13 Rebels ESB | French Broad Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
French Broad Brewing Co.
North Carolina, United States | website
Style: Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.20%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Bierguy5 on 05-18-2004
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 102 | Ratings: 241
Reviews by dojobrewco:
More User Reviews:
3.82/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this before the Pop the Cap event over at Barleys Taproom yesterday.Pours really light for an ESB I think,a lighter copper shade with not much head to speak of,aroma of fruity malt with a touch of caramel.Taste hit the style better than the appearance nice biscuit malt and big fruitiness with a touch of hop to let u know its there.A decent rendition of an ESB,I have had better but this was solid.
★ 403 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this before the Pop the Cap event over at Barleys Taproom yesterday.Pours really light for an ESB I think,a lighter copper shade with not much head to speak of,aroma of fruity malt with a touch of caramel.Taste hit the style better than the appearance nice biscuit malt and big fruitiness with a touch of hop to let u know its there.A decent rendition of an ESB,I have had better but this was solid.
★ 403 characters
3.58/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to mikesgroove for sending me this bottle.
The beer pours a golden-orange color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of citrus, with some orange and lemon notes. There is also a strong biscuit malt component. The flavor is fairly malt heavy, with both biscuit and toffee. There is also some bitter orange character and a little bit of bitterness. Easy to drink. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
★ 412 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to mikesgroove for sending me this bottle.
The beer pours a golden-orange color with a white head. The aroma has a lot of citrus, with some orange and lemon notes. There is also a strong biscuit malt component. The flavor is fairly malt heavy, with both biscuit and toffee. There is also some bitter orange character and a little bit of bitterness. Easy to drink. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
★ 412 characters
3.81/5 rDev +7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Copper colored with a quarter inch of off white to tan on top. Light lacing. I smell dark bready malt, not unlike the Outback Steakhouse bread which is more of a honey wheat. The taste is more of a dark bready malt flavor with a gentle hop bitterness at the back of the palate that breaks up the sweetness. The mouth is lightly mineral with a light carbonation.
★ 365 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Copper colored with a quarter inch of off white to tan on top. Light lacing. I smell dark bready malt, not unlike the Outback Steakhouse bread which is more of a honey wheat. The taste is more of a dark bready malt flavor with a gentle hop bitterness at the back of the palate that breaks up the sweetness. The mouth is lightly mineral with a light carbonation.
★ 365 characters
3.85/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this courtesy of Ding - much obliged!
Pours a clear orange-straw color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes pretty quickly into a patchy layer of bubbles on top leaving light lacing.
Smells of buttery toasted malts with slight hints of grapefruit aromas.
Tastes similar to how it smells - though with more bitterness. The lightly toasted malt flavors kick things off, giving way to a solid bitterness halfway through the sip. Light hop flavors are there throughout, but dwell in the background.
Mouthfeel is good - good thickness and carbonation.
Drinkability is good. I'm not a huge fan of ESB's to begin with, but I could have more than one of these.
Overall this was a pretty good beer - it doesn't go very far off of the path of a traditional ESB, but where it does it succeeds.
★ 802 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this courtesy of Ding - much obliged!
Pours a clear orange-straw color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes pretty quickly into a patchy layer of bubbles on top leaving light lacing.
Smells of buttery toasted malts with slight hints of grapefruit aromas.
Tastes similar to how it smells - though with more bitterness. The lightly toasted malt flavors kick things off, giving way to a solid bitterness halfway through the sip. Light hop flavors are there throughout, but dwell in the background.
Mouthfeel is good - good thickness and carbonation.
Drinkability is good. I'm not a huge fan of ESB's to begin with, but I could have more than one of these.
Overall this was a pretty good beer - it doesn't go very far off of the path of a traditional ESB, but where it does it succeeds.
★ 802 characters
3.45/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I picked up this bomber straight from the brewery on a recent visit to the Asheville area.
A - There is not much head on this brew after the pour and what was there was gone almost instantly. This "American interpretation of Britain's Extra Special Bitter" is crystal clear and copper colored with some faint hues of amber lingering throughout.
S - The smell from my pint glass is dominated by roasty maltiness. Some nuttiness in there too, but really not very impressed with the smell.
T - The taste is very similar to the smell. Toasty, roasty, bready, earthy, and malty. Additionally there is some spiciness coming through along with some caramel hints.
M/D - There is a pretty good amount of bite on the tongue from this one, but relatively low in carbonation which confuses me. Overall though very easy to drink. This would be a great beer to have on hand as an "everyday" beer, good but nothing special.
★ 915 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I picked up this bomber straight from the brewery on a recent visit to the Asheville area.
A - There is not much head on this brew after the pour and what was there was gone almost instantly. This "American interpretation of Britain's Extra Special Bitter" is crystal clear and copper colored with some faint hues of amber lingering throughout.
S - The smell from my pint glass is dominated by roasty maltiness. Some nuttiness in there too, but really not very impressed with the smell.
T - The taste is very similar to the smell. Toasty, roasty, bready, earthy, and malty. Additionally there is some spiciness coming through along with some caramel hints.
M/D - There is a pretty good amount of bite on the tongue from this one, but relatively low in carbonation which confuses me. Overall though very easy to drink. This would be a great beer to have on hand as an "everyday" beer, good but nothing special.
★ 915 characters
3.16/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On tap at World of Beer at North Hills on 2/17/12
Poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark orange with a thin layer of soft, white head. The nose is mildly citrusy and has a big toasty aroma. The flavor is pretty one dimensional with big notes of burnt toast with just a hint of citrusy hops for balance. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with decent carbonation.
This in my opinion was a pretty mediocre beer. It's one dimensional and that one dimension was burnt toast. The hops were noticeable but were unable to tame the intense malt character. I probably won't have this again.
★ 592 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On tap at World of Beer at North Hills on 2/17/12
Poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark orange with a thin layer of soft, white head. The nose is mildly citrusy and has a big toasty aroma. The flavor is pretty one dimensional with big notes of burnt toast with just a hint of citrusy hops for balance. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with decent carbonation.
This in my opinion was a pretty mediocre beer. It's one dimensional and that one dimension was burnt toast. The hops were noticeable but were unable to tame the intense malt character. I probably won't have this again.
★ 592 characters
3.45/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a deep golden color with a nice, fluffy white head. Floral aroma of hops with a touch of spiciness. Up front, the palate is almost more like a Belgian ale, with notes of allspice and fresh hops. Finishes very smoothly, with a biscuity malt character that mellows out very nicely. Nice, full-bodied mouthfeel. Interesting, but not quite interesting enough for me to stick with it for a session.
★ 399 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a deep golden color with a nice, fluffy white head. Floral aroma of hops with a touch of spiciness. Up front, the palate is almost more like a Belgian ale, with notes of allspice and fresh hops. Finishes very smoothly, with a biscuity malt character that mellows out very nicely. Nice, full-bodied mouthfeel. Interesting, but not quite interesting enough for me to stick with it for a session.
★ 399 characters
3.9/5 rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy burnt orange with a sticky beige head. Smells of butterscotch and toasted bread. Toasted malt dominates the palate with hints of orange and butterscotch. Citrusy hops are noticeable, but not overpowering, in the finish, which is long, dry, and a tad bitter, but pleasantly so. It's a little oily and slick in the mouth, but that dry finish is a nice contrast.
Overall, it's a very solid beer. Plenty of flavor, good balance, nothing overpowering. Fun lacing, too.
★ 477 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours a hazy burnt orange with a sticky beige head. Smells of butterscotch and toasted bread. Toasted malt dominates the palate with hints of orange and butterscotch. Citrusy hops are noticeable, but not overpowering, in the finish, which is long, dry, and a tad bitter, but pleasantly so. It's a little oily and slick in the mouth, but that dry finish is a nice contrast.
Overall, it's a very solid beer. Plenty of flavor, good balance, nothing overpowering. Fun lacing, too.
★ 477 characters
3.23/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 OZ can into a pint glass.
Aroma- Has an aroma of malt, yeast and hops. Not bad
Appearance- Pours a copper color with a small white head.
Taste- Bitter with a citrus bite, not that enjoyable
Palate- A medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation.
Overall- An average ESB. The artwork on the can is the best part of this beer.
★ 343 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Poured from a 12 OZ can into a pint glass.
Aroma- Has an aroma of malt, yeast and hops. Not bad
Appearance- Pours a copper color with a small white head.
Taste- Bitter with a citrus bite, not that enjoyable
Palate- A medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation.
Overall- An average ESB. The artwork on the can is the best part of this beer.
★ 343 characters
3.6/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: A slight burnt orange hue with an ivory head on the top.
S: A bready aroma greets ones nose, with a faint aroma reminiscent of hops infused with honey.
T: A very pleasant balance between the hops and malt. After the initial tasting came a slight tanginess and lingering bitterness that bites the tongue. I also noticed some pleasant floral after essence. Delightful little brew.
M: Just slightly carbonated and not too heavy of a mouth feel. It leaves a bit of ones tongue feeling a bit dry, but nonetheless pleasant mouth feel.
O: I would like to drink this beer on the back of a beach house, seeing that it already has the skull on the label. I enjoyed this craft brew, it was very surprising. I would not mind having another, it was a pleasant and refreshing beverage on this long Saturday evening.
Serving type: 12 ounce can.
★ 839 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: A slight burnt orange hue with an ivory head on the top.
S: A bready aroma greets ones nose, with a faint aroma reminiscent of hops infused with honey.
T: A very pleasant balance between the hops and malt. After the initial tasting came a slight tanginess and lingering bitterness that bites the tongue. I also noticed some pleasant floral after essence. Delightful little brew.
M: Just slightly carbonated and not too heavy of a mouth feel. It leaves a bit of ones tongue feeling a bit dry, but nonetheless pleasant mouth feel.
O: I would like to drink this beer on the back of a beach house, seeing that it already has the skull on the label. I enjoyed this craft brew, it was very surprising. I would not mind having another, it was a pleasant and refreshing beverage on this long Saturday evening.
Serving type: 12 ounce can.
★ 839 characters
3.48/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours copper colored with a finger of cream colored head. Very good head retention & lacing
S: Pears, doughyness & mineral/sulphur hop notes
T: Fruittyness, mineral hop edge, sulphur & slight diacehtyl sweetness up front. Butterscotch, some grapefruit & herbal hops as this warms. Finishes crisp, dry & slightly cloying
MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation & decent balance
An alright ESB, a few pronounced flaws hold this one back
★ 436 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours copper colored with a finger of cream colored head. Very good head retention & lacing
S: Pears, doughyness & mineral/sulphur hop notes
T: Fruittyness, mineral hop edge, sulphur & slight diacehtyl sweetness up front. Butterscotch, some grapefruit & herbal hops as this warms. Finishes crisp, dry & slightly cloying
MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation & decent balance
An alright ESB, a few pronounced flaws hold this one back
★ 436 characters
13 Rebels ESB from French Broad Brewing Co.
3.54
out of 5
based on 241 ratings.
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The boys and I poured this ESB from the growler into the souvenier mini-pilsners from the Brewgrass Festival the day before. It poured a golden hue with a tad of oranginess to it. Tons of head but I think that this was due in part to the mini glasses that we were werving them in. However the head did hang around for a good amount of time. This was the first ESB I had ever tried so I'm not totally sure if it was 100% true to its characteristics. Overall though it had a great mouthfeel and a good maltiness to it with very sweet overtones. Not much on the aroma side but did have a distinct hop character in it flavor.
★ 621 characters