Seven, The ESB
Town Hall Brewery

 

Deep copper colour with some brown sugar and slightly hoppy aromas. Not nearly as malty as I had expected, but the bitterness is sure there. Hides its alcohol well. Perhaps a little outside of the stylistic guidelines as it was VERY hoppy and bitter, but who cares, this stuff tastes pretty good. (originally sampled in late November of 2004... this review is from notes taken from that evening).

1/2 gallon growler.

Nice bronze tone. Thin and tight beige head. Lacing is adequate. Aroma is of caramel and toffee and earthy hops and figs. On the palate, I get toffee and caramel and nuts and dates and herbal hop tones and a definite yeasty zip to it. At times it seems more sweet than bitter, but overall, there's a nice balance of hop and malt. Nice blend all in all. And a bit of a lingering dry snappiness to it. Body is smooth and round. Checks in about medium-full or so. Nice drinking ESB.

Called "Se7en" some places, after the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman movie, "7" in others, "Seven" elsewhere, so I draw the difference. An extra special bitter for the 7th Anniversary, a bit of a surpise, but I like surprises. Last year, they did a 6-hop Pale Ale for the 6th, and this goes down a different path.
From a growler:
Clear amber color, bordering bronze, with a sure, if slim beige head of foam atop. Aroma is caramel and nuts, busy hops, and rustic malt, quite intriquing, really, more than you'd expect from an ESB, hoppier and maltier. Someone told me the indredients, they all sounded English, but are lost to my memory.
Let's taste already...sweetness at the start, rich and tasty, full impression on the palate, deep, dark, caramelly, toffeeish, with a good amount of fruit, as well. Fills and swirls around the mouth...very tasty. A tremendously integrated ale, with well-matched malt and hops, a super ESB, probably my favorite. Very nice! Here's to another 7, 14, or 49 years of Town Hall!