Schlafly Winter ESB

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Bottled 11/26/03 – Pours a slightly hazed amber with a creamy off-white head. The aroma is that of earthy and flowery hops with lots of sweet malt. The flavor is slight caramel then lots of flowery/fruity hops with medium to light bitterness. There are hints of rye but it is really very far back in the mix. The body is medium-full and seems to be substantiated a good bit by the rye. A good beer overall. Possibly misclassified as an ESB, seems more of an APA to me. It lacks the sweet cinnamon character I like in an ESB.

2003 bottle. First off, thanks to Emily for sendin this gem as an extra. Pours about as good as you can get without being bottle conditioned. Good sized yellow-white head and a marvelous deep red-amber color. Dirty brown and yellow waves as well, quite bright. Smells very full and strong, lots of hops and a slightly spicy/peppery aroma. Mellow and dry caramel as well. Flavor is superb. First off you get a great bitter hops flavor from some nice english-style hops. On the background is a dry caramel-earthy/root flavor. Almost tastes like there is some anise in there, but that’s probably the rye. Body is perfect and flavor is strangely subtle yet full, as a good bitter should be. Beer definitely grows on you as you drink it and the aftertaste of sweet molasses/caramel and low acid hops is wonderful. If this was bottle conditioned, this would be one of the best beers ever made. I hope to test that theory at the brewery with the cask version.

Malty, nutty nose just like Avery ESB, with a similar utty malt flavor that has a surisingly long finish, sustained, and indeed urged on, by hop bitterness. A bit of hops that you can taste high in your mouth, too. Well balanced and very good. I'm not sure, though, about the exceedingly high rating.

A really great beer from Schlafly. Quite hoppy with a generous amount of sweet malt flavor. This finishes very clean and is an excellent ESB. This and the Oatmeal Stout from Schlafly really stand out

I dont usually care for ESB's, but this one is really good. Light copper color with thin ivory head that disappeared quick! Fruit up front right away and warm caramel followed. I'm a believer and want to try the rest of the line.

Clear copper colour body with a nice sized dense off-white head. Aroma of caramel, english hops, alcohol, cherries and slight peaches. Medium-bodied; Nice english hoppiness-not overpowering with a strong metallic taste. Aftertaste clean and fairly english in its hoppiness. Overall, a good bitter, not the best I've had-but a great treat! I got this twelve ounce bottle purchased from a friend in Saint Louis, Missouri and sampled it on 27-December-2003 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

11/6/03... Poured an orange amber color with a large bubbly white head and some lacing. Mild sweet floral saaz hop aroma. Slightly bitter, but some nice malt to back it up. Certainly a well balanced bitter, probably one of my favorite. I had been looking for a nice bitter to enjoy lately, and I found it!

Nice amber color. Poured well out of the bottle. Thick white head. Nice sweet aroma. Floral taste. Not too bitter, but just enough to make me happy. A very good bitter.