River Horse Special Ale ESB

Brewed by River Horse Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Lambertville, New Jersey USA

Situation: Final exams have began--time to celebrate prematurely! Glassware: Kisatsky’s Pub shaker... Appearance: Burnt orange-brown body with a crispy, fresh white head that settles to a lacing-less moustache.. Aroma: Robust, hoppy scents--a bit much in the hopper for an ESB (though indeed this is an American brewer)... Palate: medium-bodied and rather smooth finish after an abrupt start; the throat is stoked ablaze with each passing sip... Taste: buttery with sweet toffee and vanilla (?); hops provide initial runch but ease off; aftertaste is pleasantly even... Overall: No insult, but can’t think of something more to say either way--works as the twelve-pack filler with a sessionable sweetness....

12 oz bottle split with Fannon and Tdawg. Pours slightly cloudy amber body with small white head. The aroma is malt. The flavor is sweet malt and bitterness.

Bottle: poured a hazy amber with a white head. The aroma was sweet malts. The flavor was somewhat bitter and somewhat sweet. Overall, an easy drinker.

(bottle - 12 oz) Hazy orange color with a load of white foam. Aroma is mild and sweet with a decent amount of malts. Flavor begins with a smooth and lightly dry malt flavor that moves to a dry and grassy bitter middle. Finishes light with hints of caramel, apple skins, and dry hops. Not bad.

bottle almost exploded. way overcarbonated. not sure what that was about. pours a blurry orange, full rocky off-white head. aroma is artificial fruit and sugar. flavor is also like fruity candy, no malt or hops in sight. ugh. way too sweet. but maybe this was a bad bottle? very fizzy.

Cask at Barcade: Either the bottled version of this sucks, or people don’t know what encompasses a good ESB. Pours a hazy deep orange with a tan thick, lacing head. Evident cascade character in the aroma- some citrusy notes over a soft biscuity background. Creamy body- soft flavor- dry, biscuity, citrusy U.S. hop notes- mildly herbaceous and smooth bitterness in the finish. Not very complex, but a solid example of the style. This was a nice cask. Must have been very fresh.

Somewhat cloudy, pale amber color, aroma is delicate and sweet. Fairly mild for an ESB, slightly hoppy and sweet.

My bottle (12oz) shared with garthicus. Pours a clear, bubbly golden-orange with a small diminishing fizzy tan head. Somwhat boring aroma: Sweet and malty, a touch sugary and earthy. Simple flavour of caramel malt and mild herbal hops along with some grain. Thin to medium bodied. It’s hard to describe as it’s so nondescript -- it’s an O.K. beer but it’s dull.