Brownings Louis XVI Guillotine ESB

22 oz bottle
A decent enough bitter, this was a gift from a friend. I have never been blown away by Browning’s but they do just well enough to hold out promise that eventually they might make a breakthrough. However unlikely that seems they are at least one of the best breweries in Kentucky (for what that is worth). Given the choice between visiting them and visiting Bluegrass I may opt to go downtown.

Aroma / Appearance - The sticky sheet of lacing mixed with a golden mostly transparent body lively with carbonation. Cedar wood shavings, freshly brewed iced tea, and some other light aspects make it easy on the senses.

Flavor / Palate - Oak chips, shavings of medium grade chocolate, and peat moss wash quickly across the tongue seeking refuge in the throat. Lightly hopped it sits gently on the back of the palate before fading. I’m not usually a big fan of ESBs but this makes a nice change of pace from bigger styles.

On tap at the brewery. Pours a light brown/tan. Distinctt chocolate aroma. Soft English hop bitterness. Really easy drinking. Not outstanding.

Bomber pours a hazy orange amber with a tall beige head. Aroma of ripe pears and bready caramel. Medium body and carbonation. Taste has an earthy bitterness and the fruitiness of the aroma is absent in the taste. Bready caramel malt base. This bottle was a couple months past the "best by" date but is still a nicely drinkable ESB.

22 oz bottle shared with a friend from Warehouse Liquors (Chicago, IL). Pours with a huge cakey head, white lacing well, glowing orange and amber body, very hazy. Not bad. Aromas are spot on for an ESB, heavy caramel malts with a good floral hoppiness, cotrusy orange and lemon with some mild graininess. Initial is light in body, pushing caramel and toffee malts, florals and bitterness, a bit underbodied, a bit metallic towards the back. Good caramel maltiness and sharp bitterness in there as well. Overall, my qualm is underbodied. Decent ESB.

650ml bomber from Two dudes. Pours a nice cloudy copper color with a big fluffy white head that had good retention and left plenty of lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength with sugar cookies, persimmons, malts, spices and leather. The taste is quite unique with sweet leather, rye bread, carrots and lightly biter almonds. The mouthfeel is light and slightly malty. The finish is short with lingering sweet breads. Overall: lA very strange tasting ESB, but it grows on you as you finish the bottle. Quite a unique taste experience. Thanks.

BB Dec. 08, Retired? I guess because they are out of business. Dark amber color with a mountain of dark cream colored foam. Fairly heavy hops aromas, with fresh cut grass and mild citrus. Hints of pale malt and light caramel in the background. The aroma is more like and amber to APA. As it sets it does gather a more herbal/wintergreen nose. Quite carbonated. The feel is light, but I feel like I need to burp after every taste. Flavors of toasted malt and light licorice, floor malt and iron. The longer this sets in the glass the more acerbic it get. I like how it still pour a Vesuvius of foam with each pour. A bit rough for an ESB.

Bomber. Nice honey gold with big pillowy white head that leaves some nice lace. Aroma is nice with a great balance between malt and hops. Soft but very attracting. The flavor is just as balanced but not as potent and juicy. So drinkable though; a great session brew slash thirst quencher. Medium bodied with minimum carbonation that is very smooth and easygoing. Overall: though not complex, this is very complex and I am really enjoying the more simple and drinkable session styles like ESB, of which this is a pretty solid example.

Pours light amber with a big off white head. Aroma is sweet and malty, with caramel notes coming through. Taste is nice and malty, with a slight bitter finish as well as a slightly sour flavor at the end. Not a bad brew.