Empyrean LunaSea ESB

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

This is a standard american version of an esb, refreshing but nothing to write home about. Not much aroma at all. Solid flavors--caramel and fruity with a citrus hop finish--but the body is a bit thin.

Pours an amber color with a tan head. Aroma is caramel, toast, and earthy hops. Flavor is malty, toasty, and an earthy bitter hop finish.

12oz bottle acquired in trade with valpoaj (thanks!). Poured a medium and hazy amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of toasted grains, citrus, and some caramel. Tastes of caramel, toasted malts, and ctirus.

Date: 06/24/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy amber, thin fine cream head, sweet malt aroma with a bit of citrus grapefruit character, nice hop flavor on a sweet carmel malt base, long bitter finish

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4

Deep and amber in color with some nice, khaki-colored lacing and head. Aromas of pungent hops and some caramels. Lots of hops, ranging from soapy to piney, on the tongue. Harsh palate on which the alcohol shows through. Dry finish.

From a stubby twist off 12 oz. bottle with a coded freshness date on the bottom rim of bottle. Poured a cloudy golden/orangey hued light brown with a foamy off-white head that settled into a thin sudsy, bubbly lacing. Aromas of caramel and grain, apple fruity, mineral, and floral, leafy hops. Good carbonation and a crisp, dryish, smooth medium-light bodied mouthfeel. Pleasant tasting, barley, grain and caramel, a buttery apple fruitiness, mineral, softly spicy, leafy herbal hops, more brisk than bitter, and a dryish grainy, caramel finish. A really nice ESB, very quaffable, easily the best thing I’ve had from Empyrean so far, well worth trying if you like British style beers.

On tap at Lazlos in Lincoln, Nebraska. Copper color with a rich white head and good lacing. Big nose of hops and fruits. Good mouthfeel, and dry finish. Solid offering.

12 oz bottle, via BA swid. Pours a clear light copper body under a thin film of white head. Very fine bubbles of visible carbonation. Aroma is very grainy malts with some DMS. No hint of hops to be found, but maybe a little toffee. Flavor is very light with some caramel malts up front fading to a lightly bitter finish. Mouthfeel is thin with watery texture and fizzy carbonation. Overall, this was pretty forgetable. Not enough of everything. Mostly just lacking in taste though, not offensive.