Marin ESB

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Bitter
Larkspur, California USA

Cask at Elysian’s SBW Firkin-Firkin throwdown (vs. Elysian The Wise). Pours mostly clear amber with a small white head. Aroma is floral and citrus hops and honey. Biscuity malts show up in the taste. Watery mouthfeel and tea-like finish. Not what I was expecting in an ESB.

(cask conditioned at the Larkspur Landing brewpub) Hazy orange with a small white head. Aroma was mild malt with a hint of hops. Flavor was a nice balance of hops and malt. Along with the cask conditioned mouthfeel, it was a real treat.

Cask at The Alembic in San Francisco. Hazy golden orange, very little head. Toffee malt, stonefruits, earthy/woody hops, tart somewhat acidic finish reminiscent of a California common style. Excellent.

Cask at O’Brien’s. Hazy brownish color. Mostly malty aromas. Flavor was similar but somewhat watery. Just OK

Murky glowing orange, sweet citrus nose, musty flavor of wheat. The malt is there, some pine hops with a bite in the finish. OK.

(Draft: Marin Brewing in Larkspur, CA) Not an especially malty or fruity ESB; Mild honey flavor, fairly dry with little sweetness; Moderately bitter and hoppy; Lightly smoky in the finish, but also has a mild dry hops flavor in the finish too; Not too much going on in the nose, maybe a little malty; The mouthfeel is quite carbonated; Deep amber, almost light brown in color and fully cloudy; Light tan head is sizeable on the pour, and has good retention, gradually fading to a ring; This was also on cask, and I’ll bet cask conditioning would do wonders for this ESB

Tasted at the 2004 Pizza Port Real Ale Festival. Orange gold color. Medium head. Aroma is fruity and mild. A medium bodied English style ESB. Malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are mild and slightly spicy. Nicely balanced. Soft carbonation. A milder ESB more in the English style. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

Cask @ Real Ale Fest

Served in place of the Marin White Knuckle

The beer pours a somewhat bemused amber color with an ample head that was frothy and light tan in color, the lace a decent covering sheet. Nose was sweet and pleasant, the start nicely malted and the top middling in its feel. Finish had delectable hop spiciness, the acidity pleasant and the dry aftertaste lingered long on the palate, quite a nice ESB, from a fine brewery.