Thames Welsh ESB

Brewed by Felinfoel
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Llanelli, Dyfed, Wales

I’m not sure if my sample was too old, but I found this ber to be far too sweet. Caramel and sugar taste overwhelmed the rest of the beer. Nice color and limited head. I’ll have to try it again sometime.

Not a bad beer. This was most notably toffee and caramel like in the base flavor with a definite hoppy bitterness that finished. I cought some licorice in the aftertaste and was content but not overly impressed with this one.

(500 ml bottle: $3.39 at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA) I was not expecting such a full-flavored ESB, but this is quite tasty. Mildly sweet, fairly fruity and nutty, with mild hops bitterness for balance. The fruitiness reminds me of raisins and there is the classic buttery flavor and texture to this beer. As the beer warms up, a modest sourness toward the finish dampens the sweet fruits, and I guess in this situation, I wish the sourness weren’t there -- I liked the beer better out of the fridge. Sweet, fruity and caramely aromas are appealing. Full bodied and velvety on the palate with gentle carbonation. Cloudy, muddy, red-brown in color, topped by half an inch of light-tan head that fades to a thin ring and leaves only spotty lacing. A really pleasant, balanced and interesting ESB.

Beautiful ruddy brown color with small head. Caramel, burnt toast aroma. Distinct metallic aftertastes. Decent beer.

Nice brown body with a medium volume tan head. Toffee and caramel dominate the aroma, almost a tea-like quality. Mead taste, very light and some bittterness. Clean hoppy ending.

Hazy dark brown color with a thin fully diminishing off-white head. Sweet fruity aroma, almost like apples. Sweet flavor with noticable fruits and some light bitterness.

Poured a muddy brown with a light tan head and good lacing. Tasted more like a brown ale than what I am used to as an ESB. Full bodied with good malt and caramel flavors. Well balanced with a good level of english hop flavor. Also plenty of rich yeasty fruit flavors. Tastes like a fuller, hoppier newcastle brown.

Enjoyed a pint bottle of this beer. Pours to a slightly murky, deep amber to ruby color, with a soapy, white head that fades, and a moderate to soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is fruity and malty, with slight vinous aroma. The palate is soft and full on the tongue with good sweet malt and toffee flavors, paired with estery, juicy ripe fruit flavor. Welsh ESB finishes with more toffee and fruit up front, then ends with some mild, vinous, sourness that takes the cloying edge of this beer. Very enjoyable, very flavorful, very drinkable beer. I really liked this one, and it makes for a classic session brew, and very food friendly as well.