Belhaven x 2 - Black & Scottish Stout

Belhaven is a bit of a mixed bag for me as far as the beers go I have tried from their range which are widely available in quite a few coop owned supermarkets. From the cola like McCallums Stout to Belhaven Best, which in reality should be called Worst to the excellent Wee Heavy, all of course in my own opinion.

Now I've written before that I don't normally drink stouts in the summer months but I got the export only stout as a fathers day gift from my daughter so I decided have a little Belhaven stout shoot out and bought the latest addition to the beer aisles here being Black Scottish Stout...which is not to be confused with the Scottish Stout which is was ? only for export outside the uk. I'm confusing myself here, on to the beer...

Belhaven Black Scottish Stout

Comes in a widget draught can. Pours black with a ruby tinge and a tight beige head. Roasted malts, caramel, dark chocolate and a bit of hoppy bitterness on the sweet intake with licorice and coffee in the dry finish. Dark bitter chocolate lingers in the aftertaste. Nice and smooth mouthfeel.

Decent enough session stout without any I want to run back for more factor. To me, this beer seems very calculated and an in-between of McCallums schwarzbier like stout and the one below. I'd have no problem drinking another and would like to try it on tap sometime.

This scored 6/10 on my 'easy sipping after a bad day at work' Beerometer.

Alc : 4.2%
Where to buy CPH : Super Brugsen

Belhaven Scottish Stout

What are they thinking ? 'Here, I have an idea, lets make our best beer and make it export only*'. Now I don't have any complaints about that as I live in Denmark but some people must feel a bit short changed ? 

* I have been told it is available in now in the uk though I don't know if thats official or being re-imported from the grey market.

It is a bit like Danish companies export all their best back bacon abroad with the home market left with streaky stuff...no, never ? :)

On to the beer in question...

Wafts of cocoa and roasted malt come off this when pouring.

Scottish Stout pours pitch black with a small tan head. Just like the aroma roasted malt and cocoa are present on the intake along with some raisins, coffee and smoke while the finish is mildly bitter and dry.  Treacle syrup and coffee linger in the aftertaste. Creamy and a bit oily mouthfeel. No alcohol present or shining through.

A cracking stout ! Well worth trying to get a hold of. My only gripe is the clear bottle.

This one scored 9/10 on my 'this is what a scottish stout should taste like' Beerometer.

Alc : 7%

Where to buy CPH : Ørsted Vin & Tobak, H.C. Ørsteds Vej 44, Frederiksberg C