Extra Special Bitter Ale
McNeill's Brewery in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.65
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6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
On cask at the brewpub, this was better than expected. Slight haze on a pale yellow beer. Wine like aroma. Decent mild flavors. Has a slight hint of tartness in the background. Yes, turning out to be a pretty good example of esb. One of the better esbs I think I’ve had in a while. Surprizingly good co2 effect, even on cask!
Tried
from Cask
on 18 Aug 2015
at 16:59
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask. Dark yellow faint sweet nose. Barely any malt backbone, thin and faint sugary sweet. Dank finish
Tried
from Cask
on 07 Jun 2014
at 15:32
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
22 oz. bottle for $3.99 @ Gary’s Beverage. This was marked down and I could tell has been sitting awhile after knocking off 3 inches of dust off the bottle. Aroma is floral hops with a touch of citrus. Flavor is surprisingly bitter with lots of floral hops and some bland malt. A wet hop type bitterness. I really, REALLY wanted to like this brew but I just didn’t.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Nov 2012
at 14:37
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bomber from Carl K. Pours bright copper with a 3 finger frothy beige head. Aroma is floral and lightly malty with a touch of citrus. Med body. Flavor is light roast caramel with something like grapefruit rind. I have no idea where the floral went. The finish is nice bitter somewhat conquering tasty caramel. I still think there’s floral in the aroma. Nice ale.
Tried
on 16 Feb 2012
at 17:19
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draught, 5.5%. Weak refreshing hop aroma. Cloudy grey golden colour. Slightly sweet. Good rough hop flavour. Slightly rough finish.
Tried
on 12 Oct 2011
at 05:55
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Cloudy light copper coloured body with a thin white head that leaves a nice lace. Aroma of light earthy (english) hops, strong malt, a touch of alcohol and a bunch of bright floral notes. Light to Medium-bodied; Strong assertive floral flavour with a bit of light malt, some light alcohol and a large dose of english hops. Aftertaste shows pretty much only light hops, floral notes and a light touch of malt. Overall, nice, but a bit lacking in complexity and strong flavours. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Liqour Outlet in Boonton, New Jersey on 08-May-2011 sampled at home in Washington on 04-September-2011.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Sep 2011
at 20:34
6.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Location: 22 oz bottle from Buy Rite, 8/5/11
Aroma: The nose has some grassy and floral hops, and some caramel too
Appearance: It pours a mostly clear dark orange-brown color with a creamy beige head
Flavor: Tastes fairly bitter, lightly sweet, similar to the nose, plus some sour notes as well
Palate: The body is medium, with a somewhat sticky mouthfeel, and a tingly/lively carbonation
Overall Impression: Overall, I wanted to like this one more then I actually did. The taste just had something off about it, like an unintended sourness. I don't know if it was a bad bottle, or just not a great beer, but it wound up disappointing me just a little.
Aroma: The nose has some grassy and floral hops, and some caramel too
Appearance: It pours a mostly clear dark orange-brown color with a creamy beige head
Flavor: Tastes fairly bitter, lightly sweet, similar to the nose, plus some sour notes as well
Palate: The body is medium, with a somewhat sticky mouthfeel, and a tingly/lively carbonation
Overall Impression: Overall, I wanted to like this one more then I actually did. The taste just had something off about it, like an unintended sourness. I don't know if it was a bad bottle, or just not a great beer, but it wound up disappointing me just a little.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Aug 2011
at 15:55
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Orange with a white head. Citrus and lemon in the aroma with light sweetness. Flavor is very citrus and earthy with a nice biscuit malt profile. More bitter than I expected. Pretty solid and would be nice on a warm summer night.
Tried
on 30 May 2011
at 17:44
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle shared by Sean, thanks! Poured a clear hazy amber with a brown hue and a gray head that dissipated to the edges. Aroma had a nice citrus presence with some hay, sweet grain and grass as well. Flavor started citrus and grass which mellowed into a malt finish consisting of grain and bread.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Jan 2011
at 13:16
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6
Beer exploded on me upon opening. Pours golden copper with lots of head. Aroma is citrus spruce. Taste is pleasant bitter hop. Rated 2/21/05
Tried
on 03 May 2010
at 00:49