Maritime Pacific Salmon Bay ESB

Brewed by Maritime Pacific Brewing Co.
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Seattle, Washington USA

On Tap at Maritime Pacific Seattle. Pours out a nice hazy amber topped with a small head. A little malt and light wood. I also picked up a little metal odd.

On Tap at the Jolly Roger. Slightly hazy medium redish brown. Thin wispy white head and spotty lacing. Woody lightly roasted malt aroma. Flavor was malty, abit sweet and not veery bitter. The trailer has a little more bite to it though. Quaffable.

Draught at the Jolly Roger in Seattle. Picked up on a whim as ESB’s aren’t my usual drink of choice. Pleasantly surprised enough to make me want to try other ESB’s. Would suggest giving it a try if given the opportunity.

Draught pint at Redbones on 11/30/06
Light peachy-orange body has just a hint of melonskin tone to it, while the white head is medium in size, but moderately well retained, frothy and providing of a moderate amount of lacing in rings. Clarity is medium-high. Not 100% clear, but nearly so. Well-carbonated.
Floral hop bouquet in the nose is quite intricate, not quite gentle in bitterness, but not overdone with it either. Spiciness and light citrus (lemons, tangerines) are present as well, with a supportive malt sweetness in the background. Sweet white bread, bits of graham crackers and a touch of fresh dough on the end, it dosent obstruct the hops, but helps temper the bitterness. Fruitiness follows, especially with warming, adding light pears, cherries and more citrus notes. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma. Fairly standara American pale ale under the guise of the ESB tag. So an American ESB, pretty much, though it’s not heavy-handed on the IBUs, nor does it have any hard citrus or pine. Definitely a good mix of European and American hops. No alcohol, flaws noted.
A light tea-like astringency is found at the beginning, with orange and minor grapefruit hints. This quickly gives way to a honey and vanilla like softness/sweetness that deepens and adds light caramel and richer honey malt notes. It comes right up to the point of getting too sweet and then stops, cut off by a brisk, but mostly engaging carbonation and hop bitterness. Some spicy and more floral hop notes dot the palate throughout, with light fruitiness combining with the maltiness as it warms. Very supple texture, the malt is soft and round. In that way, it’s quite British, but the hops are decidedly more bitter and of the American variety. A very well-done American ESB or whatever you want to call it. Fresh and flavorful.
Surprised by the relatively low ratings of Maritime’s stuff. Looks like the bottled versions of their beers are inferior to draught?

Draught at pub. Pour is a clear amber with a nice white head and lacing. Earthy malt aroma and flavor. The earthy hops balance the bready malt very well. Nice ESB.

On tap at the brewery. Solid amber colour. Almost no flavour at all, with a somehow spicy finish.

Draught. Wow, I love this beer. I haven’t had it in a couple of years. I’ll have to re-rate soon. The malt complexity comes out and balances the hops. Yum. A very drinkable tasty beer.

Draught Just a little white rim over clear foxy ale. One wants to be the nose bi/uttery, but it isn’t really. Some malts, ever so slightly bready and chestnut flour. Soft sweet taste with just a suggestion at diacetyl. Has some discreet bitterness hiding in the shadows, but not really hoppy. Soft creamy MF, nearly medium bodied, only very restrained burning, alcohol nonexistent. Quite drinkable actually, just not very assertive, let alone great.