Three and a half quid's worth from Belhaven
Jan 28 '03 (Updated Jan 30 '03)
The Bottom Line I'm showered, shampoo'ed and shaven ---- so it's off to the pub for a pint of Belhaven
Just for a change, I'd thought I'd write about something different from beer. After I thinking about it for a good while, I just got lost in thought. Well, It is unfamiliar territory.
So I stopped thinking and started writing.....about beer.
Belhaven Brewery is situated on the shores of the Firth of Forth at the small harbour of the same name in the Royal Burgh of Dunbar - about 30 miles east of Edinburgh. The brewery was founded by Benedictine monks around 1415 and the present brewery was built in 1719. It is one of the oldest in Britain.
For many years Belhaven also acted as a maltings: germinating and kilning the barley that is widely grown in East Lothian and the Borders and supplying not only its own brewery but also whisky distilleries. Two malting kilns from 1719 are still standing.
They brew a wide range of ales but the one I'm reviewing here is Belhaven 70/-.
For more information:
http://www.belhaven.co.uk
• What is Seventy Shillings (70/-)? •
The term 'shillings' (a shilling was a pre-decimal coin in Britain: 20/- = £1) was used to describe the duty paid on a hogshead barrel of ale - the higher the number, the higher the alcohol content.*
Seventy shillings could probably best be compared to an English Pale Ale, except.....
Traditionally, Scottish beers are sweeter than their English counterparts, due to the higher quantity of malt. English beers lean more towards the dryness and bitterness of the hops. It may be that because of the cooler climate, Scots prefer a more substantial and sustaining beer, or maybe we have better taste. Who can say?
The most likely explanation is that because Scotland grows a great deal of malting barley, but has to import hops as it is a long way from the hop growing regions, it is a simple matter of economics.
Beers like this date back to the days when the drinking water was far from safe, never mind palatable, and a low alcohol, table beer would be drunk instead.
So it's like an English pale Ale but less bitter and more sweet, with an alcohol content of 3.2%-3.9%.
--------------------------INTERLUDE-------------------------
John & Mary were on their way home from the bar one night when they were pulled over by the police. The officer told John that he was stopped because his tail light was out. John said, "I'm very sorry officer, I didn't realize it was out, I'll get it fixed right away."
Just then Mary said, "I knew this would happen when I told you two days ago to get that light fixed."
So the officer asked for John's licence and after looking at it said, "Sir, your license has expired."
And again John apologized and mentioned that he didn't realize that it had expired and would take care of it first thing in the morning.
Mary said, "I told you a week ago that the DVLC sent you a letter telling you that your licence had expired."
Well by this time, John is a bit upset with his wife contradicting him in front of the officer, and he said in a rather loud voice, "Mary, why don't you shut that big mouth of yours!"
The officer then leaned over toward Mary and asked. "Does your husband always talk to you like that?"
Mary replied, "Only when he's drunk."
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Back to the beer....
• The Pour •
The beer pours to an amber, almost dark brown colour with a light tan, creamy head that is long-lasting and laces the glass well. The most dominant aroma is, as you would expect, from the malt - with a hefty, roasted tone and a little caramel, with just a faint touch of chocolate. It has a smoky, nutty quality but there is very little aroma from the hops.
• The Taste •
Medium bodied, it has a creamy mouthfeel with a low level of carbonation. As with the aroma, malt dominates the flavour but with just enough bitterness from the hops to prevent it being cloyingly sweet. There's a very light chocolate profile and again some caramel with the faintest hint of pineapple lurking in the shadows.
• The Verdict •
At 3.5% ABV, this is a fine example of a Scottish 'Heavy'. The low alcohol content makes this an excellent session beer as does the low carbonation. It's a beer designed for quenching the thirst of the miners, shipbuilders and steel-workers of industrial Scotland. Of course this should have made it obsolete long ago, but luckily, toiling in heavy industry is not a prerequisite for drinking beer. These days, even IT consultants and call-centre staff can wash away the dust of their labours with a pint of seventy bob.
As it's not overly strong-flavoured, it goes well with most types of food and is excellent with a bar lunch.
I can't say I've seen this in supermarkets but it's widely available in pubs all over Scotland and usually comes in at just under £2 a pint.
Would I drink it again? - Only when the 80/- is off.
* (These days the UK government takes a significantly larger amount of revenue from a barrel of beer than £3.50. This enables the funding of our excellent NHS; an education system that's the envy of....well, someone must envy it, surely; and a contingency fund just in case we need to bankroll Tony Blair's illusions that he's PM of a world power.)
More Belhaven beers:
Robert burns Ale
Eighty shillings
St. Andrew's Ale
Thanks for reading,
Sláinte
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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