Foothills Rainbow Trout ESB

Brewed by Foothills Brewing
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA

Thanks to chris_o. Clear light amber with white head. The aroma is light, floral and slightly vegetal. The flavor is light, bready and herbal. The mouthfeel is thin and light.

Thanks to chris_o. Rich amber body with a nicely persistent, uniform, off-white head. Floral and fruity qualities in the aroma plus a light note of leather. Flavor is malt-focused initially but some mounting bitterness develops and the finish is rather woody. A decent ESB, although the flavors don’t completely meld. Still a solid beer.

On tap @ FH 6/30/06: Med. coppery brown w/a thin, off white head, but nice lacing, fairly clear appearance. Lighty roasty aroma @ first, then nutty; Medium caramel malt and lightly fruity, and lightly toasty malt as it warms a bit. Hints of raisiny dark fruit after it warms further. Lightly dry and bitter flavor, partly from roasted grains, but mostly due to the herbal hop flavor and hop bitterness. Lightly caramel flavored and bready, but there is a bit of a resiny hop flavor in the finish, and very little fruitiness in the palate. Aftertaste is lingering lightly harshly herbal bitter and resinous. Medium carbonation, still prickley, but smooths out as it warms. Flavor is a bit thin and one dimensionally hop dominated, but I would still drink more if presented the opportunity.

From a half gallon clear glass growler with the Foothills logo on the front and serving and growler care instructions on the back. Made a satisfactory appearance, poured a chill hazy red hued amber with a small fizzy pale tannish head that settled into a fine lacing, medium carbonation overall. Had a sweet roasted, nutty, sugary, caramel malty and earthy, with leaf tobacco qualities, hop nose. A smooth, crisp, ESB light bodied mouth feel, good drinkability. Sweet, nutty roasted maltiness with touches of caramelized sugar and earthy hop taste, the sweet nutty, caramel flavors balancing the sharp earthy bitterness, and a earthy and sugary caramel finish. A tasty and very quaffable ESB, sweetly roasted malts and earthy hops are all in balanced, if I lived near Foothills this would a regular with me.

Draught at the brewpub 3/24/06: Clear redish amber body with a small light tan head. Aroma is caramel and mild grassy hops. Taste is sweet cinnamon, spicy caramel, medium malts, with a bit of dry nuttiness developing near the end. Light bodied, moderate-medium carbonation. Nothing wild, but a decent session ale that could really benefit from being served on cask.

Pours out a nice amber color, with a very small head. Flavor was slightly bitter with a small hint of nutty to it. Aroma was decent with hints of hops.

A little thin as well - I see a pattern developing - but it is malty and not as bitter as most ESB’s are. This one is pretty drinkable, and actually was one of my more well liked samples. Not bad, could use more body, but aside from that there is no problems.

Dep copper color and nice lacing from the ample white head. Slightly sweet and well balanced, this is an easy session brew. Solid, but not outstanding.