22 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled in 8/2011. Pours slightly hazy deep golden/orange/amber/light copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy cream colored head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice dense spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big orange, red grapefruit, lemon, golden raisin, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red apple, wood, cedar, mint, peppercorn, pine, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, light toffee/roast/nutty, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big orange, red grapefruit, lemon, golden raisin, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red apple, wood, cedar, mint, peppercorn, pine, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, light toffee/roast/nutty, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, floral, woody, minty, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of orange, red grapefruit, lemon, golden raisin, peach, plum, pear, apricot, red apple, wood, cedar, mint, peppercorn, pine, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, light toffee/roast/nutty, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, fairly sticky, and lightly resinous mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is an excellent ESB. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish; great soft feel and not aggressive. Great balance of nicely rich dark/bready English malts, fruity English yeast, and earthy English hop flavors. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive well made style example as expected. A lot more dark malt/melanoidin qualities from the age; but held up extremely well for the style/ABV. No complaints.

It's really good, I guess, but from an American perspective. Great body, good hopping, and appearance. But I like the British better with fuggles hops and lower carbonation.