Real Ale Phoenixx Double ESB

(On tap at Draught House on June 14, 2008) I seem to be drinking all the new beers today. English strong ale, huh? Let’s see... bartender said it’s a bit too malty. I’ll try to ignore that comment so my tongue isn’t tainted. Color is murky brown with a tint of orange. Yep... looks malty. Its look/color reminds me of wort. Fine off-white head (alot like a Guiness head). Nose is lightly sweet and floral. One question... why is a winter seasonal first poking its head out in the summer? Taste is malty, but not so bad... pretty dense and heavy, but has a light flavor. Has a bit of a pick-me-up for a heavier winter brew. Palate is dense, but there’s a bit of its lightness that seeps toward my cheeks. Very interesting. Neat recipe, Real Ale... no aftertaste, so I find myself drinking a bit faster. My friend says it’s hoppy but I just drank an IPA, so it’s hard to tell at this point. I like it... it’s got some heft.

The beer is classified as an English Strong Ale, it weighs in at 6.6% ABV with 50 IBU. This is Real Ale’s winter seasonal which smacks of English style but with a distinctively Texas taste. The Beer has a very light nose. It might because I have a slight cold or it might be that the beer keeps all of its flavor for your palate but got very little nose off of my initial investigation. I believe that just as you eat with your eyes you also drink with your eyes. So the question becomes does this beer say “pick me up and drink me”? This is a great looking beer. It has a white creamy head that has great lacing that hangs all the way down the glass. The body is fairly clear with an amber black color. Real Ale claims that this” this ale is about hops. The blend of English hops, highlighted by its namesake, Phoenix, yields a complex hop character that dominates this special brew.” I hope that my recent IPA bingeing hasn’t left my palate overly shocked, because I didn’t really get hoppy bitterness off the beer. But I did get some light hoppy floral notes, which could mean that the brewers were going with a sweeter less bitter hoppy approach which is a much welcomed change from the rest of the ESBs I’ve had of late. What I did get was a rich yet balanced malty flavor. This taste comes from the English crystal malt which brings with it a light toffee and caramel undertone. The ale has a very short lived finish, which is great because as much as I like IPAs and ESBs I don’t like to taste them in the morning. This beer has a medium body with a very light and watery mouth feel. Overall I would call this a very well balanced flavorful beer and is a great way to start off the night.

(Draft) Pours a deep amber body with a medium beige head. Aroma of caramel, orange, nuts, and toasted grain. The flavor is dominated by chocolate and caramel malts that balance out nicely with the citrusy hops and light nutty notes in the finish.

Weird that this is listed as an ESB and it comes up as a ESA. Very bitter around 50 IBU. Hoppy malt sugary and dark reddish color. Medium sized creamy head. Pretty good beer.

Served a pint glass at the Alamo Drafthouse- semi transparent dark red amber in color, nice off red head one finger thick, aroma of malt with a pale fruit note. Hits the mouth with a medium body, malt and hops are present, finish is crisp with a snort of sweetness thrown in. Very easy drinker.