Samuel Adams Ben Franklin Bitter
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

 

This brilliant copper-colored beer is crystal clear in my glass. At first there was very little aroma, just a clean, mildly bready scent. As the beer warms the aroma of English malt starts to take over. A rich, doughy smell begins to arise, slowly starting to form into intense biscuit.

The first taste immediately brings a firm, earthy bitterness to my palate. Very crisp up front and dry. The earthy hops stick around to give the beer a sharp flavor as the malt body starts to do its work.

As the initial bitterness wears away I find a delicious, pungent malt flavor bursting out of the glass. It must be English malt because I have only tasted this dry yet intense malt flavor in other ESB's using English malt. The malt flavor really takes hold of your tongue and drenches it with biscuity goodness.

The earthy hops still hold their ground, and coupled with the very dry flavor and no residual sweetness the malt body never becomes cloying or too rich.

Dry, crisp, and filled with intense biscuit flavor but no sweetness, this is truly a spectacular example of the style.