Thames Welsh ESB

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

Clearly not your typical ESB. Very dark ruby brown color. Big fizzy head out of the bottle. Aroma is sharp and the alchohol jumps right at ya. If you love strong ales, certainly give this one a try. If you prefer more typical, mild ales, skip this one!

This is certainly a surprise for a bottle labeled ESB. Dark, reddish brown with a creamy off-white head. Nose is spicy and vinous with a touch of oak. Creamy mouthfeel. Extremely vinous with a pleasant bit of alcohol warmth. Slightly sweet. Notes of candi sugar, toffee, raisin, and molasses. A slight bitterness makes itself known in the lingering, sweet finish. I'm going to have to echo everyone else and say that this is absolutely not a standard extra special bitter but much better than what I ordinarily expect from the style.

Pours a solid mohogany color with a very nice thick head but very little lacing. The scent is interesting: almost brandy-like, but definately alcoholic. Fruit esters are *very* strong. It smells more like a lambic than an ESB. Taste is...odd. I *like* it, but it's not to ESB style, IMO. It's very fruity, with a nice subtle malt/hop balance. There's also a good mineral mouthfeel to it. I'd like to try and clone this for a homebrew. Again, I like this, I just don't think it falls within the guidelines of the style. It's definately worth trying, though.

This was interesting. Dark brown body with a medium, even tan head. Nose is roasted malts with some hops bitterness in the mix. The taste was malt and hops but with a fruit taste mixed with a rauchbier. Finished with a hops and a smoky hint. Surprisingly good beer as I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was.

not hard to notice the alcohol in the aroma and in the first sip. interesting - some caramel and a touch of rye and sultanas. alas, finishes in nothing

Clear chestnut body topped by medium beige head. Aroma is malty -- caramel, scotch, lightly earthy. Taste is much the same. Finishes with a mild alcohol burn. Medium watery body. Too malty for what I want in an ESB, but a good beer just the same.

Like the Scottish parliament is to devolution in Wales, this beer does in concept (though not quite in practice) for Wales what the Scots have in Scottish Ales. I really wouldn't think of this as a bitter, in fact. It is darker (deep chestnut brown), with a big, irregularly laced head, and once that dissipates, you have a beer that nevertheless retains a good mouthfeel, in part due to the sweet stickiness, and in part due to a burn of alcohol on the tongue. But the alcohol is quite muted and it just lends to a fruity, caramelly balance that is so very enjoyable. This did not go well with a spaghetti dinner, it must be said, but other than that, you've got a great blend of all that is great about non-stout maltiness: raisins, caramel, grape, vinousness, woodiness, honey.... Bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore.

Reddish orange color, more malty, and on the sweet side, than bitter. I really didn't detect any hops in this bitter.