LunaSea ESB
Empyrean Brewing Company

LunaSea ESBLunaSea ESB
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Empyrean Brewing Company
 
Nebraska, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #90
ABV:
6.3%
Score:
83
Ranked #23,872
Avg:
3.66 | pDev: 12.84%
Reviews:
71
Ratings:
133
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 22, 2024
Added:
Oct 05, 2002
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  16
Extra Special Bitter is our homage to the best of English beers. Brewed with imported English malts for a bold, caramel-sweet, yet crisp ale. Brewed with English and American grown barley and American hops.

31 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Morris729:
Photo of Morris729
Reviewed by Morris729 from Texas

3.97/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a deep amber color with a creamy off-white head that slowly dissipates over time. Nose is sweet buttery caramel with some very faint underlying notes of honeysuckle. Creamy texture with a moderate amount of carbonation. Taste begins with a light fruitiness and notes of toffee followed by a rich malitness and finally a moderate amount of hop bitterness towards the finish. Quite nice.
Jul 22, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.09 by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

Mar 22, 2024
 
Rated: 3.63 by craigbelly from Iowa

Feb 26, 2024
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.72/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz. can, best by AUG 13, 2023. My third beer from Empyrean Brewing Company, and my first ESB in quite some time. I remember enjoying the Redhook ESB fondly, so here goes.

Poured to a stemless wine snifter.
A: Good color, deep burnt sienna. Small finger of khaki head that dissipates quick. Lots of good thick lacing. Appears well carbonated.
S: Aroma is malty, lightly hoppy / piney. Notes of brown bread, bread crust, cherry, maybe even a slight whiff of fusel alcohol.
T: Taste follows, super bready & malty. Notes of brown bread, crust, sort of sweetish cherry flavor, some earthy herbal hop presence. English caramalt is definitely noticeable in this.
F: Smooth, crisp, clean, fluid. Light-bodied, easy-drinking, good carbonation. I just burped.
Overall, average at best, though it does remind me of my early days of drinking craft beer. I'll have no trouble finishing this.

Empyrean Brewing Company Luna Sea ESB -----3.75/5
May 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.77 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Sep 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.54 by GarbageMan10 from Texas

Feb 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.65 by Chilmer from Iowa

Nov 12, 2018
Photo of DSlep16
Reviewed by DSlep16 from Nebraska

4.34/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
This has become an old reliable favorite. Upon first try I was not so sure about this one but by the time my glass was empty I couldn't wait to have it filled up again.
Jun 21, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by TylerJ from Iowa

Apr 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.87 by Mark-Leggett from Missouri

Sep 03, 2017
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
folks are crazy to not rate this better, its a really pretty textbook style of the beer, and just americanized a little bit with some more body and malt depth than the classics, and a bit more of a hop finish, but still quite traditional and really well done. i just dont remember these guys being this good... deep amber in color to even brick red with a nice head on it. toasty warming european malts here, less sweet than a lot of them but also a little darker and richer, and significantly more complex, with an almost bock build it seems, as german as it is english in that way, the grain is almost confusing in the style, but its bready and baked and hearty and healthful and just really nice. slight hop bitterness adds a layer rather than balances too, and the old school ale yeast is just right. why ever drink an american amber ale and be bored with it again? a beer like this provides all the same elements but in a way more interesting package that really tickles my fancy for a sessionable beer with some character and old world charm. a little almond note, some toasted bread, and a light honey sweetness, its a great example of the style and a beer i could drink a whole lot of. somewhat autumnal, but a versatile year round offering. this style in general gets no love, and this is a way better beer overall than its ratings here indicate...
May 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by Aoyoc from Nebraska

Mar 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by MHJeff06 from Nebraska

Oct 19, 2016
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.89/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Mahoghany brown in color with a light haziness present. There's a fingernail of tan resting on top. The aroma is a dark bready note with almost a light metallic edge. I taste that dark bready note with a sharp, but malty bitter note. The mouth is very dry, crisp, and clean.
Aug 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by Jodio from Texas

Jul 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.86 by Wer34truh from Minnesota

May 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by A-BIack_Man from Nebraska

Feb 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.54 by WDJersey from Colorado

Feb 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.17 by DrAnnaNemis from Illinois

Jan 26, 2016
Photo of Parmesan
Reviewed by Parmesan from Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
L: Amber honey color, with a medium white head, and some lacing on the glass.

S: Overpowering smell of caramel, strong enough that it is a little off putting. Some cracker and a slight bit of hop.

T: Strong caramel, not a strong as aroma but still dominant, some sweet malt, a little hop bitterness.

F: Medium body,good carbonation

O: Lots of caramel that overpowers most everything else.
Jan 04, 2016
LunaSea ESB from Empyrean Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 133 ratings