Great Divide HotShot ESB

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

12 oz bottle. Poured the perfect hue of Gretsch orange with a large off-white head, which thanks to this beer’s massive carbonation seemed to be ever-replenishing until about halfway through. Clear brew with nice lacing. Aroma of the fruit salad they used to serve me in primary school, specifically the pears. Moderately hoppy with some grapefruit and pine. Sweet and bitter with some malt and grass. Medium body with a decent mouthfeel. Bitter finish.

Gushed a bit upon opening. Bitter fruit skin aroma; astringent at first but mellows out to a subtle fruity aroma with nice floral hops. A bit of diacetyl and light sugary notes. Apricots. Head is at first rocky with quite a bit of lacing and staying power; off-white. Slightly hazy medium amber body. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Light carbonic tang. Starts with nice malty body, medium sweetness with fruity apricot notes and resiny hops. Mild to medium bitter is accentuated toward the finish, and the after is a medium astringent bitter with mild fruity undertones. Easy drinking and a nice bitter.

Beautiful copper color; giant head, too much… fermentation? Some aroma of hop, light yeast. Malty taste; medium body structure; toffee; very good hop flavor and bitterness. Very good.

Aroma has some light fruitiness. There is no malt aroma. The color is amber. Despite being chilled for twenty-four hours the, upon the initial pour three-fourths of the glass was a white foamy head. Flavor was quitle light with a very mild bitterness. The finish was weak and mild.

Bottle. Pours a nice clear copper with ~1 cm. off-white, creamy, chunky head - dissipates to foam that stays around for a while and laces nicely. Aroma is of sweet malts, caramel, and a little bit of florally hops, but not terribly strong. Flavor - not a lot going on - nice and bitter up front, smooth and a tiny bit of caramel at the swallow, and then a nice, crisp finish. Palate is light with a higher level of carbonation - appropriate for the style. Almost dangerously poundable. Overall pretty good. Not a lot of complexity - very well balanced - not a lot of hop or malt flavor, but a good amt. of bitterness. Good session ESB.

An overly mild ESB. Not too bitter, but not very full-flavored, either. Ever-so-slightly sweet, yet very ashy and the finish is dry. Minerals abound, which is very characteristic of a British ESB.

Quite a nice session beer, very much in the English style - limited but apparent hop profile - very doughy, but still crisp and refreshing - mild, fruity malt character - nothing spectacular, but a nice "pub beer."

Bottle
Thick white head on this brown to orange brew. Malty aroma behind the usual hops. Malty damp sweet taste with some tannines and a biscuity aftermath. Very much an everyday beer. Nothing too bad, nothing too much.