Double ESB Endless Skyway Bitter
Black Mesa Brewing Co.

22oz bottle. Poured out a clear, amber color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam that left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled very roasty with sweet caramel and grasses. Sweet caramel malt with a strong malt presence. Nice bitterness with a piney bite.

 

 

 

bottle 572 of 3,700.

in a word...wow. what a pleasant surprise. cognac is huge and dominates but the compliment of the maltiness and toastiness of the base gives this an Olde ale vibe. really tasty. muddy earthy nutty...just good. like a well aged barleywine

 

Who says that there's no creativity left in beer? Certainly not the capable brewers at Black Mesa as they embark upon a classic British ESB recipe, and then double it, and then let it take a nice long seven-month slumber in spicy cognac barrels. What emerges is an ale of legendary flavor and spice.

Endless Skyway Bitter layers patiently into the glass with a deep mahogany pour and a slowly simmering cask-like creme to swirl at the rim. Its rich aromatics are deep, earthy and sweetly with toffee, chocolate, boozy pecan and dried pitted fruit. And much of that carries over to taste while praline sweetness, figgy jam and toasted biscuit malt aligns on the tongue.

Through the center, the sweetness simmers on the tastebuds while more specific fruit flavors pull forth- date, fig, plum, prune, grape, apple, apricot and stewn peach offer a deep and earthen marmalade character. As over-cooked caramels and toffee slide more deeply into taste, its finish of spicy fortified wine, light tartness and fresh fruity tobacco continue to deliver complexity with each and every sip.

Acting like barleywine-light, the beer's full but not quite viscous character retains a memory of the classic ESB underneath all that boozy armor. Finishing savory, sweet and with a breath sherrywine, its oxidized umami taste precedes the brunt of alcohol spice while traces of maple and pecan follow in deep port-like aftertaste.

 

A: hazy amber/copper, 1 finger head that quickly subsides
S: biscuit, earthy hops, fruity esters, crystal and toffee malts
T: follows the nose. not a lot of subtely here...pretty big rich flavors that don't entirely cohere
M: pretty heavy for the style, felt like a higher abv.

Never heard of this but got it as an extra today. Label doesn't say give much, but it's def a ESB aged in Cognac barrels. Sounds weird, I'm down. Smells like a small but malty aged in a cognac barrel, with a bit extra cognac barrel. Taste is the same. Can't complain, this delivered exactly what was advertised, but does an cognac aged ESB ever have to be brewed again? Nope

 

 

 

 

Pours a thick cloudy brown from the bottle with nearly no head. Strong aroma of dark candied fruit and molasses. Very boozy taste, with prunes and dark cherries. The cognac is strong with this one. Fairly thick mouth. This is OK, but not nearly as good as their non-BA Double ESB.