Belfast Ale
Whitewater Brewing Co

Belfast AleBelfast Ale
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From:
Whitewater Brewing Co
 
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Style:
English Pale Ale
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.65 | pDev: 9.32%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
23
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 05, 2020
Added:
Mar 07, 2004
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  6
A dark amber ale with a wonderful rich malt flavour and earthy aroma, brewed with three different hop varieties creating a distinctive bitterness and smooth finish.

Whitewater Brewery nestles in the heart of Ireland's famous Mountains of Mourne and handcrafts beers without compromise using natural ingredients.

Brewing since 1996 with water from the Mourne Mountains, yeast from the old Belfast Brewery.
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Ratings by Andreji:
Photo of Andreji
Reviewed by Andreji from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Belfast seemed like quite the proper drink in belftast's most popular tavern, the crown. The pour, reddish with a thick white head seemed to flow as a guinness would, very thick with sinking bubbles. The nose is very malty as is the taste which, in contrast, has absolutely no carbonation but a dense body combining malt and hops in a very positive, inviting way. A brew to try around when in ireland.
Jun 23, 2004
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.37/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Cask halfpint at the Crown, Belfast. ABV 4.5%. Copper colour, off-white head. Malty aroma, some mild roasty notes. The flavour is also malty with fairly distinct roasty notes, also a noticeable hop bitterness in the finish.
Dec 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.52 by 2beerdogs from California

Jul 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrBass from Maryland

Jun 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Dec 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.53 by WalkerHater from Northern Ireland

Jul 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by beerinabottle from Ireland

Oct 09, 2014
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Reviewed by BeerDrinkersWorldTour from Northern Ireland

4/5  rDev +9.6%
On Tapp.

Appearance – Deep amber towards red even with a finger high white head of large bubbles. The head dies quickly to think lacing within 2-4 minutes.

Smell – Smells of Armagh apples and bakery, almost like an apple tart. Slight hint of earthy hops and sweet caramel.

Taste – Pretty much follows the smell. Definite apple fruitiness, earthy hops so there is almost a woody/nutty flavour riding through it. Good sweet biscuit and caramel flavour so it is all nicely balanced and a riot of flavour

Mouthfeel – Thin in the mouth owing to its smaller head, good carbonation for the style. Dry and a slight astringency from the sour apples nip at the back end.

Overall – A cracking beer. The fresh ingredients from the kingdom of Mourne make this a very fresh feeling drink. Good for a night out, I must confess to having more than a few on the first time I tried this it is a very good example of the style and certainly a good ambassador for Northern Irish craft brewing.
Sep 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by smithj4 from New York

Jul 01, 2014
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Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottled and part of a big order from beers of Europe to celebrate my 40th birthday
Whitewater’s most popular brew this aromatic russet ale is brewed with the addition of Torrified wheat and roasted barley. Rich fruitiness is followed by a gentle hop flavour leading to its smooth succulent finish.
Nov 01, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by innominat from Ireland

Apr 20, 2013
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Reviewed by wl0307 from England

3.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
BB Oct. 2013, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: copper in colour, pretty clear, coming with a thin, fast dissipating white foam and faint carbonation; looking a bit flat, really.
S: lightly caramely and sweet nutty-malty upfront, with a whiff of fruity and earthy hops behind, making it smell a bit like a sweetened cold tea, but overall the hop aroma is very faint.
T: lightly carbonated, savoury-bitter in taste, followed by non-sweet maltiness and roast barley’s dry-ish palate, leaving a rather chewy, tannic, earthy, roast-tea-ish bitterness in the aftertaste, as well as a lengthy, deepening toasted-nutty aroma and a healthy, sour-ish kick at the back. Here is not a balanced flavour profile, but the bitterness level is surprisingly high to make this seeming malty Best Bitter taste more like a lower gravity, assertively bitter Bitter!
M&D: light-ish bodied, moderately flavoured, more-ish and dry-ish coz of the palate, overall the hops lend a vivid impact on the hop-malt balance and lift up the overall weight quite smartly. I suspect the fresh draught version could only be better and more hoppy.
Dec 14, 2012
Photo of RonfromJersey
Reviewed by RonfromJersey from New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Enjoyed over a marvelous dinner in Belfast, with long lost family.

Deep amber color, billowy white head.

Inviting bakery aroma.

Taste is malt forward without being overly sweet. Earthy hop bite.

Pleasant and satisfying medium mouthfeel.

Nice example of an Irish Red.
Oct 30, 2012
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear, reddish brown with a finger sized and slightly off-white head that settles to a thick lacing after approximately a minute.

Light bitter notes and a earthy malt base along with some caramel and nut. The finish is a slightly sweet, slightly bitter one.

Basic bitter taste with some mild spices and a touch of earthy hops and malts coming through. There isn't a whole lot going on in this one but I can taste some very mild fruits and a touch of sweetness.

Light medium with a slightly watery feel in parts and about medium carbonation. There is some bitterness in the finish which is also a dry one.

A basic pale ale or bitter style beer that although solid is pretty unexciting. Not one to rush out and buy but possibly worth a try since it is one of the better Northern Irish beers out there, although choice is fairly limited.
Sep 08, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by fionn13 from Ireland

Aug 24, 2012
Photo of BogBoyJD
Reviewed by BogBoyJD from Ireland

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The first time I had this was at The Crown Bar in Belfast. It s from cask , and I was extremely impressed at how fresh and hoppy it tasted. The head was at least three fingers high. It was a great example of local beer done right, I have to say. I decided to try it from a 500l ml bottle. Slightly different

Poured into Heineken pint glass. Two finger head. Pleasant chestnut color. Head remains for a while and lacing persists all the way down.

Smells biscuity, slightly hoppy, fresh. I can't wait to have a swig of this.

Taste is different from cask. NO hops but I expected that as most cask brewers from what I ve been told, throw a huge wad of fresh leaf hops in before tapping a cask. Fresh, bready, sweet caramel finish. I could drink a good few of these.

Has a medium body, what one would expect from a session beer. Carbonation matches the style perfectly. Nuff said

Overall, different out of the bottle but still pleasant to drink. I was surprised by the caramel finish. I will definitely pick up a few more of these the next time I come across this fine beer. Now I m not saying that this is a great beer, but my enthusiasm for this example comes from the fact that it is a local Northern Irish brewery staying true to what they know how to do.
Mar 01, 2012
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.41/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a Bull & Castle pint glass at the Bull & Castle in Dublin.

A: An outstanding five finger head of nice cream and decent thickness. Impressive retention. Clear dark copper colour.

Sm: Medium strength scent of hops.

T: Cream throughout, with a hoppy build and a relatively empty finish. Crisp and fresh, but lacking something the style needs. Largely devoid of necessary bittering hops. Confusingly built.

Mf: Nicely creamy and smooth, but lacking character.

Dr: It's nice, but far from worth the price (5.85 quid at the Bull & Castle).
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of StJamesGate
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On cask at the Botanic Inn, Belfast.

Pours deep opaque amber with a creamy sparkler head. Orange oil and red currant on the nose. Caramel apple and toast malts with a bit of chocolate, then light leaf hops, maybe vague floral notes. Medium, round, some chew.

Smooth and round cask bitter. Then again, you could probably call this an Irish Red, too, and nobody would notice.

bottle
(3.7; 3.50 3.50 3.50 4.00 4.00)
13/09/2010
Pours with a loose off-white head that is slow to fade to patches and pale yellowy amber with lots of fizz. Nose is toasted oats and tea. Digestive biscuit and peanut malts followed by mild orange tea hops. Dry finish. Light to medium, some stick, lively.
Malt forward bitter with almost no hops, but still light, not too clingy, very drinkable.
Retired? That's news to me! Available in bottles and on tap/cask.
Jan 24, 2011
Photo of medic25
Reviewed by medic25 from Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
My father was good enough to bring me home a bottle of this from his last family visit. Clean amber color with a foamy white head. Pleasant malty aroma. Taste is very easy drinking; little bit of hops, but predominantly biscuity malt flavor. This is a great example of an easy drinking session beer; I'd love to see this beer make it into my local stores, but I'm looking forward to drinking it at The Crown some day.
Mar 10, 2008
Photo of JohnfromDublin
Reviewed by JohnfromDublin from Ireland

3.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted this 500ml bottle on March 18th 2007, best by Jan 08 (batch L003),
Poured a dark amber ale (as described on the label!) with a decent off white head. The head lasted throughout, leaving some lacing.
Smell had a smokyness to it; quite nice. Tasted malty - robust with a nice sharpness in the finish. Nice in the mouth - a nicely balanced ale; very quaffable.
Mar 20, 2007
Belfast Ale from Whitewater Brewing Co
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 23 ratings