Super Natural ESB
Hawks Brewing

Pours a cloudy dark orange color topped by an inch or so of creamy off-white head. Aroma of lightly roasted English malt, a touch of fruity hops, and some mild ale yeast. Palate is a little disappointing - light malt, so-so hops, and a bit of a coppery tinge throughout. Still, the sweetness of the malt comes through on the well-rounded finish. Body is velvety and smooth, with excellent light carbonation. Overall, a bit disappointing, but still fairly tasty.

Thanks to lucybeerbook for the sample. 22 oz bomber.

A- Hazed tawny brown, sediment did make its way into the glasses. Crisp pure white clinging lace, tiny bubbled.

S- Grain with a toasted character, fruity with some nutty yeast.

T- Toasted grain, lots of nutty yeast. Tannins and the malt profile is a little weak. Lean hop bitterness shows little flavor. More tannins in the dry finish.

M- Thin and gritty, mild carbonation ... tad watery.

D- What is up with this beer, obviously a yeast problem because there is a huge presence in both the aroma and flavor.

This is a visually appealing beer though in appearances and in taste, it strays far from traditional English bitters. The clouded garnet color of Hawk’s ESB is derived from organic malts; the dry, grassy aroma from organic hops. It is the big fluffy clouds of lace that distinguish this beer from its more sedentary English cousins. And while the bitterness is appealing, it is somewhat heavier than the more brisk bitterness of English bitters.

Hawk’s ESB has a respectable mouthfeel. Its malt profile is like a decent, late-model car with a slight dent in it – just a little something that needs to be hammered out.

I've never tried a Hawks brew, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I've heard a tiny rumor that they might be closing, or already closed, but I'll try to get to the bottom of that, and I'll get back to you. If it's so, it would be a real shame because this beer is very good. Upon opening the bottle I noticed what I thought was light-struck skunkiness, but it could be simply sulfury European qualities in what is a very traditional English-style ale. Full and malty, pours a deep copper with small tight head and great lacing, with a ton of sediment at the bottom of the bottle... yeah, this may be an old, ah, a very old sample, damaged and light-struck. Oh well, I'm still enjoying it. Reminds me of many British imports that have been in similar condition by the time they got to my lips. Bready malts with caramel, graham cracker, a slight spiciness towards the finish. Hops are muted, mellow, very inauspicious for an Oregon beer. A light tacky sensation is evident on the gums and cheeks but that's about it. The beer is quite weighty, with a lot of substance and thickish mouthfeel. Drinkability good but there's no need to rush this beer. A fine brew, and one I will look for in better condition. The somewhat lame name and cheap look of the bottle are more than compensated by the homespun vibe and overall high quality of the beer.

Update:
Now that I've got a better bottle, the beer's colors really shine. There is still quite a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, but there's no lightstruck skunkiness whatsoever, thanks to the primo storage conditions at Belmont Station. Full, malty English character rides to the forefront; as authentic an English ale as I've had from the west coast, even more so than Bridgeport. Smooth, easy drinking, and lightly crisp. I'm upping the score from 3.8 to 4.15. Good stuff.

Copper in colour with a small white head that quickly dissipates. Almost no lace. Smells is very sweet and malty. I get a mouth full of malt. Followed by a quick splash of hops. I've come to expect my ESBs to be a little more bitter than this. It seems to be a tad on the sweet side. Pretty smooth, i was expecting something a little more harsh. I can't say that detracts from the beer, because i do like it. I can see myself drinking this again.

Bought in the brown bomber..simple screen printed label.
Poured into my pint glass..its a sort of murky , hazy dark amber with a small off white frothy head..that stays all of 10 secs then is replaced by lace.
Lovelly fresh strong aroma of malts and nice zing of hops.
Starts of nice and creamy sweet with the malts..in the middle of the mouthfeel a nice spicy hpop bite...then it slowly fades as the beer passes down the throat.
Nice and smooth on the palate.
A most drinkable ESB..I liked this a lot.

Medium brown color, small head. A full-bodied Extra Special Bitter, made with all organic ingredients. Smooth malts, slightly hoppy. Malts are slightly roasted with a very slight chocolate taste. Smooth and very flavorful, not very bitter for an ESB. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. Each bottle is filled and capped by hand. Etched beer bottle. Not very bitter, but a very nice beer.

Beer porued to a nice copper brown with a somewhat decent head. Not much lace with this one though. Nice and tasty. Sorta bitter, sorta sweet a really nice combination. This beer seemed to be a bit less corbanated than their IPA that I had once before (which is a good thing). Overall, a decent beer which I wouldn't mind having once again.