ESB
Redhook Brewery in Seattle, Washington, United States 🇺🇸
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.08
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Redhook’s flagship beer got its start as a winter seasonal recipe in the mid 80’s. In the early years, Extra Special Bitter earned a reputation as ‘banana beer’ and has been brewed continuously since 1987. ESB’s caramel malt sweetness and subtle spice and fruit hop flavors, quickly defined the style, becoming Seattle’s definitive craft beer and inspiring a new wave of craft beers across the country.
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5.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
Bottle and draft. The draft version is preferable and more in keeping with an ESB. The bottle displayed a heavy grainy profile. The draft version is sweeter and crisper. Amber pour with average-size, white head for both. The bottle aroma is filled with grain, bread and canned corn. The flavor is lightly sweet, lightly bitter and moderately acidic. Medium body, thin texture. Finishes dry. The draft version’s aroma exhibits some notes of caramel and hops. The flavor is better balanced between the malt and hops. Overall, the draft version is more drinkable though neither bottle nor draft come close to being a top-flight ESB.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Jan 2008
at 19:33
6.1/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bomber from Bottle Barn; nose of grain, light caramel ,and a little apple esters; clear orange with a small beige head; flavor has a little caramel, some light bitterness, and orangy citrus. Would be a good average session brew!
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Nov 2007
at 13:44
5.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 3
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Weak pineapple aroma. Cloudy amber, thin head, decent lacing. Medium bodied orange peel taste, tending toward being salty. Bitter, dought finish. This is my least favorite style, but I can drink this one.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Oct 2007
at 13:02
3.8/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
Copper color. Considerable hops for the style, perhaps too much. There is a light bite to the beer. It lacks the smooth palate a bitter should have, as well as the malt character.
Tried
on 18 Jul 2007
at 14:14
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Amber color. Light aroma, and it has a light taste of malt, caramel, honey, ending with an ordinary bitterness, but overall very simple.
Tried
on 05 Jul 2007
at 06:35
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draft at Nijo Sushi in Seattle. Pour is copper red with not too much white head. Aroma is a bit of bready malt, some hop. Taste more of the bready malt, finishes with good clean hop bitterness. Overall, quite drinkable though not extraordinary.
Tried
from Draft
on 26 Jun 2007
at 22:50
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours a light amber color with a small white head that goes away quickly. The aroma was very fruity and malt. Taste is bitter and very easy to drink. this is one of my favorite ESB.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 May 2007
at 15:50
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft at Boise Burn Football game. Pours out a pretty nice amber topped with a off white head. A little hop and grain. Not bad for what I was expecting.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Apr 2007
at 17:05
6.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Grassy odour with a faint hint of metal. Poured copper with a thick white head, much lacing. Malty base flavour with a hoppy bite. Lasting finish, hops with again a hint of metal. I have had this on draught, and the metal was not there. Could it be a result of bottling. Many years ago, when I came to America, this was the first microbrew I tasted. I marvelled that an American beer, I was used to the industrials, had so much flavour. Now it seems ordinary, I guess I am spoiled
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2007
at 17:39
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Light brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is fruit, hop, malt, caramel. Flavour is sweet, fruit, hop, malt, caramel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Feb 2007
at 23:25