Will's Extra Bitter
Cambridge Brewing Company

This beer poured a clear mahogany body with a small white/tan head.

Nose, or what I could make of it the bar atmosphere, was clean citrusy hops and some caramel malt.

Taste was medium bodied and very smooth. A nice caramel, mild bisquit malt flavor with a mélange of hop tastes. Big and bitter, but not distracting, yet just sooo smooth from start to finish. Hop taste had a very crisp bite with the perfect mix of classic ESB hop flavors. Some citrus, some earth, some spice, some pepper. In no way an APA, or a hop monster, or even a classic English ESB. Sort of lost in the middle ground between a Perfect American Pale ale and an English ESB. Very well done.

My all time favorite Pumpkin beer is Will’s Great Pumpkin and they had it on tap the day I went, yet… I ordered a second round of this instead of the Pumpkin. Damn fine session beer. I’m kicking myself that I missed this one on cask.

Tasted On-Tap 10/01/05 at the CBC in Cambridge, MA.

Solid gold color with a nice beige head and lace. Nice hoppy aroma and flavor as compared to your typical ESB. Good balance and extremely sessionable. Medium bodied and creamy smooth.

One of the top 2 or 3 beers tasted at CBC -- Delicious ! Wonder if these guys and Beer Works are trying to redefine the ESB style. Both wonderfully hoppy examples.

Per CBC website:
Brewed with American & British malts, and a hop regimen including Fuggles, Challenger, and Amarillo.
OG:1.056 FG:1.012 ABV:5.8%

Deep copper color with a slight haze. Just a little head (probably more from being the 1st beer through the line that day, rather than a characteristic of the beer) with a light lace. It had a bright fruity aroma. The taste had malt and light hop kick up front with a mild malt flavor in the middle. Very bright mouth feel, and very drinkable.

Sampled at the brewpub while chatting with Will himself.

This ESB poured a clear, copper color with rich, creamy, white foam. The smell was a crisp malt aroma with hints of bread and oak. The taste was a nice balance of malt and bitter hops. The mouthfeel was smooth, crisp, and clean, with medium body and carbonation. This was a very nice and drinkable ESB.

Presentation: On draft.

Appearance: Semi-hazy orange/copper with a thin finely carbonated off-white lace that dissipates quickly.

Smell: Fruity, estery with clean malt aromas. Semi-floral hop aroma in the nose.

Taste: Fruity, rich and malty with an aggressive bite; a result of of some kickin' hop bitterness married with alcohol undertones. Mouthfeel is real smooth and think, but gets totally broken up by a rind-like bitterness at the finish.

Notes: Will is a mad man with his bitter beers, and this brew is a damn fine one. Not to be underestimated, this brew will kick your ass!