Anvil ESB
AleSmith Brewing Company

Cannot believe I haven’t had this in the past when it was always on my radar. Would love to try this from their hand pull, which apparently happens occasionally. This is on the darker side of the style. Rich, warming, malty, bready, and has the classic finish of an ESB. Proper take on the style for an American brewery. Well done.

I had this on draft 3/31/25 @ the Hopleaf.

Semi-opaque dark orange appearance.

Small off-white head; strong lacing remained.

Biscuit & faint honey notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Biscuit & mild honey flavors; simple and effective.

 

 

 

I was glad to see this back on the draft menu after a fairly lengthy hiatus. Sure, it doesnt have the reputation that Speedway, .394 or "X" does but it is one of the longest tenured beers in the Alesmith arsenal and for the style is a pretty good ESB. I coudlnt drink it all day but I do love including this in a flight as its a nice reprieve from hoppy and sweet.

 

 

 

 

Anvil ESB is a fine traditional British pub ale. Nice toasty malt character you would expect from the British malts and kettle caramelization that blend well with a English hop profile. A wonderful balance of flavors that lead to two thumbs up.

On tap at Cody’s Irish Pub, Essex Junction, VT. This was poured into a pint glass. The appearance was a hazy burnt orange to toasty amber color with a thin bar pour’s white head that slides away. The aroma has a big English sweet fruity esters with a smooth aromatic earthy malt and some grassy hops coming together nicely. The flavor brings it together, the malty sweetness and the grassy hops. Smooth and swerves into the aftertaste with a quick crisp finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a great sessionability about. Low carbonation. Smooth, almost sticky. Overall, as an ESB, this is a top notch one by style, as it presents very clean flavors. I’d have again with some fish n chips.

 

 

I picked up a bomber of this Extra Strong Bitter (ESB) from Albertson's on 02/28/2017. No bottled date. 5.5% APV.

Anvil Ale ESB initially pours a beautiful clear copper with moderate carbonation. 2 fingers of ecru foam. Excellent lacing. As you continue to pour, this beer becomes increasingly hazy from yeast sediment. Similarly, the color also becomes a darker copper.

Smell is fruity and herbal hops with toasted malts -- awesome! The taste is complex -- it starts with a fruity hop flavor, followed by floral hops with a grassy aftertaste. The hops and malt are nearly perfectly balanced.

Anvil ESB is actually very good. I initially disliked it; however, it improved as it warmed up. This ESB tastes best between 45 - 50 degrees F. The warmer temp allows the mild English hops to interact with the English malts. AleSmith of San Diego has created an excellent English pub ale. Complex and slightly bitter, this ESB would taste outstanding with traditional British pub meals. That said, is this ESB worth buying? Yes -- once in a blue moon -- perhaps just to remind us that not everything is West Coast or East Coast IPAs.