Anvil
AleSmith Brewing Company

AnvilAnvil
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From:
AleSmith Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 10.57%
Reviews:
334
Ratings:
683
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 19, 2021
Added:
Mar 10, 2002
Wants:
  51
Gots:
  60
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Jason:
Photo of Jason
Reviewed by Jason from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Presentation: 22oz brown bomber, white silk screened label with no freshness date.

Appearance: Lush creamy looking off white lace. Red tarnish copper colour just about glows, real decent clarity from the yeast that has dropped well with the bottle conditioning.

Smell: Fruity with a mildly coarse herbal hop aroma, bit of lightly toasted grain and caramel in the nose also.

Taste: So damn smooth with a creamy back, carbonation is moderate but tight and textured. Big juicy fruit and bitter herbal hop twang, little bit of caramel and biscuity grain on the palate. Hop flavour is soft and nearly floral with woody undertones. Fruity with traces of ripe blood orange and rind, yeast is there yet more neutral than anything else. More caramel comes through when the beer hits cellar temp with a long grainy and leafy hop finish.

Notes: Do this beer some justice, serve it at cellar temp and in a big mug to give nice firm pouring. Highly drinkable with back and forth flavours from the malt and hops. Right on target for the style, back and forth of hops and malt … this one is a keeper.
Mar 10, 2002
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Mar 19, 2021
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Reviewed by BeanBump from California

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Apr 23, 2019
 
Rated: 2.75 by COBEERHUNTER from Colorado

Jul 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Beerbuddha from Florida

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by sokol_1993 from California

Dec 14, 2017
Photo of RabbleRouserRye
Reviewed by RabbleRouserRye from California

4.48/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
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.
Jul 31, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
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.
Jun 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.49 by emwilke from Nevada

Jun 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by BeerAndFilm from Oregon

Apr 15, 2017
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Reviewed by R_i_P from California

4.09/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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.
Mar 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by AleSan from Italy

Jan 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.49 by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois

Dec 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.69 by Phoodcritic from Michigan

Dec 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by Segelstrom from Pennsylvania

Oct 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by Ben1313 from New Hampshire

Oct 22, 2016
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Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

4.11/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bomber > pub mug

A deep amber/red color with a clumpy, frothy off-white crown. Very substantial with slow dissipation and plenty of lace.

Sweet and toasty amber malt aroma with a subtle brown sugar and herbal hop. A very classic, subtle aroma overall.

The malt flavor is excellent, just right for this style, roastie and sweet malt ride together perfectly, subtle honey or brown sugar sweetness mixed with buttered toast effect! The classic herbal, maybe spicy hop balance provides a nice kick right at the end.

The body is medium but very lively and crispy even with a rather complex malt. Finishes silky smooth !

This is an absolute classic for the style, pure English malts, executed perfectly. This is a simple yet interesting style I really enjoy.
Oct 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by mcrawford from Michigan

Oct 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by jaydoc from Kansas

Aug 26, 2016
Anvil from AleSmith Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 683 ratings