Bitter & Twisted - Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a nonic pint glass on 5/8/13

Clear, golden straw color with clinging bubbles and one finger of white foam. Thinner, soapy retention. Only a few specks of lace.

The aroma is bristly with orange peel, pine and lemon zest. Biscuit notes as well. It smells a bit skunky at first but I think that's just the hop profile. The flavor is that of herbal hops with a floral hint. There are modest notions of orange rind and other such pith. Grassy overtones and toasted cracker and biscuit. The feel is a little watery but pretty decent. Carbonation is moderate and not over reaching the body. Herbal and bitter twinge on the finish.

I don't reckon this is too bad; a decent sipper that I'm in no hurry to get again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 23:33:10 | More by Ryan011235

smiga

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Presentation: Half-Litre (1 Pt 0.9 fl.oz) brown glass bottle poured into a .5l cylinder glass. It's more of a Golden Bitter Ale than an IPA.

Appearance: Nice color, golden clear body, well carbonated on pour, but head dissipates quickly. Good lacing. Low carbonation after the pour.

Nose: more flowers, grass and fruit than any other IPA I have tried. Very original. What I love about a great burgundy wine, I find here, grass, earth, spring. It's fresh and zingy, hops evident, citric zest and lemon acidity, cut grass, hay.

Taste: Exotic. Bitter fruit. Herbs and Hay. Lovely fresh citric hops dominate, w/ lightly toasted malts. dry bitter finish. Great finish on the tongue. Great appetizer and food beer.

Mouthfeel: soft carbonation, light body. tingly and mellow. nice clean finish. Good year round, good in summer and warmer month. Nice to have a less alcoholic IPA. Nice to have a fruity, grassy beer to play around with different foods and to surprise friends with.

Drinkability: Scottish Session beer. Summer games and outdoors. Amen.

Overall: winner of several CAMRA Awards. If you can find it, try it, totally worth it!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 22:43:46 | More by smiga

Tone

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear, copper color. 1/5 inch head of a white color. Good retention and decent lacing. Smells of floral hops, grass, dry hop, sweet malt, caramel malt, and a hint of pale malt. Fits the style of an English Pale Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. There was also a noticeable bitterness/dryness associated with the feel. Tastes of dry hop, floral hop, sweet malt, slight pale malt, and hint of caramel malt. Overall decent appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 15:30:33 | More by Tone

Samp01

New Jersey

3.69/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle. Pours an orange amber hue with good medium slowly fading white head. Aroma is of caramel malt, citrus and lemon, yeast with some citrus hops. Taste is sweet caramel malt with some nice citrus lemon flavor and some mild bitter citrus hops. Palate is a medium body with moderate carbonation. Finishes with a sweet caramel malt, yeast, with some nice citrus lemon fruity flavors balanced with some good citrus hops. Overall a good, tasty and enjoyable brew

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 23:31:14 | More by Samp01

patre_tim

China

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Golden with a slight brown tinge, a little minimal cloudiness, lots of carbonation, head is a two finger creamy egg white appearance with a slight yellow tinge. Head retains itself very well.

S: Skunk, malt, lemon zest, coriander seed, fresh linen.

T: Very balanced and not as extreme as I was expecting from the name. At first the malt seems so subtle like an AA Lager, but complexities follow immediately. Mild lemon zest, coriander seed and fresh linen tastes are followed a bitterness and a slight sourness. All these are subtle and not in your face as one might suppose, its like a complex good beer, that’s all subtle about itself.

M: Medium body, medium high carbonation, bitterness clings somewhat to the tongue.

O: Nice unique beer with a great bitter and slight sour taste, still its middle of the road enough to go well with British or Scottish food, fine by itself or with marmelade, minced meat pie, Haggis, Fish n Chips, etc. Great name, fun label with the mouse mascot.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 16:01:32 | More by patre_tim

heygeebee

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From Vintage Cellars. BB Feb 2013

Pours a straw body, one finger head for a minute, then dies to a fil. Moderate lace.

Smells a little stale, a little hop, a litte lemon/lemonade.

Taste is a let-down, think BB is an issue. Moderate hops on plate, a little lemonade flavour, a little zest. I have had before and it has been better. The sprightly finish has an astrigent / stale note at end.

Mouthfeel just right for style. Moderate carbonation, light to medium bodied.

Overall, this is listed as an EPA, but it has more Pale Lager characters, with the zesty finish. Even the bottle notes 'zest added by Styrian Goldings hops'.... Too zingy, too spritzy to be an EPA. Add half for price point.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 07:42:58 | More by heygeebee

MrKennedy

Australia

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml bottle from Vintage Cellars, Wynyard, into a Great Divide goblet.

Traditional golden colour, opaque in appearance. The white foam settles to a thin layer on top, leaving the odd bit of lacing on the side of the glass.

Smells of biscuits, sweet malt and some lemon zest. The hop aroma sits in nicely with the biscuit and malt of it.

Has a little too much lemon involved in the flavour. Otherwise some spicy hop flavour has a little bit there to grab you to start with. Then it is tangy sweet malt and the lemon influence.

Solid body to it for the ABV, carbonation level is just right. The sweetness can get a little too much, likewise the tang though.

Decent, but not as good as i remember this to be. Hard to beat at the pricepoint out here at $4 to $5 a 500ml bottle from the shop, but otherwise nothing to get excited about going off this sample.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 08:53:24 | More by MrKennedy

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the cask at the Rake. Pint, 3.8% abv. Golden colour, cloudy, small head, some lacing retained. Aroma was hoppy citrus, Cascade? Tasted quite bitter, slightly fruity, notes of cooking apples, wheaty finish. Smooth texture, low carbonation, body slightly thick. Overall good character for the low strength even if it was slightly watery, very good summer session ale.

Serving type: cask

09-04-2012 14:43:18 | More by jonb5

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

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2013. The label mentions that this ale is hopped with Hallertau, Challenger and Goldings.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A clear golden-amber colour with light carbonation. Forms a large head of white foam that lasts for a couple of minutes before subsiding. Aroma of grainy malt with grassy, citrus hop notes. Slightly sweet.

Tastes of fruity aromatic hops and grainy malt with a dry bitter finish. Notes of subtle grapefruit, citrus, grass, hay and stewed hops. Hints of grain and earthy yeast underpin the hop aroma. A restrained bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with a spicy quality (citrus). Nice body. Slightly astringent, with an aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops and yeast.

Good - a tasty blonde! The aroma could be a tad more pronounced, but the flavour is nice and hoppy while retaining balance. Would perhaps benefit from bottle-conditioning to improve depth. Crisp, refreshing and well worth sampling if you have the chance.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 22:32:33 | More by jazzyjeff13

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bitter and Twisted
Beer is a bright gold colour, solid film retention and really nice lacing. Smooth and slow carbonation. 4

S – limes! floral notes, firm malt, mild nuttiness. Honey caramel, mildly roasty notes. 3.75

T – crisp citrusy hops, firm malt base, malty bread coming through, more limes, peanut, leafy with a crisp bitter finish, nice bite of hop bitterness and drying malt. Very tasty. Balance is excellent to provide a tasty, flavourful session pale ale. As it warms more caramel malt and milt nuttiness comes out, some mild tannins. 4.25

M – an assertive body despite the low abv, lots of flavor, drying bitter finish. Balanced dryness, very full and smooth on the palate, making it both refreshing and satisfying, medium hop character but still traces of a slick oiliness, all vey well constructed. 4

A very pleasant beer, lots of flavor and decent complexity, good balance and a refreshing body and finish. Very enjoyable. Only way to improve might be to up the florals and maybe upping the assertiveness, its still high by uk standards so I quite enjoy it. 4

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 03:27:57 | More by mick303

IPA35

Netherlands

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Looks like a standard bitter. White head, a bit rocky, that is quickly reduced to a finger or so. Amber colour.

Smell is some hop bitterness, light malts and light citrus and some mango from the hops. A mild scent, not very strong. Inviting though.

A rather fruity beer, citrus, hints of tropical fruits (hard to pinpoint which) and enough bitterness to make it interesting. Not much in the way of malts, a light malt profile.

Light mouthfeel, not watery though and low to medium carbonation. Fine for the style.

Overall a nice and refreshing, balanced ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 16:51:03 | More by IPA35

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is relatively clear and yellowish amber in color with a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin white head that quickly died down, leaving some lacing on the surface and a ring of large bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of fruity yeast in the nose along with some hints of herbal hops.
T: Like the smell, the taste is rather fruity and has notes of herbal hops, although the hops are most noticeable from the light to moderate amount of bitterness that they contribute.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of dryness in the finish.
O: This beer is extremely easy to drink and very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 00:12:38 | More by metter98

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle. Another great UK example of a small but really full-flavoured brew. There are big grapefruit and malt aromas up front that seem to promise quite a bitter IPA. However, the flavours and mouthfeel are incredibly balanced. The very creamy texture finishes with an earthy (English-style) hop hit. While we were initially expecting "super bitter," this was quite subtle. Definitely a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 16:43:44 | More by CookstLiquor

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber with a small head.
Nose shows soft English hops displaying earthy, herbal and faint spicy characters. Also present is some honey and bready malt.
Similar English hops present themselves as flavours too, along with more bready and slightly grainy malt.
Carbonation seems a little high, and the body seems somewhat watery.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 03:20:40 | More by CrazyDavros

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml bottle. Tumbler glass. Enjoyed on dec´11. Pale golden in color, quite cloudy appearance. White, close & dense, froth with some lacing spots. Noble hops to the nose. Crispy upfront, dry bitter, lemon zest & slightly malty flavors. Medium body, medium/high carbonation. Astringent lemon finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 17:30:47 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Parrotshake

Australia

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orangey yellow with a small, fast-fading head. Lots of activity in the glass on the pour but it dies off almost immediately. Grassy hop nose, bready, a grapefruity note, honey.

Not a lot of malt in the taste, a lightly sweet breadiness and a bunch of grassy hops, big finish of lemon (as advertised) and notes of black tea. Ligghter bodied, although the lower carbonation makes it seem substantial. Silky. Lovely mouthfeel.

I've had quite a few of these lately. Magic with seafood. Near perfect session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 22:13:27 | More by Parrotshake

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy amber with a decent white head. Crisp, sharp aroma is mainly malty with a fruity undertone and just a touch of hay. Flavor is quite malty with a hay/grassy undertone and a hint of fruit, mainly apple, and bitter and spicy whispers. Fizzy yet smooth texture has slightly above-average body.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 02:18:00 | More by Cyberkedi

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear medium gold with a slight bubbly white rim. Spotty lace.

Light malt, some grassy notes, a little mineral and herbal bitter scent.

Malt and clean bitterness up front. Bitterness comes in full force as the malt clears from the palate, then a little seltzer-like twang in the background. Long herbal bitterness in the finish. Malt is a bit grassy, a little sweet, a little dry in the end.

Medium bodied.

Not bad. A little thinner in flavor than I like, but the bitterness is nice. A drier ale than expected. I'm ok with this.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 21:08:23 | More by OtherShoe2

Dave1999

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a pale transparent yellow with a big white foamy head. Left plenty of lacing on the glass.

Smells fruity lemons, hops and malts.

Tastes bitter and hoppy, not super complex but nice and refreshing.

A medium mouth feel, little to no carbonation.

Overall this was a nice refreshing beer, just nothing that was particularly great.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 15:34:31 | More by Dave1999

stercomm

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a cask in the Prince of Wales Pub in downtown Aberdeen, Scotland into a classic UK pint glass.

A - Golden/light honey in color with just a bit of haze. Very slight white head, good lacing.

S - Citrusy hops, with some slight floral notes

T - Mild hops profile, get some grapefruit and on the finish some lemon, very refreshing beer.

M - Mild bodied, slight carbonation.

O - A rather refreshing beer after a long day of work, good crisp finish

Serving type: cask

02-26-2012 15:50:20 | More by stercomm

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

From notes:

Appearance: golden, slight haze; large suds

Aroma: citrus hops, lemon, grapefruit

Taste & Mouthfeel: definitely got the "twisted" aspect with lemons popping out, and the bitterness shows up after a second or two; lightly carbonated, perhaps too much so; there is some subtle sweetness that comes with the citrus flavours

Overall: the flatness really hurt the beer, and the lemon flavour is nice, but the overall taste get's tired

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 19:31:57 | More by BGDrock

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Straw colored and transparent. Almost a finger of head. Great lacing all the way down the glass. Lots of bubbles visible.

A big mix of malt and hops on the nose. Rich malt smell, a background of lemon and grapefruit.

Light tasting, almost watery at the beginning, moves to a clean maltiness, then a pointed bitter and lemon taste at the end.
Soft texture, medium body, low carbonation.

This is an enigma of a beer. The smell made me think I was in for a powerful malt bomb. A really subtle taste, but still flavorful and dynamic. And you can throw them back without worry at AVB 4.2%

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 23:27:25 | More by Fatehunter

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

amber color with a nice round head of white that rose up a couple inches before settling down and leaving a broken crown across the top.

Aroma was nice citrus hops, hints of buttery malts, pineapple, light grapefruit. Well balanaced. Clean, consistent and crisp flavor. Biting hops up from of course followed by a nice buttery malt. hints of grass and bready notes

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 18:51:06 | More by mikesgroove

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