Scratch #11: ESB
Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Series Out of Production|
Score
6.90
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Next up, we present Scratch Beer #11-2008, a Bitter. We used to brew a little number called Tröegs ESB. Even though this beer was retired almost six years ago, we still get numerous Tröegs old-schoolers begging for its return.
Well hang onto your boot straps because Scratch #11 is about as close as we can get to the original ESB without firing up the old brew kettle. The Scratch #11 recipe originates from Chris’ stint at England’s University of Sunderland brewing program. After returning to Colorado the brothers drew on Chris’ experience and brewed pilot batches tweaking that recipe. The ESB production recipe has direct bloodlines to these pilot batches.
Well hang onto your boot straps because Scratch #11 is about as close as we can get to the original ESB without firing up the old brew kettle. The Scratch #11 recipe originates from Chris’ stint at England’s University of Sunderland brewing program. After returning to Colorado the brothers drew on Chris’ experience and brewed pilot batches tweaking that recipe. The ESB production recipe has direct bloodlines to these pilot batches.
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6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Rating notes more than 10 years old. Dark gold, full and rich in color with a hoppy and bitter taste. Warmth of alcohol is noticeable, but understated enough not to be dominant. Just enough malt to keep the hops in check. Pleasant.
Tried
on 03 Jan 2016
at 09:18
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
12oz bottle via trade with Ogglethorp. Thanks Brian! Pours a translucent dark orangey brown with a foamy, lacing slightly off white head. Very pleasant aroma with floral hop buds, crackers, spice, grass and a little bit of barley. Flavor is just as good with plenty of orange, biscuits, crackers, flowers and a touch of pine. Finish is sweet and clean. This would be a great session beer as it’s really well balanced. I enjoyed this a lot, they could make this a year round beer and I bet it would sell.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Aug 2008
at 17:37
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
on tap-pours a light tan head with bubbles and copper/brown color. Aroma is northwest hops, some medium malt. Taste is medium malt, northwest and English hops, which makes this a lost effort to my taste and finishes thin. OK carbonation.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Jun 2008
at 18:54
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Amber in colour, maybe a bit darker than a normal amber, but looks great. Frothy off-white head which seems to be lasting for a while. The smell is simply stated: great. Definately hoppy and also a bit sweet with grape essences. Great balance of hops and malt with this one in the taste. Medium bodied, not too many other flavours in the palate aside from malt and hops though. The aftertaste is dry and bittering, but that's the beauty of it! A well done bitter, definately one of the better representations of the style. I bought this in a 12 ounce bottle at Total Wine in Manassas, Virginia.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jul 2003
at 19:00
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reddish amber. Big perfumy hop aroma. Medium bodied. Intensly hoppy, citrusy aromatic finish.
Tried
on 20 Aug 2002
at 04:51
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Dark amber; earthy hop nose; all about the Goldings - highly original stuff here, if I had just walked out of the biosphere following a twenty-year stint. Every brewer in Ontario makes this beer.
Tried
on 02 Jun 2002
at 09:15
7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
I think this is one of the best American ESB's I've had. Appropriately, it had a full malty palate, with firm English hops giving it the right grassy, resiny flavor. Remember, an ESB should be brewed to a higher gravity and should end up with no shortage of malt flavor. I esp enjoyed their use of caramel malt.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Mar 2001
at 00:20