make this superbly drinkable, and there's plenty of complexity to warrant several return trips.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 03:15:57 | More by gfreed

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Yellow/gold body, a bit murky, with nice frothy white head. The head retention is average. One is able to see plenty of small bubbles at first.

S - Very hoppy, you get that floral, pine-like, citrusy aroma. A slight touch of grainy malts is present too. The lemon zest notes start to come out in the aroma with time.

T - With an impressive blend of three hop varieties, the taste bursts with pine, lemon, and grapefruit notes. This beer has got a lot going on in it: refreshing lemon undertones, some spiciness, some tartness, a touch of bready malts, and a nice moderately bitter finish. As it warms up, the lemon becomes more apparent.

M - Light body. Very balanced mouthfeel to it, goes down smooth but has got a nice bite.

D - Very drinkable. Provided it's only 4.2% abv, this is a perfect alternative to stronger IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2009 22:59:32 | More by NightINgale

bark

Sweden

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The colour is gold, the liquid is clear. The two finger head is airy and off-white topped with a nice crater. Some lacing.

The smell is hoppy with distinct notes of lemon and lemon peels and lemon/lime candy. There are also some notes of fresh herbs and a hint of earth and meat. Some sweetness in the background.

The taste is fresh and clean with lots of lemon flavours. Some broth and rye bread. Medium body. The long dry aftertaste got notes of lemon acid, resin and lemon peels.

The carbonation is mild; the fresh bubbles are medium sized. The liquid is mid smooth.

A highly refreshing and drinkable beer with a unique lemon twist. I really enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 17:33:09 | More by bark

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Look: the beer pours a nice golden-yellow color with a large white head
Smell: Malts, grapefruit, herbal and spicy
Taste: Malts, citrus and some spicy bitter end
Mouthfeel: Smooth and lively tingling carbonation
Overall: Nice fresh hoppy beer, refreshing for a summer day. So much flavor for such a low BAV beer. A true IPA, shows to the US brewers that you dont have to over do the hop flavor profile. Bigger better faster is not always the best

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 20:48:51 | More by rvdoorn

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

looks light and bouncy.. like a sunny day... clean and crisp and see-thru. yellow fizzy.

aroma is very citrusey. inviting and mouthwatering. not at all what i imagined from a common british session bitter.

taste explodes with a big grapefruit punch. light overall and sweetly but quietly hopped. wow is this beer refreshing, and a nice change of pace for me. low alcohol will keep me drinking this all day. this beer is shy of the malty craziness that often bogs down american versions of ESB. this is one of those great beers that goes practically unnoticed for its presumed genericness.

clear, flavorful and very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2005 18:57:28 | More by goodbyeohio

Madigan

Ireland

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was really impressed with this. I've often lamented the inability of brewers to capture the zesty hoppiness of good draught beer in their bottled efforts but Bitter & Twisted, and a handful of others, come very close. The beer carbonates naturally in the bottle so you get a very measured sparkle, not the hyperactive fizz of some more well-known brands. It has a strong IPA bitterness and aroma but it's never overwhelming and it holds its flavour very well, making it a good accompaniement to your evening meal.

Put simply, you'd be hard pushed to find a bottled beer more full of character - the polar-opposite of bland commercial lager.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 17:34:36 | More by Madigan

BeerSox

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500ml bottle into nonic

Crystal clear straw hue with a one finger white head that quickly settles to a thin bubbly cap. Stringy lacing.

Delicate malts that exhibit a light toastiness. The bottle has the word zesty on it, which describes the hops pretty well. Light citrus and herbal aromas. A touch of diacetyl in the background.

Sharp and bitter hops. Mostly a grassy and herbal flavor, not a lot of citrus. Light and slightly toasted malts. Full bodied.

I would like to try this fresh in a cask form considering how it's already pretty good from the bottle after being imported. A solid Bitter. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 18:33:47 | More by BeerSox

Brent

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A very pleasant, well put-together beer. The label denotes several hops varietals, and the care taken to layer the hops was evident. Up front a bit herbal, but cleaned up and finished with a citrus note. Not as lemony as the label suggested, but citric nonetheless, with just a touch of tangyness to invite another sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2010 13:54:47 | More by Brent

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: The beer pours out a lightly hazed golden color with a ½" white head that recedes to a thin layer and a ring around the glass that leaves some light lacing. Though out most of the beer the lacing is light and mostly patches and small speckles.

Smell: The aroma is fresh, floral, grassy and lightly citric. The hop aroma is backed up by some light caramel from the malt.

Taste: The balance of malt and hop here are clearly English style IPA in that the is some earthy, grassy & lemon zest bitterness which is well balanced with the malt backbone that moderates but does not eliminate the bitterness. Both share the stage and neither dominates the other, but the bitterness is clearly the major player.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is on the light side but smooth with adequate light, slightly tingly carbonation. The finish is medium long and ends with a crisp bitter dryness that lingers and then fades slowly away.

Drinkability: This is a refreshing, easy drinking beer. While it is moderately complex and quite drinkable. Each sip follows the other quite naturally and I was quite happy to pour myself a second glassful, especially at this low ABV. I think this is mis-categorized as an English style IPA but I'm not quite sure where it belongs instead.

Serving type: growler

09-03-2010 23:29:05 | More by drtth

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very light straw colored beer. Little head, but the label touts the low carbonation level that this beer should have. The aroma when first poured was some spicy hop aromas, but they quickly faded into a more restrained malt hop aroma. The malt and hop balance is well done and quite crisp. The beer arrives on the palate with a sweet maltiness then goes bitter, and finishes dry.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2003 23:41:09 | More by GCBrewingCo

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chill hazed darker gold appearance, nice very white head that lasts well and rises to 1/2 an inch. Complex and fairly complete lacing. Aroma hops on the smell, lightly citrusy but with more of a floral sense that melds well with biscuity maltiness. Nice body, sub-medium, smooth and creamy. Malt and hop balance very well early, a combination of classic hop style and a nice sense of butter and syrup on flapjacks. Both the sweetness and the hop contribute to the finish and aftertaste, very nice. Tightly balanced and drinkable brew here. One of those beers that straddles styles, has a nicer sense of balance than many American IPAs...

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2004 15:28:21 | More by ADR

cracker

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was not what I was expecting for a Scottish beer as typically this grapefruit hoppy profile is more in keeping with American pale ales from the northwest. Delightfully refreshing I must say.

Appearance: Golden orange hue.
Smell: citrusy
Taste: Even more citrusy
Mouthfeel: Smooth, somewhat creamy, little carbonation (cask-conditioned).
Drinkablity: Absolutely easy to go down. Too bad it isn't readily available.

I was a bit suprised to find these features in a beer from Scotland

Serving type: cask

12-04-2004 20:08:48 | More by cracker

zerk

California

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep golden with a slight orange hue. Thin white head and just a trace of carbonation streaming up. Aroma is a mix of lemon and some herbal notes. Flavor has a touch of sweetness mixed with spicy and citrusy hops all over your palate. Has a nice bitter finish. Mouthfeel is light with relatively low carbonation.

This is a damn fine beer... an easy drinking session beer with quite a bit of character. I was seriously wishing I had more than one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2005 14:08:19 | More by zerk