The Tower
Bull & Bush Brewery

The TowerThe Tower
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From:
Bull & Bush Brewery
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #23
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
87
Ranked #16,294
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 11.6%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
54
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 11, 2022
Added:
Jun 16, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  8
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL: Gold 1998, Silver 2001, Silver 2012
WORLD BEER CUP: Gold 1998, Bronze 2004, Bronze 2012
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rowew:
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: Picked up a growler yesterday.

Appearance: Pours an amber color with a decent head, fades to just a bit of lacing - but keep in mind this was from a growler.

Smell: Floral hops and a bit of caramel malt. Definitely smells like what I would expect from an ESB.

Taste: Heavy on the floral hops, but a nice amount of malt in there too - definitely highly drinkable.

Overall impression: I'm not sure of the ABV, but this is a great session beer. I often try and pick up a growler of this to bring home and enjoy.
Oct 07, 2007
More User Ratings:
Photo of JZH1000
Reviewed by JZH1000 from Colorado

4.09/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500mL bottle simply marked that it was bottled in 2022.

On the pour at first the carbonation looks quite light but by the end a 2 finger head forms that slowly recedes to about a finger over a couple minutes. The body is a dark amber to reddish brownwoth a very light haze and light lazy carbonation. No lacing.

Aroma is quite light, but largely dominated by ale yeast commingling with earthy hops, with a light grainy crackery aroma on the back of it. The hops and a general beeriness stand out in this one's aroma. As it warms more esters come through and the malts become sweeter becoming more balanced with some caramel vanilla notes but there still isn't a lot of smell and it's dominated by the yeast.

The flavor is much more balanced and brings more of a punch. On the sip you're met with a nice hoppy bitter front that quickly drops off and leaves a nice almost roasted malty quality with some nutty vibes. The hops never completely disappear, and a nice rounded welcome bitterness lingers with the malt flavor as everything slowly fades before the next sip. Hoppy on the front but bready malty and almost soft like a mild on the back with a slight hoppy reminder this is a bitter. Good flavor with lots of English yeast vibes as well.

Feel is surprisingly crisp for being a hoppy and malty ale, but it's easy to put down with a nice carbonation bite accompanied by a creaminess as well that makes it quite a versatile beer. Easy to drink and it brings hops and a big dose of malts without being heavy. Does linger on the palate a bit but not in an unwelcome way.

Overall a very good ESB with very nice balance, but aroma is lacking a bit. Nothing is off but the smell doesn't betray the malty goodness that the flavor brings. Definitely worth a try if you're curious and a very good ESB with no true flaws.
Jun 11, 2022
Photo of Fordcoyote15
Reviewed by Fordcoyote15 from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Straight 4.5s.

Super rich, dense, oily and vibrant orange/amber ale looking.

Smell is just popping with caramel maltyness and low key bittering hops. No dry hopping in your face here just very low key mellow old school smelling.

Taste im loving. Absolutely refreshing to drink older European styles that showcase the array of flavors without going to extremes with the beers we know today. Its got loads of caramel sweetness balanced but lightly floral, earthy hops. Just super crushable and easy drinking.

Feel im particularly impressed with. This beer was sent via mail and had a leak. I expected it to be flat but it still hiss and carbed up on the pour. It is on the lower end of carb and the mouthfeel is SUPER oily, dense and chewy for a 6.5% beer. It leaves your mouth feeling like a dank resinous oils that a huge huge DIPA does (without the extreme bitterness alongside).

Overall just exquisite. I can't get enough of these old school styles.
May 27, 2022
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.17/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Had on tap. Orangey brown body, sudsy off-white cap and lacing. Aromas of malt with caramel accents, toast, herbal hops and citrus. Taste adds an element of honey and diacetyl almost imitating crystal malt sweetness, citrus more lemon centric, hops balance really well. Feel is medium bodied, hop bitters do their job well all the while the malt smoothness is omnipresent. Nice ESB for any time of year
May 25, 2022
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a mostly clear dark brownish-copper with a touch of haze; you can almost, but not quite, read through it. Head production and retention are excellent; nice lacing.

Very aromatic and hop-forward aroma, with notes of citrus, tannins, tea, flowers, leather, honey, and toffee.

Flavor follows, but with much more sweet malt than the nose implied. Caramel, brown sugar, pecan, and honey up front; strong tannins and a pungent bitterness in the middle; tea, lemon, and honey on the finish. Light toast throughout, including a very mild char on the aftertaste.

Very flavorful ESB. I don't particularly love the middle, as the bitterness comes across a bit earthy and pungent, but overall this seems true to style, and is a very enjoyable beer overall.
Apr 17, 2022
Photo of gyorgymarlowe
Rated by gyorgymarlowe from Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: opaque burnt orange
S: citrus, cookie
T: marmalade, dark toast, hint of anise
F: firm carbonation, coating
Oct 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Aug 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rymish from Colorado

Jul 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by WDJersey from Colorado

Nov 12, 2016
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
16.9 oz. Bottle
DTL: 5/14/14
ABV: 16.5%

Guessing this bottle might have 2 yrs. on it.

Poured into a Squatters true pint glass a cloudy brownish color, nice carbonation, with a pretty thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, slightly yeasty, with some nice nuttyness. The taste is pretty good, malty, slight yeast note, nutty. Medium body, with a pretty nice bitter/dry finish. Overall, even if this brew has 2 years on it, it's still pretty tasty, but would like to get a fresher bottle some day. My first from this brewery, I believe I saw 3 other's by them, definitely will check them out.
May 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by Twal from Colorado

Dec 18, 2015
Photo of deleted_user_357747
Reviewed by deleted_user_357747

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Slightly hazy, brown-amber color, Thick head, nearly 2-fingers of lacy, hoppy-looking foam heads, good lacing. Smell is a good blend of toasted graininess and pleasant hop fruitiness. Flavor, too, is all about balance. A nice hops kiss rounds off the slightly caramel maltiness, a nice lasting coating on the palette. Balanced, balanced, balanced.

Across the board, quite good. Easy drinking beer.
Oct 22, 2015
Photo of tylerstravis
Reviewed by tylerstravis from Colorado

3.71/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I really love a good ESB, or at least what I think an ESB is. I've been drinking what I am used to for years and it's not this. Knowing Bull & Bush, maybe this is more true to form than what I'm used to. Unfortunately I like what I'm used to more than this. Tower is less of that light biscuit taste and more of that deep malt taste.

Not sure if this will help, but it's my review of expecting something different.
Aug 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.19 by Sara24 from Colorado

Aug 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Aug 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by Dimitri from Colorado

May 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by LeeryLeprechaun from Colorado

May 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.46 by aratcliffe from Kansas

Apr 01, 2015
Photo of traviseses
Rated by traviseses from Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Love their ESB, so tasty
Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by GRG1313 from California

Oct 14, 2014
The Tower from Bull & Bush Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 54 ratings