Extra Special Oak (ESO)
Element Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

An amazing English Ale. Quite the pop when the cork came out. Took a minute to find where it landed. Pours a beautiful copper color. Nice long lasting frothy head and good level of carbonation. The smell is smokey and spicy. Some vanilla sweetness as well. Taste is just as amazing as the smell but without the spice. Nice medium creamy feel from start to finish. Fantastic beer, one of my favorites this year.

 

 

Reddish brown with a finger of white head.

This thing is great. It's not perfect, but it hits all of the bases. Doughy with some spice. Sweet and sugary, with no bitterness at all. Clean, with that cinnamon gum aftertaste.

Oddly drinkable

 

 

 

Not as impressive as some of elements other offerings. Has a stale/flat taste to it.

First off, had to pop the cork with a loud pop. Poured a deep copper with lots off carbonation. I had to pour slowly so not to have too much foam. As it was there was a good two inches, which made the beer look even better. The smell was of a normal ESB. The taste came thru alot better. Smooth. Even after finishing the big 750ml bottle, I stiil wanted more. DeCicco's had this one reduced to $2.99. This was my second Element and hitting 2 for 2. Gots to find more.

A long-time want showed up in MN & I saw the price tag & went “WTF?” But recently saw it marked down to $4.99, which is about what I was willing to pay for it. 750ML bottle wrapped in hobo newspaper split with my wife.

The pour is a dull orange/brown, a shade lighter than polished oak. Plenty of carbonation. The smell runs full tilt to toffee & wood: not subtle, but nice.

Extra Special Oak (ESO) is about as special as a $4M baseball player (i.e. not). The wood hits me upside the head like a right-handed Al Capone, drying, drying, drying. Lots of toffee in the middle along with burnt sugar, herbal toast, vague, it’s-OK-I-was-almost-done-with-you-anyway bitterness. The back end knocks down the appeal as it slinks into a weird, earthy, muddy aftertaste that sticks around like a bad C. J. Cherryh novel (sorry, redundant, or is that redumbdant?). Half a bomber is plenty.

I used to have quite an ESB tooth, but I’ve abstained for quite some time. This isn’t half bad, but that aftertaste, eh, it begs for a toothbrush. Just decent.

 

Vanilla, spice, and a faint sherry note first engage the nose, and then light hop aromas, malt and slight caramel with a hint of fruit become more apparent. It pours brilliant copper amber under a fluffy 1” off white foam cap. The palate really highlights the oak in a masterful way with vanilla, a slight mustiness that suggests a bourbon with considerably less alcohol. Behind this lurks a nutty, graham cracker, fruity ESB flavors. Above average carbonation also masks the ESB qualities a little bit as does a creamy texture. The body is just above medium. Almost like a jazz riff on an ESB.