Coast To Coastless Imperial ESB
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.

Coast To Coastless Imperial ESBCoast To Coastless Imperial ESB
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From:
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
 
British Columbia, Canada
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
7.6%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 8.6%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
29
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 03, 2016
Added:
Jun 25, 2015
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
This Canada Day Canadians in every province will have the opportunity to celebrate with a very special beer. It’s called the Coast to Coastless Imperial ESB, and it’s a collaborative effort from four Canadian brewers to celebrate the spread of the craft beer movement from coast to coast–and all of the provinces in between.

Garrison Brewing Co. (NS), Microbrasserie Le Trou du Diable (QC), Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery (ON) and Phillips Brewing Co. (BC) all participated in the ‘quad-laboration’, coming together to craft a recipe designed to reflect Canada itself. It is an Extra Special Bitter, a style with roots that trace back to England, but as an amped up imperial version it has a strong spirit that is purely Canadian. A hefty body, full of biscuity and caramel malts is edged with earthy tea-like hop character. It is robust enough to pay tribute to the size of our country with the creative flair emblematic of the craft beer industry.
As a quad-laboration the project also embodies the unique craft brewing culture of collaboration and mutual support. According to Peter Chido of Flying Monkeys, “We respect each other, we root for each other, we drink each others beers, and when we can we brew together!”
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LampertLand:
Photo of LampertLand
Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

3.84/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Phillips Brewing , Flying Monkeys , Trou du Diable & Garrison Brewing quad-laboration beer 'Coast to Coastless Imperial ESB' @ 7.6% , served from a couple of 650 ml bottle's purchased for $5.50 each
A-pour is ruddy-hued from the bottle to a clear dark amber in the glass with a big fluffy off-white/beige head leaving a streaky lace along the pint
S-hint of caramel
T-definate Imperial ESB , boozey bite , some bitterness on the swallow
MF-ok/decent carbonation , big full body
Ov-ok beer , not a 'World Class' ESB , butt an interesting attempt
prost LampertLand
Jul 02, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.05 by talbotjf99 from Canada (QC)

Dec 03, 2016
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a dark amber color ale with nice foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of toasted malt with some dry bitter hoppy notes. Taste is also a mix of toasted malt with some caramel note and some hoppy dry bitter notes with quite a bit of residual sugar notes. Body is full with good carbonation. Not bad but too sweet like most Flying Monkeys beers.
Dec 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.17 by rab53 from Washington

Dec 12, 2015
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Reviewed by Sathanas from Canada (AB)

4.01/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Drank in a hotel room in Vancouver. Comparing to Garrisons version. Dry, unfiltered, medium bodied mouthfeel. Dirty hops, caramel, toffee, toasted coconut, dark fruit and a biscuity/honey maltiness. Slightly better than Garrisons version due to its more unfiltered taste. Slightly more toasted and fruity taste.
Nov 05, 2015
 
Rated: 2.85 by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

Oct 28, 2015
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Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.46/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
How many Canadian brewers does it take to brew an Imperial ESB? What the hell is an 'Imperial ESB'? Apparently the answer is four. Whatever it is it apparently has a flat, ruby, clear, very posh complexion that, in the right glassware, could easily pass for a Manhattan (no kidding, more on that below...)

The aroma is slightly metallic and also has a noticeable whiff of sulfur. Beneath the surface, however, there are tempting dried fruit flavours that include dates, raisins and currants. Though plenty sweet, I would have hoped for more of the butterscotch and toffee-ish maltiness that define the ESB style.

I was hesitant to say Coast To Coastless reminded me of a barleywine but upon tasting it there's no denying (though given the prominent hoppiness American Strong Ale is probably more accurate, or arguably a horribly over-attenuated Doppelbock). The flavour is roasty, lightly astringent and those prune-y dried fruit flavours taste, well, completely dried out. Again, where is the toffee maltiness?

ESB is a style where malt and hops come through with singular clarity, but this offering doesn't have a good grasp on either. Neither shines nor do they particularly compliment one another; the black tea-like bitterness is a stark contrast to the dried cherry notes. This drinks like a poorly made Manhattan.

"Imperial" Extra Strong Bitter is a silly term in general and it's the wrong way of promoting this beer. Regardless of nomenclature, the 50 IBU are standard for the style but the 7.6% alcohol is overblown; as result this drinks harsher, more thinned out and less enjoyable. Whatever the brewers intended it's hard to believe Coast To Coastless turned out exactly how they wanted it to.

I have a good deal of respect for Garrison, Trou du Diable, Flying Monkeys and Phillips and hence expected something a little better. That said, three of those four breweries are known to tailor many of their beers to the mainstream, so it shouldn't be surprising Coast To Coastless fails to live up to the "imperial" expectations. It's certainly stronger but is far less smooth and satisfying.
Oct 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

Oct 10, 2015
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Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle from the LCBO; this is the Flying Monkeys-sourced strain. Includes a Surgeon General's Warning on the side of the label, as well as contact information for the Spanish importing agency. Glad to see these guys thriving in other markets. Bottled July 28 2015 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a deep, crystal clear ruby-copper colour that looks positively crimson when held to the light. Its frothy, foamy crown of light beige-coloured head is visually impressive to say the least - just over an inch high, and displaying excellent retention. It fades away steadily over the next five-plus minutes, leaving behind a smooth, continuous curtain of lacing as it is reduced to a creamier, more compact cap. How any self-respecting English ale fan could look at this glass and resist the temptation to sip it is beyond me; I only managed to put it off for a few seconds while I took note of the aroma. Very malt-forward; there's toasted bread and biscuits, as well as toffee and treacle. Fruity esters of plum and date are also included within its complex bouquet, alongside some earthy, leafy hops and a touch of ethanol.

Rich-flavoured and intensely hoppy for the style, but it still manages to maintain a thin veneer of balance, somehow. A malty backbone of toffee, toasted bread and biscuits gets things started, with a moderate dose of toffee/treacle sweetness for good measure. Fruity notes of plum and orchard fruit are easily missed, as the latter half of the sip takes a sharp turn. The dry hopping process has provided this brew with a robust bitterness - quite leafy and resiny, with an herbal-root vibe to it in the aftertaste. Perceptible alcohol warmth a few moments after you swallow, the intensity of which surprises me for the abv. Medium-bodied, with restrained carbonation levels that offer up a limp bite. Velvety-smooth going down, and with surprisingly little resistance given its booziness.

Final Grade: 4.08, a solid A-. Coast to Coastless is not a subtle beer. It is only balanced in the sense that the generous malt bill and pointedly bitter hops are of relatively equal magnitude, if that makes any sense - however, they do not synergize very well, and in fact do not blend as well as I'd hoped, even as the bottle approaches ambient temperature. As DenisKolkin noted, the temptation with this one is to tuck it away for a while - maybe 6-12 months or so - partially to let the alcohol chill out a bit, but also because the (currently) aggressive hop flavours do not result in a particularly cohesive flavour profile. I don't mean to sound too critical, as I am still digging it - I just think it'd be better some time next year. Looks like I'll need to get another bottle before stock runs out, if I want to test this hypothesis...
Oct 08, 2015
Photo of andrenaline
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Flying Monkeys bottled version from the LCBO. Pours a nice ruby colour, thumb of head and sporadic lacing. Nose is mild, dominated by earthy cedar hop notes and musty caramel. Flavour is quite bitter with loads of earthy cedar and pine hops, a lingering citrus rind hip profile and intensely musty caramel malts. Medium bodied, somewhat sticky and a touch of dryness. A unique brew, nothing mind blowing, but still worth a try. Unlikely I'll grab another though.
Oct 03, 2015
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Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

3.91/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: amber/ruby in color with a lovely off-white head with hints of tan. The two finger head lasts a good five minutes before breaking into a series of small swirls. Nice lacing.

S: quite malty and bready with some orchard fruits on the back end along with the hops presence.

T: the caramel hops are dominant, and then the hops come in. The taste is sweet up front followed by a bitter smash in the face.

M: medium body, moderate carbonation. The finish is dry.

O: Well, like others say, the Phillips is easy to find in this beer. The ESB is hard to find in my opinion. I like ESBs and I find this one too hoppy and not very subtle at all. I understand, this is supposed to be an Imperial ESB, but I think they missed the ESB part. It is still a fine beer, just not an ESB...perhaps an Imperial Amber Ale.
Oct 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by yancot from Canada (ON)

Oct 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Sep 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.35 by Ultrarunner100 from Canada (ON)

Sep 27, 2015
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
750 ml bomber served cold into a shaker pint. purchased from the LCBO for $9.99 CDN. A quartet of well respected and established Canadian brewers coming together to make the taste of Canada. Color me intrigued, even if I don't think the beer should be an ESB.

Appearance - Coast to Coastless pours a bright ruby colored beer, clear as day with a small half finger of tan head on top. Retention isn't great, leaving behind only some wispy strands of head, but carbonation is bubbling and ready to pop.

Smell - Big bold nose, orchard fruit of plums and pears, maybe a hint of prunes for good measure and a tantalizing chocolate cherry concoction going on in the background. Malt bill is solid and the hops come out to play with a light floral and citrus twist a little later.

Taste - A little sharp, starts rather bitter (duh), but followed up by a harsh booziness with a trace of fusel alcohol. Malts with bittersweet dark chocolate come through as well on the back end before finishing with a piney bitterness. Certainly a "quad-laboration" but the lasting bitterness is a bit too much. North American in character for sure.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, with a slight slick oiliness, a body that is heavy but not sticky. Carbonation feels modest in the mouth, but is actually quite lively, the heft of the beer disguises that quite well. Tingly feeling on the tongue after repeated sips.

Overall - Coast to Coastless might be a good beer to age for a few months cut down on the sharpness of the alcohol and the astringent bitterness to close. The nose is remarkably inviting, but the rest just doesn't quite fit together perfectly, the elements all seem to be there, but I don't know it doesn't do it for me. Still a valiant effort to create a true Canadian craft beer, incorporating some of the best from across this great country.
Sep 23, 2015
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Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased at the LCBO for just under the $10.00 mark for a 750ml bottle. Served at 4deg C in a draught glass.

A- Opens well and pours a 1/2 inch high brown head that lasts for 4-5mins before film out. Rather dark brown color for the style and filtered clear.

S- Lots of caramel, cinnamon and clove.

T- Caramel and clove. Nice mellow bitter tones. Nice blend but missing something I can't quite put my finger on though.

M- Dry and crisp but has some creaminess to it as well. Kind of lacking though.

O- There is something about this beer that is good and something that is completely unfinished. Has all these flavor that do not meld together the way that they do in many other brews. Nice brew, not complaining but incomplete. Will not buy again though.

Food Pairing

This pretty good little brew went rather well with........... Oxtail stew with carrots, onions and various spices found in traditional Jamaican cuisine.

Enjoy
Sep 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.42 by jfreeze from Canada (NB)

Sep 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by Bf_89 from Canada (ON)

Sep 12, 2015
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Reviewed by Bugs318 from Canada (QC)

3.67/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
hazy Amber, nice fluffy white head of good retention, and pretty substantial lacing. Nose wafts caramel, butterscotch, and tea with some floral notes underneath. Taste is similarly sweet up front with a dry balanced tea and floral finish. Body is moderate and low-ish carbonation. A bit hot in the finish. Decent but basically just a boozy esb.
Jul 31, 2015
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Reviewed by Ghrymm from Canada (BC)

3.52/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured a dark Copper with a thick off white creamy head. Somewhat strong on the caramel and a bit sweet for me. Seems more of a dark Amber Ale to me than a ESB.
Jul 26, 2015
Coast To Coastless Imperial ESB from Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 29 ratings