Tennent's Velvet
Tennent Caledonian Breweries

Tennent's VelvetTennent's Velvet
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From:
Tennent Caledonian Breweries
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scottish Ale
ABV:
3.5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.35 | pDev: 14.33%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
16
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 04, 2022
Added:
May 08, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.05/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Minimal hops, not very exciting. I have also had the nitro-keg "Velvet" version in Glasgow previously - looks nice, smooth mouthfeel, easy drinking, but not much of a challenge flavourwise.
Jan 04, 2022
 
Rated: 2.75 by abeeronthebeach from California

Oct 03, 2013
Photo of Cyrano41
Reviewed by Cyrano41 from Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Had this at the senior rates club while visiting a Naval base in Scotland. My friends and I drank it all night and thoroughly enjoyed each pint! We sought it out at a local pub off base the next night for a few more pints. Both bartenders reported that it was much less popular amoung the locals. Have not found it in the states.
Sep 15, 2009
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

2.92/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Tennets 70 Shilling in a 440ml nitro-can, 3.5% in alcohol. Found in a supermarket in Tobago and bought purely to review on here (and for the hell of it).

Best Before Date had been rubbed out, so I assume it was old! Looked good though, fine amber hue to it, with a creamy off-white head.

Malts, hops and yeast abounded in the aroma, a good beery smell. Just what I needed after a week of Carib Lager.

Sadly the beer tasted stale (it most likelty was), so not impressed with the taste, mouthfeel and drinkability.
Jul 08, 2008
Photo of seanyfo
Reviewed by seanyfo from Scotland

3.04/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pint served in imperial pint glass via nitro tap

A- Dark reddy-hazelnut brown body, with 3 finger thick creamy head that leaves thick lacing.

S- Not much to go on here due to the serving style, some faint caramel malts.

T- Light caramel roasted notes, with a faint bready nuttiness in the finish.

M- Creamy from the nitro tap, low carbonation

D- An average pint of scottish "heavy". Inoffensive and drinkable.
Apr 25, 2008
Photo of BretSikkink
Reviewed by BretSikkink from Mexico

3.11/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Dark bronze color, red highlights with a great head. Tightly packed and fluffy. Lasted most of the time I was drinking the beer. Very clear.

Very light hop aroma with some dried dark fruit. Not impressive. Flavor is similarly a little bland: caramel malt balanced by light hopping.

Great creamy mouthfeel, very gentle on the tongue. Velvet doesn't inspire me to keep drinking it, but I can easily get through the first. If you're staring at an unimpressive tap line and you've never had it, go for it.
Jun 04, 2007
Photo of kmacphail
Reviewed by kmacphail from Scotland

2.87/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
This is another of the many mass produced beers in Scotland that may be offered to you if you simply go into a pub and order a pint of 'Heavy.'

How does this fare, well for commercially produced stuff it's not bad, but not that good either.

The pint does pour nicely a ruby-bronze colour with a nice thick creamy head that, if poured right, will endure the life of the pint.

The nose is almost non existant. A very average faint hoppy smell but not a lot else, not uncommon in a commercial beer.

The taste is a typical hops with a hint of sweetness of caramel and some other flavours, but these are very minor and you have to be searching for them to notice any real effect to the taste buds. In the mouth it feels like an ale, good thick texture, except it does live up to its name, it is TOO smooth. This 'real ale feeling' has made the beer rather false and gives the overall feeling that this is a stale beer.

It is drinkable, light enough to be enjoyed all night and is certainly better than most lagers on the market. However if really have to go for a commercially produced beer (there are loads of micro breweries in Scotland) I would recommend Tennents Special, Tartan Special or, by far the best in my opinion, McEwans Export.
Aug 31, 2006
Photo of flood
Reviewed by flood from West Virginia

4.39/5  rDev +31%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
I sampled a pint of this beer at a pub at the bottom of Loch Ness - just happened to be the beer special at the time. Still was a couple lbs - ouch!

The appearance was of a nut brown / slight reddish hue, a solid color with substance.

The smell was not remarkable - average at best.

The taste and mouthfeel made this beer significant - this could be the smoothest beer I have tasted - a caramel tasting brew that does not depart significantly from a traditional lager - no significant bite at the end but a consistent taste all the way through. The head alone makes the beer - the entire beverage went down easier than any beer I have tasted before. Excellent brew.

Drinkability is exceptional - only drawback is that I can't find it in the States.
Jul 02, 2005
Photo of RedLion
Reviewed by RedLion from Ohio

3.56/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very fond memories of this beer. Easily one of the most drinkable beer out there. Perfect for rounders after a long day of sight seeing. Light on the malt and hops, but for once I don't mind. This is a very well balanced beer. Always poured with a great foamy head. I can honestly say that I miss not having this in the States. Now that Tennents can be had here, maybe this will follow at some point. Probably not, but one can hope.
May 03, 2005
Photo of Dithyramb
Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

3.65/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampled on cask at Deacon Brodies on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh
Pours a decidedly dark brown with a few flecks of amber on the edge, topped with a full finger or two of tan head. Excellent lacing and retention throughout
Smells of caramel malts
Whew, this is velvety smooth and creamy tasting. Nicely balanced, with sugary malts battling with a tinge of hops
A bit lighter than I expected from the Scottish ales.
Nice session brew that would go well with long afternoons in the pub. Not a knockover, but worth coming back to.
Mar 16, 2005
Photo of Reidrover
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon

3.85/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap Thunderton House Inn, Elgin Scotland.
Nice chesnut colour with a fine smooth creamy tan head.
Aroma is mostly of toasty mnalts, not bad.
Nice smooth toasty,toffeeish malt taste. Small bitter aftertaste.
Very nice creamy smooth mouthfeel.
Very drinkable,would be easy to pound a few of these.
Mar 04, 2005
Photo of bark
Reviewed by bark from Sweden

2.65/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
The foam is the characteristic nitro-can-foam; the glass is at first almost all foam that slowly transforms into liquid. In this case the liquid is brown with a tint of red. After a while, the foam stabilizes to a finger-thick compact white head.

The smell is mostly bitter hops; some malt and a somewhat sour touch of nuts.

Up to this point, this seems to be an OK mild ale, but…

The carbonation is very, very weak. Too weak, even for bang a mild ale in a nitro can. It is almost stale (I drank this beer 6 month before the best-before-date)!

The taste is watery, but there is also a soap-like flavour with a mild bitterness. Overall, the flavour is quite simple with a hint of fruitiness. The aftertaste is bitter and somewhat sour.

A disappointment.
Nov 08, 2004
Photo of Kongquistador
Reviewed by Kongquistador from Illinois

3.04/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
This is not the world's, or even Scotland's, most exciting beer. Nevertheless, as the standard offerings in a bar go, it makes for better drinking than many of the weak lagers around, and it holds up alright for itself against many an ale.

To begin, you can't really fault the appearance. A nice reddish gold, with an excellently topped head. The head remains throughout most of the drink, and I strongly suspect this is usually served on nitro tap, although I can't attest to that for a fact, so I'm going to review it as on tap. The head is an off-white/tan fine foam. Difficult to get any smell out of it at all, probably partly due to bar conditions. Main notes are some sweet malts. No real sign of hops or any mor complex malty flavours.

As far as taste goes, it is going to far to say this is a delicious or noteworthy brew, but it does manage to redeem itself by providing a decent enough drink from a light scottish ale. As you would suspect from the smell, the taste is almost completely dominated by sweet malts. Occasional hints of caramel are really the only flavour that sticks out from what I've come to associate with the 80 shilling taste of stronger mass market Scottish ales. But it is blessedly subdued, not assaulting your mouth in the same way some others do. This alone redeems it, and makes it an enjoyable pint where others are overwhelming.

As far as mouthfeel: Smooth. So smooth. Smooth like the Nile, always just flowing along, never disturbing anyone. It is very easy to drink (possibly because of afore-mentioned nitro-tap) and it is neither too thin nor too thick. As far as drinkability, I can't really complain, as it is a good pint, but presented with better options, you aren't likely to pick this more than once.
Feb 29, 2004
Photo of BenConnery
Reviewed by BenConnery from Australia

3.83/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Slides into the glass a tan colour with that lovely murky beginning common to all 'creamy' beers.
The flavour is similar to the heavier Tennents offering, the 70 shilling, but without such strong malt or hops flavours. The real joy of this beer is the mouthfeel. So creamy and smooth it's almost not a beer...
Jan 06, 2004
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This is the "nitro" version of the classic Tennents Special.It pours a foamy tan color with a cascade of bubbles that clears to a coppery brown.There is little aroma and not a lot of overall flavor whether it be hop or malt.However it does have a wonderful mouthfeel-theres not enough Os in the word smooth to cover it!!!!!!!!!!A good beer overall but I honestly prefer the regular Special aka "heavy" or 70 shilling.
Jun 20, 2003
Photo of Wildman
Reviewed by Wildman from Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I tried it when I was over in England in March. Liked it, even though the alcohol content tend to cut into the enjoyment. It could have been lower. They had it on tap at the usual place near my hotel that I went to. The beer was a fairly light brown color with a small white head that could have been the fault of the bartender. The aroma was of hops, and maybe some alcohol while the finish had some bite to it.
May 08, 2002
Tennent's Velvet from Tennent Caledonian Breweries
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 16 ratings