Full Sail Equinox
Full Sail Brewing Company

Full Sail EquinoxFull Sail Equinox
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From:
Full Sail Brewing Company
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 10.94%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
38
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 12, 2016
Added:
Apr 10, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This one came in a mixture of yellow and light orange. Good 3/4" white head. Aroma was a very pleasant Cascade floral hop aroma, one of the best I've come across in an ESB.

Taste hit the bitter notes, but still had that floral C hop edge. A little stronger than traditional ESB's, a little more bitter, a little more hop mouthfeel even if with old school new world hops. So it wasn't exactly within BJCP guidelines, but it was an almost Americanized, imperialized version of ESB.

Extremely dry pale malt going on here, great dry finish. Ample carbonation all the way through, although it helps when the beer is so drinkable you finish it quickly. The citrus/grapefruit notes all the way through were consistent. Possibly my favorite Full Sail beer of all time.
May 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by afsdan from Colorado

Apr 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by klmcmachen from Texas

May 06, 2013
Photo of Beerandraiderfan
Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Another from the long lost awesome seasonal series of Full Sail.

A faint orange and auburn color to it, average head, exquisite floral hop bitter aroma.

Taste, very bitter, but more hop mouthfeel than almost any esb I can ever recall having. Finished so dry and crisp, another FS beer that was light, yet so full of hops and bitterness. Grapefruit, lemon and pepper, this one was kind of like a half imperial version of their pilsner, many of the same flavors, just a little amped up (bitterness especially).
Oct 06, 2010
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

2.88/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Full Sail may be one of the more erratic brewers. It is so hit-or-miss it is unbelievable. This beer is a perfect example. Their IPAs tend to be on the English side, so I thought their ESB would be fantastic. Wrong. Copper pour with a decent white head. Malt, caramel, and a floral/citrusy aroma. Bitter, metallic bite with some toffee and caramel. It is sour in the finish, almost starchy. Sadly average.
Dec 08, 2008
Photo of Maudite
Reviewed by Maudite from Texas

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Found at Roxies Deli on Shattuck in Berkeley.

A- Creamy, off-white head, one thick finger full. No lacing at all, but head stayed for the whole bottle. Body was a rich orange color with a very slight haziness to it.

S- Great nose on this beer with many aromas from wet grass, fresh cut/wet wood, flowers, to a peppery spiciness. Nothing muddled, all very well distinguished. Well crafted beer with a great hop profile. So far, so ESB.

T- A grassy hop bite, a sweet, yet dry, maltiness. Very bitter and sweet, simultaneously. An almost honeysuckle floral quality, a sticky bitterness reminiscent of tree sap, and an aromatic pepperiness akin to cardamom. Very delicious ESB. Perhaps not the best ever, but definitely high in the ranks. Certainly worth everyone trying once or twice.

M- An interesting juxtaposition here... It drinks like a creamy, pasteurised beer, yet it's also acidic. It is sweet and sticky, yet bitter and dry. An intriguing and enjoyable mouthfeel.

D- A great beer to go with a meal, a hot day, or drink it close to room temperature on a breezy, cooler evening like my wife and I did. Really good at 50+ degrees.
May 14, 2008
Photo of JohnGalt1
Reviewed by JohnGalt1 from Idaho

3.92/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
22 pulled from the basement cooler.. shared with a coworker (we SWEAR this is the last brew tonight!). I purchased this brew at either New Vintage or the Coop, but I think this one came from New Vintage (it still has a $3.99 price tag on it.) My half poured into a shaker pint.

HUGE 3" head that just keeps coming.. need to let this one settle down more. Copper colored brew... clear with little floaty beasts that look like a lava lamp.

Big maltiness with lite floral hops.. pronounced yeast fruity esters.

Good balance .... malts and bitterness battle for sure.. not much hop flavor... but what is minerally.. reminds me of a Flintstone vitamin.

This was a much better/great American ESB when fresh, but a little age has done no good.. nice body, but out of control carbonation... notes tell me I "really" liked this one fresh.

I sat on this bottle for way too long... good beer but most of everything special is now muted and the carbonation has reared an ugly head... no pun intended.. too long in the cellar made this one way overcarbonated.

Off of notes, this ESB is much better than Bridgeport, Deschues, .. but not better than Alaskan... etc. I pretty much always like the Full Sail Brewers Reserve... I am balancing this review from 3xnotebook reviews with tonights' tasting... 7-8 months ago, and this one would have been a high 4.3-4.4.
Dec 17, 2007
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.67/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with an obnoxious head that overflows regardless of how carefully I pour; leaves nice lacing behind

Smell: Bready malt dominates the aroma with a vague fruity hop element

Taste: Starts out with a bready flavor that builds in relatively mild pithy citrus elements by mid-palate; after the swallow, there is an earthy hop flavor with some citrus that is very nice; at the end, however, a grainy, lemony roughness mars what had been a pretty good start

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This beer is standing on its last legs and I think that the disagreeable flavors I encountered are the result of some oxidation
May 13, 2007
Photo of loren01
Reviewed by loren01 from Washington

3.91/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Pours a cloudy orange color, good sized bubbly white head, good lacing down the glass
S: Smells herbal, sweet, spicy/peppery scents
T: Slight maltiness, with an dry bitter citrusy aftertaste. Same as smell peppery spiciness taste as well.
M: Medium bodied, dry finish
D: Damn good ESB, would for sure buy this again
Apr 09, 2007
Photo of Mark
Reviewed by Mark from California

4.28/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
I really liked this beer. To start with the medium amber color was tooped by a off white head that retained very nicely, intricate lacing adorned the glass. Subtle hoppy aroma, citrusy hops were very reminiscent of Special London Ale by Young's. as all of you know this is fine by me. Excellent creamy and substantial mouthfeel, good drinkablity as well. went well with dinner. A beer to be a regular for me as long as I can find it.
Dec 15, 2006
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a nice clear dark golden in color, nice carbonation, nice head, some nice lacing afterwards. Scents of sweet malts, hops, slight citrus, and spices. The taste of hoppy and nice and bitter, slight dry finish with a nice bite. Medium body, well rounded brew. Very drinkable, very good example of the style.
Nov 09, 2006
Photo of JayTheFinn
Reviewed by JayTheFinn from California

3.16/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Not a bad brew in general, but definitely not my favorite ESB.

A - Nice looking hazy gold/orange body with a decent head.
S - There's a lemony citrus smell here. Not bad, but not overly pleasant either.
T - The taste is grapefruity. Little too sour. I don't totally dislike the flavor, I mean, there's some yumminess too it, but it's just not 100% agreeable.
M - The bitterness rolls about for a bit, but it's not very strong.
D - As much as I complain about the taste, it's still a drinkable beer.
Oct 23, 2006
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.77/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A bomber of the 2006 brewer's reserve. Very good and well malted ESB. Its for sipping and sharing. Golden amber colour. Smooth.Hoppy and piney aroma. This is a mix of hops, and while citrus, there is some British hop in here. Refreshing.Drying finish
Aug 27, 2006
Photo of AlexJ
Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

4.01/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Deep amber rust brown with a dense head of wheat hued froth that laces nicely.

Aroma is fruity malts, scorched caramel, light floral and citrus notes, and hints od powdery cocoa.

Flavor has great fruity malt notes of toffee and brown bread with a perfect balance of almost spicey herbal and floral hops with a touch of grapefruit. Chewy.

Body is medium, with a slippery texture and a chewy, meaty mouthfeel. A balanced and quaffable ESB.

--props to GClarkage for the gift!
Aug 04, 2006
Photo of GeoffFromSJ
Reviewed by GeoffFromSJ from New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Nice head. Light amber. The color immediately gives this beer away to me. It doesn't have the darker tones that mark the appropriate malt tones. And that's the main flaw of this beer.

The hops profile is nice and seems to be spot on. I believe they are using a mixture of British hops. Malt profile is too thin. So is the mouthfeel.

Many thanks to blitheringidiot for picking this up for me while on his travels.
Aug 04, 2006
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.41/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: clear yellowish orange in color. Short 1" head falls quickly to surface spots.

Smell: nothing discernable by the nose.

Taste: mild maltiness, soft caramels, pears, and a decent floral bitterness.

Mouthfeel: smooth and somewhat dry. Very short aftertaste. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: the flavors were a bit subdued, but this grew on me a bit as it warmed. Worth a try, but the aroma needs a kick in the pants.
Jul 28, 2006
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Presentation: 22 oz bomber. Bright yellow label - Brewmaster's Reserve 2006.

Appearance: Rough pour leads to a very big head - nice body to it. Color is orange with a bit of haze. Lots of lacing.

Smell: Spicy hops and a bit of sweet malt. Very appetizing.

Taste: Nice full mouthfeel with just a bit of brightness from the carbonation. Starts off very peppery and hoppy, then the malt comes in to balance things out.

Overall impression: Very nice - sessionable, and interesting enough to keep you coming back. Nice example of an ESB - I would love to see this become a regular.
Jul 24, 2006
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Presentation: A rare 22ounce brown glass bottle Bomber from Full Sail, sealed with a black and silver logo’s crown cap. Single obverse label which has a yellow background with a light blue centerpiece design. The word ‘Equinox’ is written in white inside a green band that crosses the middle. Listed as an ‘Extra Special Bitter’, 5.7% ABV and a ‘Brewmaster Reserve 2006’, so I figure this must be a seasonal special given both the name and bottle size.


Appearance: Amber body with a lovely brilliant brown clarity. Light tan colored head stays at 2” to 3” thick for some time, as it collapses it leaves a fantastic looking crusty surface whilst lacing the edges of my Tankard. Middling conditioning. A lovely looking brew.

Nose: Soft toasted malts ably support the crisp hops which bolster the nose. A lovely bracing set of odors

Taste: Toasty malts and background fruits lend a very ESB character, but this is improved yet further with a scintillating hoppy finish. Bitter ending is nicely balanced. Crisp and hoppy with a very moorish quality. Dry with some grain and a hint of yeast in the ending. Oh my, this is just so perfect. Probably the best American ESB that I have had to date.

Mouthfeel: This is a big boy for sure, no weakness in the Mouthfeel at all, and a full-bodied torso which has a familiar malt backbone and a refreshing hoppy texture in the bitter finish. Sublime conditioning levels.

Drinkability: A high end libation that expertly melds the Drinkability of an English style Premium Bitter whilst infusing some hoppy character and a bolstered strength. It is all precision assembled. Runs like a fine watch.

Overall: Excellent, a superb and faithfull, yet creative, ESB which has a gorgeously infectious American slant, in so much that it is hoppy, but….and here is the good news, it is not an ‘over the top’ American slant or hoppiness, as is so often. In the case of Full Sail Equinox the American slant is very tastefully done, supremely molded and fused into the base of a very drinkable rather classic ESB. I love this brew. More please!! But why do I have an awful feeling that this may not be available again. Damn it should be though.

Highly Recommended!

…and it only cost me $2.99 for the Bomber at BevMo in Huntington Beach! Bar-gain. Stock up on it.
Jul 22, 2006
Photo of SethB2
Reviewed by SethB2 from California

4.31/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A - Dirty unfilted brown looking beer with tinges of orange. Nice head on the pour that settles down after a bit, leaving my glass looking destroyed by the lace. Very nice.

S - Bitter with a spicey kick to it too. Maybe from a noble hop, but for me it is hard to place exactly. It is also peppery, with adds a nice component.

T+D - Good stuff. Definitely bitter, and a tad sour, but not for the usually hoppy reasons. The peppery characteristic is there as well, and it blends well with the carbonation for a nice mouthfeel. As expected, it finishes a bit dry, which I like a lot for this beer.

D - Awesome. One of the best ESBs I have had to date.
Jul 09, 2006
Photo of goodbyeohio
Reviewed by goodbyeohio from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
thanks mike. this esb is delivered in a simply-illustrated bottle and pours heartily with no frills. the maniacally active reddish-orange body maneuvers briskly beneath the pillowy, softly-dimpled head. one whiff and i'm questioning the categorization of this beer.. i'm getting alot of fruity hops and pungent yeast. reminds me alot of the boulder pale ales from first sensory contact. time allows some brown sugar coated malt sweetness to tweak the nose. that's ok. hoppier than i would have expected by leaps and bounds.

diving through the foam gives me a nice cream 'stash. initially peppery and dry with a crusty, bready english malt flavor. ok, here's the esb flavors i know and expect. hops are certainly there and add more bitterness in the absolute west coast finish. something concentrated and dirty, yet sticky sweet, like dried fruit, resides here. remarkably, the brews finish is pure earthy husk cemented in caramel brittle. sure, some citrus rinds contribute a certain something but this beer reeks of old-school influence.

at first, i though i was drinking an xpa. deceptive, yes, but flavorful overall. only complaint, really, is perhaps a little overcarbonated. otherwise easy drinking, full of flavor and very fresh. recommended esb.. something different.
Jun 25, 2006
Full Sail Equinox from Full Sail Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 38 ratings