Great Divide HotShot ESB

Formerly brewed at Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Denver, Colorado USA

This is a nice hoppy ESB with some IPA similarities (citrus pine acidity) but it does maintain it’s malty backbone. The breakdown: I let this warm a bit and served in a large pint glass. Appearance: Pours a golden amber with a large off-white head and moderate lacing. Smell: Citric acidity in the nose with earthy aromas and hints of nuts. Toasted malt base with herbal overtones; nice. Taste: Biscuity toasted malts and caramel, underscore the orange rind hop oil flavors. Very well balanced and particularly acidic for an ESB. Very nice flavor though, with a slight woody character in the finish. Mouthfeel: Light in the mouth with a bit of a watery center; but it improves as it warms. Drinkability: This is a session beer if ever I’ve had one. I am glad I have a 6pack worth because I am about to open another. It is not the most glamour’s flavor, but it is easy, easy drinking, and refreshingly dry. Hope this is helpful. Cheers!

Bottle. Pours a golden-orange body with a massive white frothy head that slowly dissipates. The aroma is very fruity - there are berries and lots of yeast along with bread. Great fruity flavoured hops and caramel malt. Tasty.

Pours light orange with a white head. Very fresh grainy aroma. Some earthy hop flavor but mostly a fresh malt flavor. This almost tasted like you were eating freshly malted grains. I liked it.

Dark hazy orange, gigantic fluffy orange tinted head. Interesting English hops citrusy aroma - nice - a little spicy. Lots of carbonation in mouthfeel. Nice taste - some earthy hops followed by a ton of sweet malt. I really love the malt characteristic of this beer - lots of caramel malt sweetness. A very nice esb.

Bottle all by my lonesome in my hotel room in Michigan, after the 2006 MBG Summer Festival and a mini-tasting. Pours a slightly hazy amber-orange with a small lasting foamy off-white head. Pleasant aroma of funky U.K. hops, caramel malt, spices and fruit. Flavour is equally hoppy and malty with a decent bitter finish. Medium bodied. A good version of the style.

bottle - Nice aroma of light malts and moderately assertive hops. This is an easy drinking beer with a very tastey hops kick. It’s medium bodied with a dry finish. I enjoyed it and would have no problem enjoying several in an evening.

Bottle. Aroma of citric hops. Light on palate. Flavor well-balanced with malt and hops. Dry.

Amber and clear in the glass. You can really smell the malt at first followed by a good hop aroma. Well balanced flavor; not as bitter as I expected. Very clean, dry finish.