Brownings Louis XVI Guillotine ESB

Brewed by Brownings Brewery
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Name: ESB
Date: 07/26/2003
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Nashville

light amber, fhothy white head, light sweet malt aroma, light carmel malt flavor with the perfect level of esb hops, light bitter finish

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Score: **4
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I picked up a bomber of this at Wise Guys in Merrillville, IN. It pours a very slightly hazed copper body with an off-white head and good lacing. It has an aroma of old toffee topped by some herbs and dried flowers. Medium bodied. Nice malty taste offset by an earthy bitterness but with a slightly soured touch at the finish.

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.

Draft at brewpub. Poured a deep amber with an average white head that diminished slowly and had good lacing. Good well balanced mild aroma. Medium body with soft carbonation. Good bitter smooth flavor with a moderate finish. Good bitter.

Hazy golden hue with a huge fluffy head and clinging lace in my no-nik pint glass. The aroma has notes of dusty and biscuity malts, some caramel, herbal hops, hint of apple cider and pear, metallic and minerally. The taste has a sharp acidity and moderate hop bitterness before the pale and caramel malt are noticed. Light peppery spice and peat before a metallic finish. The mouth feel is lively (perhaps too much for the style) and a tad thin-bodied. Meh, just very average and also appears to be turning due to the initial high acidity.

Bomber. Nice, reasonably English nose, a little Spaghetti-ish funk with caramel, nuts, brown sugar, and a syrupy dark earthy malt. A little dusty. Hazy, gradient, pale amber with a lovely, creamy beige head - rocky and stylable. Taste is lightly bittersweet, dryish with earthy bittering hops and a lot of character from the yeast. Body’s a bit thin and the malt has seemingly disappeared, but for a dusty, dry, lightly toasted flavor, you can’t go wrong with this hop-foward session.

Pours amber with a mostly receding off-white head. Aroma of fruity English hops, herbs, earthy citrus, and mild alefruits. Taste is nicely balanced with supple hoppiness mending together with toasted malt. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and resinous with lively carbonation. Nice brew, easily quaffed.

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.