Amber Ale
Dry Dock Brewing Co.

Amber AleAmber Ale
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From:
Dry Dock Brewing Co.
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #103
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,680
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 11.91%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
94
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 23, 2024
Added:
Jan 09, 2013
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  12
This deep copper ESB is the definition of balance. With each sip, rich malt opens up, revealing an earthy hop flavor and just enough bitterness to round it all out.

49 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.33 by Hoptometrist from Ohio

Jan 23, 2024
 
Rated: 3.5 by Mattias from Sweden

Sep 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.84 by CisPiece88 from Nebraska

May 05, 2023
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz can. Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a small, off-white head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. Sweet toasted caramel with toffee, pine and some orange. Biscuity malt taste with toffee, caramel and a mild bitterness.
Apr 17, 2023
 
Rated: 3.35 by Silke_Neryn from Sweden

Dec 24, 2022
Photo of aleigator
Reviewed by aleigator from Germany

3.76/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Yields a clear brown, slightly (imaginative) reddish color with a small white head.

Aromas consist of toffee malts, lighter licorice and dried leaves with a hint of lime zest.

Has a surprisingly full and smooth mouthfeel with a well put, lively effervescence, making this quite refreshing.

Tastes of whole grain bread, rustic toffee and bakers chocolate among dry limes and noble herbs. Has a creamy, slightly caramel accompanied middle part with lingering lime pulp and toasty barley. Finishes with salty, herbal licorice, dried gingerbread and bitter turning, elegant hops.

Quite a nice Ale, relying more on the malts then on the hops, while establishing an intriguing flavor complexity among a very enjoyable mouthfeel.
May 06, 2022
 
Rated: 3.17 by J_Brew_99 from Colorado

Dec 16, 2021
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Reviewed by KT3418 from Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I lowkey thought this was gonna be an American style but it is not. I haven't had many ESB beers but this is definitely good and enjoyable! After a few more servings I definitely like this, would be excited if I found this out of state along with many other Colorado beers.
Mar 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3 by 1971bernat from Virginia

May 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.78 by cbcrunch from Wyoming

Jan 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.14 by corywalston from North Dakota

Jun 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.73 by Blazer22 from Colorado

Mar 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.7 by NCSapiens from Indiana

Mar 03, 2019
 
Rated: 2.92 by GreyGooseStout from Colorado

Jan 26, 2018
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Reviewed by BucannonXC5 from California

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Type: 12-oz. can
Glass: Clear 14.75-oz. porter/stout tulip
From: Jason B.
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received Sept. 23, 2017
Consumed: Sept. 28, 2017
Reviewed as: Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Misc.: Best by Nov. 17, 2017

Thanks, Jason!

Got this from Jason on a recent work trip to Colorado Springs. He wasn’t going to take it back with him, so he asked if I wanted to. Was already taking 12 beers back, but what is one more? Didn’t know much about it, although looking it up Dry Dock called it an ESB. Still new to this style, but was looking forward to it.

Poured a medium amber murky color with two fingers of khaki-white frothy head. Good deal of bubble streams coming up from the bottom of the glass at different speeds. Good foamy lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled toffee, roasted caramel, butterscotch, earthy dark fruit, sweet barley malt, nutty malts and toasted grain. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste followed the nose for the most part. Chewy caramel, toasted toffee, earthy dark fruit, butterscotch, nutty malts, sweet barley malts and toasted grain. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, roasty finish. (Feel - 3.75)

Still new to this style, but this was perfectly fine. (Overall - 3.75)

3.75 | 85 | B+
Oct 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.77 by BergBeer from Hawaii

Aug 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by netshark from Colorado

Jul 28, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This was poured into a becher pint glass. The appearance was a copper color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that dissipated at a moderate pace. Subtle sliding lace. The aroma had a nice strong caramel malt backbone with some toast and then some light grassy hops, somewhat bitter but more just for the balance. The flavor leads with the sweet malt and then adds in a slight nuttiness. Toast comes back slightly. Nicely blended aftertaste. Moderate semi-dry sort of finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sessionability about it. Good strength in the smoothness across my tongue. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt appropriate. Overall, pretty good amber ale or is this supposed to be an ESB? Not sure, but I'd drink again.
Jun 29, 2017
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

3.77/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz. Can

Poured into a DFH glass a pretty nice clean/clear golden amber color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger light tan head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, slight hop note, with some spice. The taste is malty, slightly hoppy, kinda spicy. Medium body, ABV hidden very nicely, with a slight dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty brew.
Apr 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.53 by evanwoertz from California

Mar 31, 2017
Amber Ale from Dry Dock Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 94 ratings