6.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Sample at SBWF 2015. Golden with a white head. Aroma and taste of grapefruit, hay, malt and some light bread. The body was medium as was the bitterness.

6

An okay ESB.

6.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Draft @ Monk’s American Bar, Stockholm. Pours a slightly hazy golden pale amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty caramel aroma with weak hoppy hints. Fruity malty caramel flavor. Has a fruity malty caramel hoppy finish.

6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

How: Draught.
Where: Monk’s American Bar, Stockholm.
Appearance: Dark golden colour with a white head.
Aroma: Malt, fruit, citrus, pine.
Body: Medium body and carbonation.
Flavour: Caramel, citrus, malt, some pine.

7

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Sample at the Badge-Whore Bowl (OSU vs AL) tasting on 01/01/2015. Pours a clear pale copper color with a medium white head that recedes steadily to a film. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of roast malt, hops and fruit. Medium-bodied with a very hoppy character for an ESB (which I assume is the "American" part, with notes of citrus, pine and grainy malt. The finish is sweet up front with a resiny hops aftertaste. Decent overall.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy orange/amber color with a small dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, herbal, floral, grass, light pine, caramel, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, light pear/apple, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Nice aromas with good complexity and solid balance of citrus/floral hops, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate yeast ester notes; with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, herbal, floral, grass, light pine, caramel, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, light pear/apple, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Fair amount of pine/grassy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon zest, orange peel, herbal, floral, grass, light pine, caramel, toast, biscuit, light nuttiness, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness and balance of citrus/floral hops, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate yeast ester flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Yeast esters are very restrained in this, but still noticeable. Light carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth, crisp, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good American ESB style. Good balance and complexity of citrus/floral hops, dark/bready malt, and light yeast ester flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A bit too hoppy for the style, and I would have liked to see some more dark malt presence; but a nicely enjoyable offering otherwise.

6.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

On tap at Pizza Port (San Clemente) on 17th July 2014. Poured an amber to copper colour with an off-white head that started deep but fell away by the time I got back to my seat. The nose was semi-sweet malts and soft fruits, the taste following on in the same vein. The hops take second stage to the maltiness throughout and I enjoyed it. Toasted and lightly roasted maltiness without any hops while in California makes a change doesn’t it.

6.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle. Pours reddish amber with off white head. Nose and taste of malt, light toast, toasted grain and light fruit. Lighter medium body.

6.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Location: 22 oz bottle from Central Market, 8/20/13

Aroma: The aroma is malty and clean, some light spice, roast, bread, and some citrus
Appearance: It pours a clear orange color with a frothy white head, and some sticky lace
Flavor: The taste is medium sweet, malty and bread, with some light hop notes as well
Palate: The body is medium-plus, it has a nice, clean feel, and an average carbonation
Overall Impression: First off, I love the name, but I worry they were a little too accurate with the name. This one is close to being a good beer, but, of course, as the expression goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not beer making...

7.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bomber from Corti Bros. Pours pure copper with a 3 finger creamy beige head. Aroma is roast malt with mixed hop. Full bodied. Foamy carb. Flavor is a little nutty with a lot of roast malt and a lot of hop. Hop? Well, earthy orange might fit. I’m not sure our cousins would call this an ESB, but they might. A bit malty for me, but there is enough hop bitter to get to bitter finish. Nice stuff.