Extra Special Ale (ESA)
Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.47
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Our first ever and most beloved brew, ESA helped establish a following for cask-conditioned beer in the United States back in the ‘90s. East Kent Golding hops give this English style ale a subtle spiciness, which compliments its strong malt backbone. Hints of chocolate and caramel round out this deep chestnut colored ale. Floral, earthy, smooth.
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6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Dark copper colour with a small off-white head. Malty dusty hoppy aroma. Sweet malty hoppy bitter flavor, with some hints of pine needles. Dry malty finish with some bitter aftertaste.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Nov 2006
at 12:14
4.4/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 2
Flavor 3.5
Texture 8
Overall 7
yes, my variety pack was old, too. Dated early 2005. But, what is old? I see others saying if they had waited another year it would be better! Although I thought this to have a little too much bitter after taste, the lively carbonation made this a treat. It feels like the carbonation in fine champagne. Though a slightly less (or more) than pale yellow american beer, it is not typical. Pretty exciting to drink. Purchased at Beaver Valley Beverage in Monaca for $1 per 12 oz bottle. yum yum. I purchased this for the dark beer but this one is my fave out of the variety pack. Would buy special again. If i’m to give a pale yellow beer a rating above 2, it’s good!
Tried
from Can
on 11 Sep 2006
at 16:45
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Brownish clor, with a light head. Wheat and hops are the main attraction in the aroma. The flavor is hoppy with some spices.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2006
at 17:42
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Somewhat cloudy copper, with a ring of large bubbles, making it resemble a beer just pumped from the cask - lots of bright fruity esters in the aroma, with some background woody hops and caramel malt - very grassy and herbal, with a crisp hop bite - some light fruitiness, mostly ripe strawberry - chewy and doughy on the back end - really quite a nice bitter.
Tried
from Cask
on 14 May 2006
at 19:39
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Rerate notes 2009: bottle, pours the same, with similar aromas as well. Flavor seems a bit more robist and finish has a nice spice and medicinal hops presence. + 1 to flavor and + 2 overall.
Original rating: sweet aromas with a fruity undertone. Reddish brown appearance with lots of carbonation. Flavor is a little blah. Seems to lack a crispness from a good hops. Very smooth, but little character.
Original rating: sweet aromas with a fruity undertone. Reddish brown appearance with lots of carbonation. Flavor is a little blah. Seems to lack a crispness from a good hops. Very smooth, but little character.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Mar 2006
at 18:06
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Extra Special Ale-Ben Franklin Ale-on tap- 3.4 -Ben Franklin Ale-12 oz bottle-pours a big thick foamy tan head. Color is a clear copper/orange. Aroma is fruit, malt, hops. Taste is a nice balance of malt&hops. Refreshing, good occasional beer. 3.2
Tried
from Draft
on 14 Aug 2005
at 14:23
4.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 2
Overall 3.5
Medium amber with a huge tan head. HUGE, I say. How can I drink this? Waited forever for that head to go away. Aroma is hoppy and slightly fruity. Flavor is manily bitter with losta hoppiness. Much too carbonated, as the froth in the mouth detracts from the drinking experience of the beer... and finding a defined flavor is nearly impossible. Low points due to the inability to enjoy this beer.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Dec 2004
at 02:47
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Dark amber coloured body with a large tan head with some dark specks. Aroma of pit fruit, caramel, malt and a slight amount of fresh english hops. Medium-bodied; Full english hop bitterness in the taste with malt and caramel running through. Aftertaste strong and malty with the english hops still strong! Overall, a decent bitter to good bitter, worth trying after so long! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased at Norm’s in Vienna, Virginia on 28-August-2004 on the Easterns Shore of Virginia.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Oct 2004
at 20:58
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Thanks to dberger624 for this fine ESB. This one has all of the good attributes any decent ESB should have. Pours a rich amber color with a somewhat foamy off-white head. Thin lacing. Sharp hops aroma. Nicely austere flavor that is both crisp and gratifying. Bitterness is not too harsh but it is definitely there. More complex that a lot of ESBs and I appreciated that.
Tried
on 09 Feb 2003
at 20:17
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Dark amber w/a finger of foam; Aromatic elements: currants, nutmeg, flowers, caramel apples, hops - northdowns maybe?); similar palate, great yeast notes; complex, flavourful, lovely stuff.
Tried
on 16 Mar 2002
at 12:08