Temple Special Bitter
Temple Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Temple Brewing Company
 
Australia
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.18 | pDev: 6.92%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
7
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 27, 2013
Added:
Jul 22, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by Macca:
Photo of Macca
Reviewed by Macca from Australia

3.15/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
It pours a dark copper colour with a reasonable head. A burnt malty biscuity aroma dominates. There are secondary aromas involving some sort of sweetness. The toastiness dominates the palate as well. The beer seems a bit closed when first poured but opens up when allowed to warm a bit. Sessionable without being life changing.
Nov 27, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by pin from Australia

May 27, 2013
Photo of ADZA
Reviewed by ADZA from Australia

3.3/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I have not reviewed any of these brews since Temple found themselves a new home where they can finally brew at their own place and this one pours a burnt copper hue which leaves a two finger head and lacing here and there,the smell is quite fruity with aromas of spicy raisin bread,plums,caramelized peaches and bready malts,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and the tastes are raisins,toffee,butterscotch,caramel candy,peaches and the finish is bittersweet but abit sweet for an ESB and overall the malts definately overtake the hops in this brew and i wish it was more balanced as i wont be going back for seconds cheers.
Jun 17, 2012
Photo of CrazyDavros
Reviewed by CrazyDavros from Australia

2.86/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours copper with a large creamy head.
Nose shows plenty of caramel and toffee but also an off-putting rotting fruit smell - luckily that isn't too strong.
Flavours are similarly malty but along with the toffee and caramel is plenty of chocolate malt, providing lots of nutty and lightly roasted notes. Disappointing finish made of metallic, boring bitterness.
Too much carbonation.
May 10, 2010
Photo of dgilks
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia

3.45/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Medium copper with a small, off white head. Head retention could be improved.

Toasty malt aroma with some toffee. Not really any aroma hop. Decent but not great.

Nicely malty with toast, caramel and nutty notes. Some earthy hop character is nice but there is a slightly off-putting metallic note that comes through. Light fruit esters. Medium bitterness, fairly dry finish. I get a touch of diacetyl. This ticks most of the boxes but doesn't click with my palate to.

Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. It's a little spritzy but okay.

A drinkable beer even if it isn't the best ESB I've ever had.
Jan 21, 2010
Photo of LittleCreature
Reviewed by LittleCreature from Australia

3.05/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance - 3.0
A normal pour produced a massive off-white to beige head that 2/3 filled the glass. The beer at the bottom looked to have aggressive carbonation, like a glass of water with two asprin dropped in. Any hope of keeping the yeast in the bottle was gone, as I had to pour the beer in four stages to prevent it from over flowing (while it still managed to do). The finished result was three fingers of billowy, meringue head over a cloudy, deep copper to brown body.

Smell - 3.0
A very yeasty, slightly fruity aroma that is also malty sweet.

Taste - 3.0
As with many Aussie-brewed versions of English style beers, I find it to be overly dusty and yeasty. Tastes of red apple, bready malt, sour yeast, a little caramel and finishes moderately bitter with citric hops and earthy hops. Finishes dry with lots of flavour.

Mouthfeel - 3.5
More carbonated than is usual for the style, but this actually gives the beer a pleasant, creamy mouthfeel. Medium bodied, fine bubbles.

Drinkability - 3.0
A sessionable ale, but not one that I would go back to.

OVERALL - 3.05
I think the massive head can be partly attributed to my pouring the beer too cold, it would be interesting to know if others have found the same. A pretty average beer overall, I don't know why it is that so many Aussie brewers feel it necessary to give their beers a substantial yeast character, but I don't like it.
Oct 09, 2009
Photo of brendan13
Reviewed by brendan13 from Australia

3.48/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A - Pours a dark copper colour with a small off white head that quickly falls away to just a thin whisp. Minimal lacing.
S - Sweet caramel malt, biscuity smell dominates with some fruity & herbal notes. Hints of diacetyl.
T - Again sweet caramel, a slight roastiness. Balanced by a floral, sticky hop presence.
M - Medium bodied with a low carbonation level.
D - It's hard to rate what is a pretty basic beer style but both this and the pale ale (saison available in bottle hopefully by summer) are tasty sessionable beers.
Aug 10, 2007
Temple Special Bitter from Temple Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.18 out of 5 with 7 ratings