Olivers ESB

on hand pump-pours a thin off white head and amber/copper color. Aroma is light/medium malt, herbal/medicinal, slight tart apple. Taste is light/medium malt, herbal/medicinal, slight tart apple, nutmeg, English yeast. Minimum carbonation.

Handpulled at the Wharf Rat, Fell’s Point. Cloudy rust orange appearance and a froth of feathery white. Herbal pear and chamomile aroma; dusky, grassy, gingerly spiced. Hidden fruit characters, wet toast and honey. Flavor of zesty orange and lemongrass fruitiness and heavily starchy, sweet malt; dry almonds, and a musty woodchip and grass hamster cage quality; perfumey floral bitterness tends to subdue that a bit. Honey dominates mid palate; more rich malt and less cumbersome residual sugar; a touch more basic floral hop character to lend some cooling leafiness would be perfect. Medium uncarbonated body is chewy and somewhat watery; finishes cleanly with dry english hops and some unsweetened tea. Well developed.

Cask pint @ Frisco Grille leaves a finely bubbled thick foamy head on top of a murky, muddy dark amber body. The nose is at first heavy diacetyl, with some olives and olive oil and some greenish, wet, English hops (a bit catty too). Smooth and moderately thick, wet all around but not sweet, and more of the same butter and olive and olive oil with a smaller dose of green vegetables and hop leaves. Not digging it, sorry.

Cask @ Frisco’s. Pours a hazy, amber-red color; off-white head with fine-bubbled lacing. Light aroma: toasty, stale malts and overripe red fruits; a touch watery. Medium mouthfeel: relaxed carbonation; red fruits, stale malts, and a touch of mineral hoppiness; alright, and pleasant in the mouth, but a touch watery and a touch stale. Disappointing. Medium finish: bready, red fruit maltiness, and some residual sugar.

hazy amber body with a small white head. The nose is lightly sweet with herbs, grass, citrus and bread. The flavor is lightly sweet with citrus and pear. Medium body is very soft with very light carbonation.