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Free State Big Sea ESB 3.18 11

Free State Big Sea ESB


Percentile
64
overall

bottling
unknown

on tap
available

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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
113.42/5.03.18/5.0-68.1English pint
Commercial Description:
E.S.B. stands for Extra Special Bitter. This is the strongest of the English Bitters. Our E.S.B. is brewed to about the strength of our Stout with a light amber color. We used Pale Ale Malt, Crystal Malts and Victory malt to give this beer a firm malt foundation. The Hop level is towards the high end, nearly equaling that of the Copperhead. We have chosen to use English hops exclusively for this beer. UK Target hops are used for bittering and UK Fuggle hops for dry hopping.
Original Gravity 15.0 degrees Plato, IBU's 50.
This special batch of ESB was made to commemorate the works of poet Langston Hughes, whose autobiographical book "The Big Sea" was published in 1940.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 unclemattie (2422), Georgia, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/56/105/515/20
Sep 19, 2009  
Tap @ Free State. Deep amber color. Bready aroma. Flavor has a nice bread. Distant hop. Light and smooth. Lots of hops. Lingers on the palate. Nice citrus. Bold nutty cara malts.


 Indra (2030), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
3.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/512/20
Feb 19, 2009  
2007 vintage, draft at the brewery. Toasty, fruity and lightly roasty aroma, hints of cherry and grape Kool-Aid(!) as well as suggestions of tea, spice and floral sweetness. Medium-dark copper color with a slight, white head. Flavor profile is malty, toasty and bitter, with biscuity, bready, very faintly sweet malts and prominent spicy hop character and bitterness. Slight citrus on the finish, also drying considerably by the end. Some lingering red apple skin and earthiness. Thin on the palate and gently prickly, body is medium. A bit challenging, I have to say. Apparently this is the batch that won a 2007 GABF Bronze.


 tjthresh (1778), Greenfield, Indiana, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/515/20
Jun 21, 2008  
Pint at the brewpub with csbosox and holdenn. Pour was deep red with some fiery yellow and orange hues. Not served with head. Both the aroma and flavor are what I’d be looking for if I were sitting in a pub in the UK. really big biscuity and bready malt character with fairly restrained hops until you get the a strong bitter finish. Medium body with pretty average carbonation and a dry finish. Free State has really been on a roll for me lately.


 theisti (1678), Leawood, Kansas, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/514/20
Jan 28, 2008  
On tap at the brewpub. Pour is a clear brown-red with a thinnish off-white head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt (pretty faint, this was served WAY too cold). Taste is some sharp sweetness, faint malt and a somewhat astringent finish. This one was just OK. Much better as it warmed. Would have probably preferred this one on cask.


 beastiefan2k (1603), Lawrence (formely NYC), Kansas, USA
3.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/513/20
Jan 28, 2008    Updated: Feb 17, 2009
Pint pour @ brewpub. A clear amber beer with a sticky head. Aroma is astringent, spiky, light but icky sweet malts. Taste is similar with light cherry as well. Eh.

I had this again tonight, no astringency but just like a bland and blah ESB, there really isn’t another way to describe it.


 drowland (1417), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/513/20
Aug 5, 2009  
Had on tap at the brewpub while visiting the university. I mainly remember it being a bit too dry.


 Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/514/20
Jan 27, 2008  
On tap at the brewpub. Pours a deep, clear, dark red-orange with a creamy, beige head. The nose is of biscuity, caramel malt and earthy hops. Medium-bodied and slick with a lightly dry finish, the flavor is a blend of caramel and dry bready/biscuity notes. This is a decent ESB, but I guess that I was expecting more, given that this won a medal at GABF, in October.


 csbosox (1082), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/515/20
Jan 10, 2008  
On tap @ the brewpub. Copper colored, seemingly low carbonation compared to the other beers on tap, smallish white head. Served too cold. Caramelly, malty aroma with some light earthy notes. Biscuty and caramelly with a pronounced bitterness. There hops are subtle in the flavor, but are fairly earthy and spicy. The beer is easy drinking and enjoyable.



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