Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)

Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Chico, California USA

Bottle poured into English pint. Aroma of citrus and a little pine. Poured cloudy amber with a decent head. At first the taste is a littly hoppy with a kind of fizzy palate where the hops lingers on the tongue a bit. As it warms, it seems to lose a lot of the hops and it takes on more of an earthy, malty tone. Not an all-star, but a good beer that’s a solid choice for hot weather.

Draft @ Flying Saucer - Nashville. Amber in the glass with an off-white head. Sweet floral aroma. Malt caramel flavor backed with hops and light spices. Light to medium body.

Copper coloured with a dense head. An aroma of pine forests and tropical fruits kindle my interest at once. It doesn’t excactly smell British, but more like an American Pale Ale. The flavours are bitter like grape fruit and citrus, but with a nice malty contrast in the form of cookies and toasted white bread. It’s hard to spot any flaws in this ESB!

This well hopped version of a classic British ESB, when poured, is a lively copper orange- the color of a spring sunset. This is topped with a creamy head and a light unfiltered haze. In the aroma, an immediate hop presence brings tangerine, ripe mango and grapefruit notes. It’s fresh, energetic, and vibrant with an undercurrent of toasty sweet malt. The taste is a perfecto balance of sweet and dry, though the hops are a lot more over-the-top than a normal ESB (not a surprise coming from Sierra Nevada). There is a very fullfilling malt presence in the mix, bringing a slight hint of breadiness, but again, the hops dominate, bringing a tropical pineapple and citrus tang to the beer, leaving an "extra bitter" mouthfeel that’s creamy yet sharp, exciting and energetic. This makes for a very appetizing ESB. As the beer warms it seems to lose a bit of it’s bitter hop edge and gain a bit more fruity malt. Great for spring or summer drinking as intended. Not entirely representative of the style, it’s more like an APA. Overall though, I give this beer an 8/10 for drinkability, which I suppose is really what a good premium bitter is all about.

From Skjold Burne, Aarhus, DK. Bottled. 140808. Amber with some head. Aroma of fruit notes. Flavor of malt and a nice back of hop bitterness and spicy tones.

courtesy of Tony Flükiger - hazy red-amber colour with a little beige foam; fresh fruity hoppiness (melon and passion fruit); good malt body; tart and fairly bitter fruity finish; long lasting

12 oz. bottle. Pours a deep amber with a medium sized off white head. The aroma is moderately sweet malt, grains and cookie dough. Notes of citrus and flowers can also be detected. The flavor is more cookie dough, grass, citrus, and moderately sweet malt. Clean and easy drinking on a hot day. Medium bodied.

This beer is really unique for a spring ale. It has an irish red hint to it with a bitter after taste. I got a six-pack and I’m glad that I didn;t have just one. The second time I tried it I really liked it.