Explorer ESB
New English Brewing Co.

I mean, don’t get Raul wrong, I can rally on this shit like a Serena Williams Grand Slam. But then, here in Explorer ESB, does it set me off in some epic wander? I would say no. Explorer is not Peter Freuchen saving himself from almost certain death while being buried alive in the artic (only to use his own frozen terd to chisel his way back to the top). That said, E ESB still shows up to the party with some pomp and flair. It’s Hemingway a bit hungover at some shindig in Spain. The Sun may not also rise for this beer, but like I said, it’s still kind of Hemingway (albeit in a compromised form).

Oh eh! Let’s pitchfork some hay!

 

 

 

A dark amber color with a small tan head. Some patches of lace.
Sweet malt and caramel aroma.
Biscuit and caramel taste with some late grassy hops.
Light bodied.
Nice beer.

This ESB pours a dark brown color with a slightly red hue and a pretty good sized foamy white head. The smell is very faint, but it smells mostly like some hops. The flavor is surprisingly not as hoppy as I would have guessed or have seen in other ESBs, some of which are incredibly bitter to the point of being disgusting in my opinion. It actually has a really nice malt backbone, which imparts a complex medley of flavors including foremost dark chocolate, toffee, bread and a little roasted grains flavor as well. The finish has some hoppy pine character, but like I said surprisingly little for the style. I actually kind of like this and would say it tastes mostly like a hoppy brown ale. Purists of the style will probably not be for this one however.

Pours a cloudy amber hue, head dissipated rather quickly and left absolutely no lace. Smell is harshly malty and bitter. Taste is bitter, dry hops and roasted grain, and a touch of malt. Lots of caramel. Once again, I beleive I've unfortunately come across a bad bottle or off batch, as it has the tell-tale signs of ones I've had before. Always a shame, as other reviews seem to showcase a much better brew. Maybe the next one will be better.

Pretty nicely balanced, a bit hoppy especially in the finish.

 

 

 

Poured into a Stone Brewery flute glass. Pours a medium orange-copper amber with a half finger off-white head with good retention and very light lacing. Aroma of biscuit malt and sweet caramel, lightly nutty. Flavor of almost dry, lightly toasted biscuit malt, nuts; finishes with nice toasty malt and grassy hop bitterness that lingers for a while. Medium bodied. A pleasant flavor progression with great maltiness and appropriate bitterness in the finish. Perhaps a bit more hops than most English ESBs, but all the better for the added depth. Hoppier, but quite true to style ESB. North American breweries specializing in traditional English styles are uncommon and I like this one so far.

 

 

 

 

First time I've seen New English in stores. Cool. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a dull, opaque copper, with a finger and half of cream colored head. Sloppy head but loads of lacing and very good retention.

S: Slightly sweet, complex malts, nuts, sweet bread.

T: Pretty smooth, moderate malt from start to mid sip, transitioning to
a sharp, almost peppery off flavor of bitterness. It's like there's nothing to offset the bitter and you're left with it in raw form.

M: Medium light body and medium carbonation.

O: We need more esb's here in San Diego. I was hoping this would fill the gap, but this leaves a lot to be desired. The off flavor really kills the drinkability. Better to stick with the English imports for your ESB needs.

 

Handsome brownish amber color in the tulip glass. Decent foam and lacing. Spritzy mouthfeel with fine carbonation. Light weight.

Some nice lightly roasted malt comes through. The distinctly nutty and biscuit flavor is the best feature. But there is a hint of plastic in the nose and a quite raw grain taste. It's like buckwheat. Starts out in the English style with the malt, and veers into the American ESB style, which seems to have too much hop bitterness.

The Brits might call this uncouth, but it's better than other New English offerings. 22 oz bottle from Mega Liquors in Hemet.

12/18/2011

Bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Dark golden orange with a finger of white froth. Decent retention and scattered lacing.

S: Biscuit blends with toasted malt and light floral hops. Nutty notes are tame, and I get a fair amount of orange and tangerine.

T: The overall theme revolves around biscuit, bread, and toasted notes. There's an added subtle hop flair which give the beer depth and makes it more enjoyable than your typical ESB. Hops impart a low bitterness and notes of orange, and to a lesser extent, grapefruit. There's a light nuttiness and light grassy notes. The citrus character is delicious.

M: Lower medium body with upper moderate carbonation.

Overall: Pretty damn good, and definitely more enjoyable than your typical ESB. I'm impressed.