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ESB (Early Spring Beer)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- From:
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
- ABV:
- 5.9%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 9.16%
- Reviews:
- 573
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 08, 2016
- Added:
- Jan 09, 2008
- Wants:
- 5
- Gots:
- 5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Knapp85:
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania
4.22/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.22/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Very upset to see this has been retired. This beer pours out as a really nice copper color with a fluffy white head. Excellent lacing down the glass. The smell of this beer was fresh and very hoppy. Floral and citrusy, very good smelling brew. The taste is sharp and crisp, very hoppy and really refreshing brew. The mouthfeel was light and clean. Overall it's a real shame that this one is no more. This was easily one of Sierra Nevada's best.
Jun 14, 2011More User Ratings:
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.65/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Heady golden color, professional grade clarity. These guys make pro beer. 3/4" white head. Mild citrus aroma, but it is heavy for style.
Taste, pretty enjoyable, similar to a helles lager/bock but with an ale yeast. I think this is a pretty cool beer. There's bitterness, biscuit malt, dry finish/mouthfeel. The citrus kick is unexpected. Heavy carbonation.
Still have one left. . . might as well wait for the 10 year mark on that one. Would be more than happy if they kicked this into production again next spring.
Nov 08, 2016Taste, pretty enjoyable, similar to a helles lager/bock but with an ale yeast. I think this is a pretty cool beer. There's bitterness, biscuit malt, dry finish/mouthfeel. The citrus kick is unexpected. Heavy carbonation.
Still have one left. . . might as well wait for the 10 year mark on that one. Would be more than happy if they kicked this into production again next spring.
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas
3.84/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.84/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Copper-colored body, crowned by a coarse, robust and long-lasting tan head, which retains superbly. Fine pinpoints of lacing are scarred across the glass wall. The carbonation is profuse, fine-beaded, and slow-rising.
Aroma: Opens with a wave of Fuggles hops, which I normally dislike, however, the earthy hops present very well against the abundant toasted and biscuit malt; the yeast yields up a delicate touch of fruit.
Taste: Opens with earthy hops, which are balanced against a solid malt backbone of toasted and biscuit malts. As the taste progresses, the yeast offers up a little fruit, an earthy dark berry flavor. Late in the taste, the hops are ascendant, bringing the taste to a dry, earthy close.
Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very full, and quite pleasant.
Drinkability/notes: This was a bottle that had been refrigerated since 2008, and seems not to have suffered its age at all. ESB is not a favorite style of mine, but this one was unwaveringly excellent. Its a shame that Sierra Nevada no longer makes it,
Presentation: Packaged in a short twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.
Sep 19, 2016Aroma: Opens with a wave of Fuggles hops, which I normally dislike, however, the earthy hops present very well against the abundant toasted and biscuit malt; the yeast yields up a delicate touch of fruit.
Taste: Opens with earthy hops, which are balanced against a solid malt backbone of toasted and biscuit malts. As the taste progresses, the yeast offers up a little fruit, an earthy dark berry flavor. Late in the taste, the hops are ascendant, bringing the taste to a dry, earthy close.
Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very full, and quite pleasant.
Drinkability/notes: This was a bottle that had been refrigerated since 2008, and seems not to have suffered its age at all. ESB is not a favorite style of mine, but this one was unwaveringly excellent. Its a shame that Sierra Nevada no longer makes it,
Presentation: Packaged in a short twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.
Reviewed by Jeremiah_Nelson from California
5/5 rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
So sad this is a discontinued beer. I rank it as high as possible only for the fact I can remember the taste so vividly. It was the beer my father in law bought and we drank the night we came home from the hospital with my first child. Great memories.
Aug 21, 2016Rated by cyguyjg from Pennsylvania
4.65/5 rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.65/5 rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I miss this ale. It was a great example of an American ESB. Slightly malty, the alcohol gave it just the right punch.
Mar 21, 2015Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia
3.43/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
"Our ESB combines the best of English tradition with West Coast style. A blend of malts featuring British-grown Maris Otter is balanced with the earthy spiciness of hand-selected English and US hops. The ale is left unfiltered, which enhances mouthfeel and hop aroma creating a slightly reddish-copper hue." Brewed in the style of an English Extra Special / Strong Bitter. Previously available in 12 oz. bottled 6 packs and on draft, this was retired after 2009.
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of an off-white color over a very cloudy deep amber body. There is a dense cloud of sediment floating in this beer. Retention is good and lacing is medium and solid curtained. 4
(Smell) Doughy English bread malts with a light sweetness are joined by a very faded earthy hop notes and some light fruitiness. Altogether, it's a light aroma but very clean. 3.5
(Taste) English pale malts, slightly less sweet, less bready with a light earthy hop profile to pair. Finishes earthy bitter and hoppy with a touch of stale graininess on the back end. 3.25
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, mildly dry. Carbonation is soft for a smooth, fluffy mouthfeel. Body is medium for the style, shy of medium overall. Balance is grainy and bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is medium, and there are no discernible off-characters. 3.5
(Overall) ESB is another beer that I stumbled upon recently and despite its age, it's still a decent drinking beer, likely handled very well over the past few years. While I don't recommend going out of your way to dig through the cellars for this beer, I can testify that what remains of the ESB is still a mighty fine beverage, and I hope to get the chance to try it again, especially if we have an American ESB interest reemerge in the future. 3.5
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s
Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)
3.41/5.00
Dec 03, 2014Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of an off-white color over a very cloudy deep amber body. There is a dense cloud of sediment floating in this beer. Retention is good and lacing is medium and solid curtained. 4
(Smell) Doughy English bread malts with a light sweetness are joined by a very faded earthy hop notes and some light fruitiness. Altogether, it's a light aroma but very clean. 3.5
(Taste) English pale malts, slightly less sweet, less bready with a light earthy hop profile to pair. Finishes earthy bitter and hoppy with a touch of stale graininess on the back end. 3.25
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, mildly dry. Carbonation is soft for a smooth, fluffy mouthfeel. Body is medium for the style, shy of medium overall. Balance is grainy and bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is medium, and there are no discernible off-characters. 3.5
(Overall) ESB is another beer that I stumbled upon recently and despite its age, it's still a decent drinking beer, likely handled very well over the past few years. While I don't recommend going out of your way to dig through the cellars for this beer, I can testify that what remains of the ESB is still a mighty fine beverage, and I hope to get the chance to try it again, especially if we have an American ESB interest reemerge in the future. 3.5
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s
Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)
3.41/5.00
ESB (Early Spring Beer) from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
643 ratings
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