Brewers since 1719, Belhaven offers subtly charming ales, but this one’s somewhat bland for frothy mocha-scented Scottish-styled Ale. Moderately bitter hop herbage grazes pithy roasted malts and peaty dewiness. But polite earthen grain finish diminishes quickly, smoked nuttiness fades and ripe berry nuances scatter.
All posts by John Fortunato
BELHAVEN ST. ANDREWS ALE
Alcohol-fueled pearly-headed mahogany-hued ale suffuses ashen black chocolate bitterness with caramel-grained sweetness. Heavy hop eruption outlines Scotch malt thickness, increasing syrupy texture of fine alternative to Sam Adams Scottish Ale.
BELHAVEN BEST DRAUGHT
Ice tea-colored canned draught retains resiliently thick cumulous head, creating a swirled thicket that leaves oodles of foamy Brussels lace on glass walls. Caramelized citrus aroma hits first, then creamy textural elegance defers nuttiness and coffee depth of Guinness for a lighter lager alternative securing spoiled orange souring, tea-like urging, and mocha reminder.
BELFAST BAY MC GOVERN’S OATMEAL STOUT
Parched mocha whiff sets up delightful oats-dried black chocolate setting, burnt coffee bittering, and maple sap deluge of mahogany medium body. Rich cocoa malting drives nutty rudder where secondary charcoal-tar coarseness and tart fig recession cluster. Crisp mineral water current provides clean bed.
BELFAST BAY LOBSTER RED ALE
Aromatic fruity malt facade fades alongside floral hop seduction, allowing dominant honeyed oat astringency to temper dry tea snip, phenol mocha-nut saunter and rustic hay-horsehide-barnyard earthiness. Softening piney finish picks up arid pecan-almond-walnut hints, vegetal splurge, and dry firewood remnant.
BEDELE BOHEMIAN PILSNER
Sweet Scotch-malted golden-hazed Ethiopian places buttery wheat atop lemony hop fizz. Creamier and more alcohol-strengthened than most toned-down lagers.
BECK’S PILSNER
Trademark bitter-hopped skunked yeast theme gains brown-sugared Bavarian malting. Mid-range barley-toasted cereal graining provides cover for lemony orange peel tuft. Simple, crisp, effective middle ground for amateurs and connoisseurs.
BECK’S OCTOBERFEST
More robust than Beck’s Pilsner, annually besting Sam Adams and Pete’s Wicked Octoberfests with its cavernous toasted grain mesh, caramelized malt tether, and zesty citric spike. Random winey cider nuance wavers beneath. Beck’s trademark sour yeast pungency relegated to mere backdrop that won’t scare off amateurs.
BECK’S LIGHT PILSENER
Impossibly mild translucent pale-bodied pils stays bland as fizzy hops, cardboard-like grains, and cracked wheat nearly fade into club soda anonymity.
(BECK’S) HAAKE BECK NON-ALCOHOLIC PILSNER
Imaginative non-alcoholic golden-paled medium body with musty skunked malt waft and astringent grain sharpness analogous to Beck’s Pilsner. Mild hop-fizzed orange peel bitterness and off-dry lime-y bottom convincingly contrast glutinous honeyed wafer aftertaste.
BECK’S DARK PILSNER
Fluffy mousse head and aromatic cocoa powdering introduce mildly creamy pilsner. Barley-roasted hop pungency reaches pleasant back-throated nutty mocha blitz. Elegant black licorice-tingled caramelized malt finish rather soft-toned for bitter dark beer.
BECKER’S LAGER
Adequate green-bottled, amber-hued, eggshell-headed, salty bitter receives generous barleymalt sweetening. Briny alcohol-burnt maize-hay finish settles to humble cracked wheat aftertaste for fine session beer.