Chin Wag
Hogshead Brewery

Chin WagChin Wag
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From:
Hogshead Brewery
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #21
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
87
Ranked #15,956
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 13.37%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
44
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 26, 2022
Added:
Aug 26, 2012
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Caution, one too many may cause you to talk Shite. It combines a chewy malt forward mouth feel balanced by a moderate hopping rate delivered by challenger golding and fuggles hops. Dangerously Quaffable at 38 IBU, Beer to savor over a good conversation.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cpetrone84:
Photo of cpetrone84
Reviewed by cpetrone84 from Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
From growler. Pour is dark ruby red with no head. Nose is faint, green apple skin, light caramel malt, and some dark berry sweetness. Taste has more malt presence, chewy feel, a bit of nuttiness and some sweet caramel. Hints of green apple skin and a touch of plum. Very light carbonation, crisp finish.
Jul 23, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
(review based on memories of half and proper pints of this on cask and draft last week while visiting the brewery)

Perhaps a touch on the darker side in its color, but its foam is steady and sticky... nose: woody, nutty, leathery, unctuous; seemingly overrun by whole-flower hop resins, chlorophyllic stem oils; hints of floral candy and dried amber fruits... palate: just short of molasses cookie in its meaures of malt and sweetness; extra toasty and nutty, but not quite reminiscent of a brown ale, perhaps due in part to its layers and depth of earthy, delicately perfumy hopping; like any decent ESB, its bitterness primes the palate with a gentle stun before building on the back end, sip after sip... mouthfeel: marginally rounded edges to its dense, brawny body; soft slick residual hop oil finish; bodes chewiness, but instead sloughs away quietly, tapering in its finish just short of snapping clean... summary: right in my wheelhouse as far as ESBs go, arguably a touch too robust and bready for its ilk, but nonetheless and moreish, savory drop; a shame I had no room to carry back a can or two; worth the wait! (2045)
Sep 26, 2022
Photo of Captain69
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
nice english style bitter - slightly strong with great malt after taste
Jun 11, 2022
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Had on cask. Clear dark brown with two fingers of white foam and spotted lacing. Smell and taste are clones: earthy toast and lightly caramelized malt, dried dark fruit, herbal and floral hops with a kiss of brown bready yeast. So silky smooth, creamy, and soft with decent carbonation for a cask ale.
May 30, 2022
Photo of JZH1000
Reviewed by JZH1000 from Colorado

4.84/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a pint can into my weizen glass.

Onr the pour it forms a 1 finger head that is off white with a nice lively carbonation bubbling below. The head gradually fades to a slim cap on top. The beer is a dark ruby amber with no haze. It tries to lace but doesn't fully succeed

Aroma is very balanced, with malt and hops in equal levels on the nose, and all the hops are quite earthy and vegetal, with a bready darker malt character intertwined. Behind all that is a quite dry fermentation note slightly fruity but best described a "cellar yeasty".

Flavor follows the nose but loses a lot of the fermentation. It is replaced by the maltiness of a porter, without chocolate or coffee and a solid dose of bitter hops but not at levels of IPA. The malts are quite nutty and remind me of sweet dark bread a bit. The bitterness while quite present for a bit, slowly fades off the palate leaving a nice bready malt aftertaste. Very interesting best of both worlds sort of beer here.

Feel is nice and thick thanks to all the maltiness it seems. Quite a big feeling beer but still easy to put down. Decent bit of carbonation bite, but still creamy as you sip. Quite dessert like, with hop bitterness.

Overall this is a beer and a style that I would enjoy revisiting. Lots of flavor but nothing that makes you think not beer. Like nothing I've had before but this is something you drink and get all the traditional flavors of beer at once. Yeast hops and malt, and they all have a presence in this ESB amber ale.
Apr 24, 2022
 
Rated: 3.78 by mkh012 from Colorado

Feb 04, 2022
Photo of HorseheadsHophead
Reviewed by HorseheadsHophead from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Clear amber color with a small beige head. Moderate retention, some spotty lacing.

Flavors of toasted pumpernickel bread, dried cherry, black tea, and slight cocoa powder. Malty and slightly sweet. Finishes crisper.

Great ESB! Highly recommended for fans of the style.
Nov 16, 2021
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dirty copper color; nearly clear. The head starts with big bubbles, settling quickly to the finer, lasting bubbles. The spots slides down the glass preventing any lasting lace.

There's a moderate toastiness to the malt smell. Some light sweetness. Floral hop background. Is there a little licorice lurking in the background?

The flavors start with treacle, lightly burnt grain. It's almost like a cross between a Scotch and Brown Ale. Then the bittering hop kicks providing for a balanced finish. The tasting goes from light sweet to dry in the swallow. The body and carbonation are appropriate for the style. The aftertaste has an almost citrus rind type taste. Complex.
Nov 11, 2021
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
32oz crowler purchased from the brewery 10-21-21, opened 10-24-21.
1" finger of sand colored foam, good retention and holds at a solid cap.
Bright, amber with very good clarity. Slippery lacing.
Caramel, dark bread, nutty, earth, and spicy/herbal hops.
Flavorful and very drinkable. Toast, caramel, and leafy spicy hops.
Light to medium body, with low + carbonation. Somewhat tannic and chewy mouthfeel and a low persistent bitterness in a medium length semi-sweet finish.
Unique combo in the finish - there's a drying element and a sweet feel at the same time.
Very Good.
Oct 24, 2021
Photo of gyorgymarlowe
Reviewed by gyorgymarlowe from Colorado

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Gorgeous deep amber color. Toasted nuts, wet earthy, leafy smell. Chewy, malty, medium bitterness. Smooth and velvety.

Would like to try this on cask, for sure. Good stuff.
Aug 16, 2020
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

3.97/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a translucent copper-honey with a finger of dense vanilla bean cream foam. Head retention is fantastic. Aroma is caramel and bready and toasty malts. Very light. Flavor profile is bready, toasty, caramely malts with a twist of caramel and toffee. Very mild sweetness with the bulk of the focus on bitter malts. Mouth feel is smooth and creamy, with a medium thickness. Overall, sublime little brew with a creamy texture and a petite flavor profile.

Draft. Cask.
Aug 13, 2020
Photo of lossofsignal
Reviewed by lossofsignal from Colorado

4.39/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pint glass at the brewery, cask conditioned. Served at cellar temperature.

Mahogany color with very slight cloudiness and two fingers of a tan, very fine head. Persistent, dense lacing as I drank the glass down.

Nose is sweet English malt with toffee and caramel, some breadiness as well. Floral hops. Very nice.

Taste is again malt, toffee, caramel, some nuttiness, ale yeast, balanced by hops in the finish. Very slightly astringent after taste, making the pull quite dry. Dried fruit flavors also linger.

Mouthfeel is medium with some effervescence, seems perfectly balanced in that respect. Overall effect is very drinkable, not sticky, not fizzy, just a gentle softness.

For fans of the style, this beer is very, very, good: delicious, drinkable, balanced. ESBs are painfully neglected in the US, at least at this time, and generally done as an American adaptation that has little to do with the original. Chin Wag stands out as a true-to-heritage example, and the cask version adds even more balance along with the freshness. Strongly recommended.
Jun 24, 2020
 
Rated: 3.87 by WDJersey from Colorado

Jul 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by deereless from Colorado

Jun 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.81 by luv_hogshead from Texas

May 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.15 by birchstick from Colorado

Feb 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.12 by funkel81 from Colorado

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by denver10 from New Mexico

Aug 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by BDeibs from Colorado

Aug 11, 2015
Photo of GRG1313
Rated by GRG1313 from California

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Score given is for the cask offering of this beer. The regular tap offering of this beer from this brewery is significantly inferior.
Jun 30, 2015
Chin Wag from Hogshead Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 44 ratings