Thames Welsh ESB

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

Ga’ i beint cwrw, os gwelwch yn dda! (A pint of ale, please!) Excellent in all respects. Good body, nice bitterness lurking behind the malt. What my ancestors in that neck of the woods would call cwrw da, good ale. Of course, I may be swayed somewhat by Welsh nationalism... I’ll forgive the description as ’English bitter,’ since unfortunately there aren’t a lot of small independent breweries in Wales.

large malt profile, from toasted nut to toffee/caramel through plum/currant

Hell yes, brother. This is a damn fine beer. Pours very dark, almost a brown ale, with a light misting of head. Aroma is very estery and malty, with a mild english hops background. Flavor is huge and explosive, very malty and fruity with a great hops backbone. I think a lot of people forget that this style is all about balance. Lots of subtlely, medium to full body, light carboantion. The only thing that would improve this beer is perhaps a hand pulled cask of it.

Succulent aroma: yeast, pale malt, peat, a little vinegar, sloe and raisin. Tannic but incredibly balanced -- absolutely stellar. No unnecessary tartness, bittering, sweetness, broth, wood or fruit -- yet it has all those things. Raisiny, roast grain, molasses, Fuggles/Kent hops, complex taste. Finish is peaty and woody with baked raisin qualities. Only Fullers 1845 approaches this level of refinement in a common bitter. Perhaps Strong Suffolk, distantly. Dark, dark redbrown, with a fine head that lasts, good bottle, great label. Gimme a deck chair, lads, this is about as good as it gets.

Dark, dark red color; Head was tan, dense and long lasting; SCOTCH in the nose- wonderful. Like a scotch/whiskey cooler. Very peaty and earthy. A winner in my book and an all time favorite.

I don’t know what you people are thinking. Probably one of the best beers out there. Nutty and full on the nose. The color is a deep amber and the flavors are bold and suprisingly sweet. You can taste the caramel and toffee. Wonderful beer.

I really like this beer. It is NOT an ESB. Malty with notes of scotch and alcohol. Good beer. Brown colored.

beautiful bottle and label. and from this august packaging comes it's visual equivalency in a gorgeous radiant brew: terra cotta and saddle-bag leather, with edges in knotty pine yellow, heartwood of chestnut brown and deep plum reds mingling throughout, all flashing in competitions of fiery exuberance as i rotate the glass in the flattering embrace of a setting sun. ax handle tan head was plump and stoic. aroma won my heart like meg ryan in the last scene in 'sleepless in seattle'; yep, all things sweet and gentle and lovely and auspicious: black cherry, waffles and wheat berries, a touch of anise, vanilla extract. good body and soft carbonation coaxes all the rich aromas into becoming vivid living incarnations of flavor. i'm with aurelious on this one: i don't give a livid fuck what it's called, esb or scotch ale, call it ranch dressing for all i care, it's fabulous.