UPDATED: SEP 27, 2023 Backlog August 2011. Unclear golden body under a big, stable, creamy off-white head. Nice, fresh citric fruity aroma, some caramel malt and slightly floral. Taste is fresh and fruity as well with malt, bread and decent bitterness. Medium body and pleasant aftertaste.

UPDATED: NOV 30, 2019 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.

UPDATED: AUG 25, 2019 Bottle from Binny's. Toffee and dried fruit aroma; like an English pudding. Sweet treacle taste with dried fruits and a moderately bitter finish. Very nice.

UPDATED: JUN 27, 2019 Pours deep copper; foamy, light tan head. roasted malt aroma. Sweet malt hits first, then a peppery dryness; and, yes, apricot - sufficiently balanced doesn't offend. Earthy. There's a hearty robustness which seems suited to a cooler season than todays 80+. That said - excellent

UPDATED: JUN 22, 2019 apricot fruit, malt, hay, pine hop, caramel, some good sweetness. what's not to like. pronounced brew with bread and some bitters. Earth and ground nuts.

UPDATED: JUN 11, 2019 Missed this one, had it with Patrick and James Dad on October 27th, 2010. Pours a hazy brown color with a lasting off white head. Notes are maple, caramel malt, pine, grapefruit, flowers, English earth and nuts. medium bodied. Very nice American ESB

UPDATED: MAY 14, 2019 Dark Amber frothy hear. Aromas big citrus, apricot, peach, pine, grass. Flavors apricot to the big, light citrus slight pine, light hay. Almost like an ipa but the bitter finish is more on the astringent side. Flavors quickly fade into the bitter finish. Medium sweet. Flavorful for an esb.

UPDATED: APR 8, 2019 This ESB was on tap at Vintage Estate, it is usually my favorite style and Three Floyds the tops, but this had a bit too much yeast, not bad as a amatuer homebrew but not great, Nice head and some lacing, nice malt level but could not get past the yeast.

UPDATED: APR 1, 2019 Draft at Ellyn's Tap & Grill in Glen Ellyn, IL. listed on the menu as Lord Rear Admiral, dispensed to a shaker showing a hazed amber hue, a frothy layer of off white/light tan foam, with spiraling ribbons of lacing. The nose was soft grain/malt, and a bit of dried pit fruit. Close to medium bodied, the taste was similar, adding a touch of malty sweetness, lively carbonation, a bit of tanginess, and lingering earthy & rind-like bitterness. Fairly crisp & clean.

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2019 12 ounce bottle at the house. Smells hoppy., Cloudy brownish orange. Thin off-white head. Little bit of lacing. Taste the hops but smooth. Medium bodied Lingering hop after taste. Interesting beer to try. Cheers!