Bay State ESB
Boston Beer Works - Canal Street

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From:
Boston Beer Works - Canal Street
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
6%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.68 | pDev: 16.03%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
27
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 07, 2014
Added:
May 18, 1999
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by goz:
Photo of goz
Reviewed by goz from Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Dark amber with a small white head, good lacing. Aroma is light, mostly citrusy hops, with a slight maltiness in the back. Flavor starts malty & a little sweet, then ends with a good, long hoppiness. Very creamy and thick feeling in the mouth. Quite well balanced.
Jan 18, 2003
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by Reds76 from Maine

Dec 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.56 by m125x from Massachusetts

Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.16 by LutherBrau from Massachusetts

Sep 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Kelp from New Hampshire

Apr 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by RIKIM from Rhode Island

Apr 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Mar 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Userme59 from Massachusetts

Sep 12, 2013
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Dark gold with a bit of haze. Small head but it leaves some spotty lace.

Earthy and malty. Light hop nose.

Lots of semisweet caramel. There's a touch bitterness in the swallow. Full bodied and below average carbonation--a good combination for this style. An easy to drink ESB with some definitive malt sugars in the aftertaste.
Sep 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by In_Control_Mike from Massachusetts

Jul 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Maximusmaximus from Massachusetts

May 30, 2012
Photo of VelvetExtract
Reviewed by VelvetExtract from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
A-Pours a darker copper color with a slight head. Head doesn't lace much. Seems to be fairly transparent.

S-Floral hops with a perfect balance from the malt. The aroma is of the typical ESB variety. Bittersweet and pretty attractive. The intensity of the nose is lacking but the components are there.

T-Like the nose, very standard as far as the style goes. Florals combine with that memorable malty combination. Lightly nutty. Flower petals and light bitterness. Great balance. Not as coercive as I would like but it is decently tasty.

M-Light bodied. Crisp. Great feel. Feels more like a %4 ABV instead of a %6. Goes down nicely.

O/D-One of the better beers I had at the Beer Works. Again, not very intense or memorable but it was a nice little glass.
Apr 05, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Aexoonge from California

Mar 21, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Nov 14, 2011
Photo of donkeyrunner
Reviewed by donkeyrunner from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Missed my train and meandered over to Beer Works...

Translucent, dark auburn color with a bone marrow colored head. Lace is heavy up top and diminishes down bottom like a foamy jelly fish stuck to my glass. The bartender called me chief. I hate that.

Marmalade fruity esters and leafy hop spice. Toasty. Few scant whiffs of chocolate malt - I wonder if a pinch was used to darken up this beer?

Taste is toast and fruity esters. Swampy bitter lingers with the finish as does a moderate dryness. Full body sparkles with hop resin. Balanced.
May 12, 2011
Photo of odietrying
Reviewed by odietrying from Massachusetts

2.61/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Served on 4oz. sample glass.

A: Dark copper, clear, thin head and lacing.

S: Strong floral notes; I can already taste the bitterness, not my forte.

T: Namesake, very bitter in the back, and it lingers. Not very sweet, I would have preferred a sweeter malt.

M: Smooth mouthfeel, but under-carbonated.

D: Too bitter for my tastes; wouldn't want another.
Oct 17, 2008
Photo of dananabanana
Reviewed by dananabanana from Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Dark red-brown. Foam was pure white. Lacing is a fine coat.

S: Malty, sort of sweet. Indistinct.

T: Bitter hops in the back of the throat. Malt flavor dissipates quickly. Grainy taste develops later.

M: Chewy. Oddly refreshing.

D: Good, solid beer to start the night with. The balance is a little off, though.
Oct 16, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a very murky amber reddish brown. Nose is a very florally soft sweet. Slight wood character, from the cask no doubt. Flavor is pretty complex. Seems to be a bit of vanilla at the start. At least I got that on the first wave of taste. It quickly moves to a woody, earthy profile. Unfortunately I have to give the flavor a lower score because I feel like the only influence is the cask. Where is the beer's character? It just ends up being a woody mess almost. Cask beers can be nice, but this one seems to lack balance.
Dec 31, 2007
Photo of argock
Reviewed by argock from Virginia

1.89/5  rDev -48.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Served on-tap

Looked promising with a pleasing copper color and thick, sudsy head. It was foreshadowing...

Something was wrong with this batch (or the glassware) because it smelled and tasted like soap. No sweetness or hoppy bite -- just soap.

Obviously when something tastes like soap, drinkability is hurt to some degree.
Dec 13, 2007
Photo of RBorsato
Reviewed by RBorsato from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tasted On-Tap 09/30/05 at the Boston Beer Works - Fenway in Boston, MA.

Brown in color with a decent beige head. A nicely done ESB with a fairly high hop aroma and flavor for the style. Hops seem to have an American almost citrusy hop character. Medium bodied and smooth. A nice hoppy ESB. One of the best Beer Works brews.

Per BBW website: Bay State E.S.B.
1997 GABF Extra Special Bitter
Pale brown and malty, this ale is an Extra Special Bitter, our version of a strong English bitter. Our E.S.B. is brewed with English malts and is dry hopped with Kent Golding hops, imparting a pronounced hop finish.
Season: all Color: light brown Alc./Vol: 6.0%
Oct 10, 2005
Bay State ESB from Boston Beer Works - Canal Street
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 27 ratings