Empyrean LunaSea ESB

Brewed by Empyrean Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Lincoln, Nebraska USA

Bottle from theisti – thanks Tim! Pours cloudy orange/amber with a half finger beige head that results in spotty lacing. The nose is faint sour fruit and malt. The taste is grassy hops, malt and earth with some light bitter hops in the finish. Medium bodied – an ok ESB.

12 oz bottle purchased at Beertopia in Omaha, Nebraska. Best enjoyed by 08/09 (it was notched on the line between the two) YR 09 on the label. Pour is hazed orange, golden brown with pretty settling that builds up an off white two inch head. Head falls with nice lacing. Aroma of toasty fresh malt, some soft caramel biscuit - fresh, soft and inviting. Taste is the toasted, slightly sweet caramel biscuit maltiness, along with a sharpness of hops, that was unexpected from the nose. In the aftertaste the toasted aroma turns to a bit of a burnt charred afair that detracts a bit. Palate is medium, coats the mouth nicely, medium carbonation with lingering acidic bitterness. Nice enough beer, would love to try it on draft.

33 cl bottle, Fargo, ND, via Omaha. Cloudy apricot colour, sweet bread and caramel aroma. Upfront sweetness with a subdued, yet sharp, finish. Creamy texture once the initial hop hit has mellowed.

Cloudy dark copper body with a light off white head. Toffee and iced tea are the primary smells. There is also some nice apple and biscuit. The taste has some bitter apple core and wood notes. There is also some strong biscuit and a little bit of orange marmalade. This is a relatively sweet brew with some more hops than I expected. A little heavy handed on the carbonation.

Pours a light copper color with moderate white head with good retention. Aroma is light, with just the slightest hint of toffee and hops. Flavor is a little stronger, with some biscuity maltiness and some sweet caramel notes. A little pine hoppiness in the finish. Moderate body and a smooth finish. Nothing spectacular, but a very decent beer.

Bottle. Pours a darker golden color with a medium head. Aromas of citrus, hops, malts, caramel, and some grains. Creamy texture with a hoppy start, then a smoot finish. Good beer that I would like to taste on tap.

Bottle purchased at Beertopia, in Omaha. Pours a deep, hazy copper-brown with a creamy off-white head and lace. The nose is of toasted biscuity malt, light caramel and spicy, woody hops. Light to medium bodied and mildly dry and grainy with a moderately bitter finish. The flavor is a sweet caramel and biscuity malt front with a solid Noble hop backing that leaves a lingering woody flavor on your tongue. This isn’t my favorite ESB, but it’s certainly a serviceable and fairly tasty session brew.

Very smooth, with very little aftertaste. Good hop flavoring, just enough to not be overpowering.