Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Crazy Mountain Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado, United States 🇺🇸
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.19
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They say “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”, but this beer is a ringer. Tremendously popular with the locals and definitely staff favorite, this special ale showcases a complex malt profile featuring 7 different types of malts and a unique hop character comprised of Chinook and Amarillo hops.
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7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Amber in color. A nice two finger head. Aroma is a well balanced smell with hints of roasted grains and just a very small whiff of citrus. Taste is also well balanced though it seems a tad hoppy for an ESB.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Mar 2025
at 05:12
5.5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle 1-25-15
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Apr 2021
at 14:27
4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
12 oz. bottle purchased at Total Wine & Liquor in Colorado Springs, CO. Pours a clear orange-gold color with a huge khaki head and excellent retention. Tons of streaming bubbles. Good lacing. Soft hoppy aroma. Tastes like a mix of amber ale and American pale ale. Light caramel flavor followed by soft hop bitterness. The flavors are light but the beer is heavy. Over carbonated, hard to drink. Not a fan.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Mar 2020
at 23:38
3.8/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 3
Getting a strong infected vibe from this bottle, what with the overflowing head and odd sour notes coming from what should be a malt-heavy ESB. Sour apple and funk on the nose, while the taste is a disconcerting mix of toasted malt, dishwater, apple, and funk. Definitely infected. And not in a cool, look-at-our-accidental-masterpiece sort of way, but more in a Christ-this-is-absolutely-undrinkable way. Better than Budweiser, but what isn't?
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Feb 2018
at 01:00
5.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle: Hazed amber with a small tan head. Fruity caramel, sour milk scent. Taste is pretty tangy....caramel malt, tea.....a pronounced leafy bitter. The milk and tea notes really start to overwhelm after a bit..... Not one I’d repeat.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Dec 2016
at 17:16
5.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4
Bottle. Lactic acid, caramel malt, and hay aroma. Amber with light tan head. Mildly sweet caramel malt, lactic acid, and lightly bitter hay flavor. Okay body. Close to being a decent ESB, but close only counts in...never mind.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Nov 2016
at 20:24
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
Pour is a murky looking brown with a large white head. Aroma is a sweetish toffee with leather. Flavor is a kind of earthy malt with a little plastic creeping in there toward the end. Finish is a bit watery and does not leave much behind. This was kind of an uninspired beer and as this gets a bit warmer the alcohol is showing up big time. Nothing stood out to even make you think this was a ESB.
Tried
on 18 May 2016
at 20:30
6/10
Tried
on 23 Mar 2016
at 19:26
5.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
On tap at Boundary. Pours a clear Amber with a gold hue and a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of sweet grains and a bit of caramel with a hint of grass underlying. Flavor has musty grains with a good amount of bread and a hint of musty grass.
Tried
from Draft
on 19 Dec 2015
at 16:25
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 6
Sample in Sioux Falls. Clear amber color, white head. Aroma of fresh biscuit. Taste is lightly peppery and bitter. Decent.
Tried
on 10 Nov 2015
at 18:33