Peregrinari (49), Washington, Washington DC, USA
Feb 19, 2008
This year I like this beer very much. The aroma of this beer is one of it’s strong points. It has a nutty yet hoppy bouquet that I just want to keep sniffing. In addition I note some mild citrus and very little sweet malt. It pours slightly cloudy with a thick head that settles to a whitish thin layer that lasts throughout the glass. The color is golden amber with as I said a bit of cloudiness. The flavor is nutty with some sour and bitterness that is not necessarily tied to the hops. Hop flavor is strong and smooth. The finish is a bit sticky with some sourness. Overall, I find this beer to be quite good. Another of the seasonals that I wait for and thoroughly enjoy. One note, I think this year is better than last year was.
 Beer_Hawk (673), Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Aug 20, 2008 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.
Blom (605), Odense, Denmark
Aug 19, 2008 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!
shalloWMeans (113), Florence, Kentucky, USA
Aug 17, 2008 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.
Bragesnak (1134), Aarhus, Denmark
Aug 14, 2008 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.
Bov (4604), Bienne, Switzerland
Aug 8, 2008 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
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