Purley's ESB
The Virginia Beer Company

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Beer Geek Stats
From:
The Virginia Beer Company
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 10.1%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
7
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 03, 2023
Added:
Dec 17, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
SCORE
n/a
-
Notes: Our take on a “strong” British Pale Ale, this 5.7% abv Extra Special Bitter is an ode to one of our favourite styles and places.

Toasty and full of malt sweetness with a touch of English hop presence, enjoy draught pours of this small batch release regularly here in Williamsburg.

Part of our ongoing English-Style series that celebrates our growing camaraderie with craft beer drinkers on the other side of the pond!
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.77/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
on draft, in a tulip glass which seemed weird for the style. I guess they use for all beers?

clear, copper amber color, thin white head that eventually fades. aroma and taste of mildly toasted malt, a little fruitiness, and mild earthy/woody hops. thin to medium bodied.
May 03, 2023
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice white and creamy head that dissipates fairly quickly while the beer itself a clear amber brown that look refreshing.

The smell has a good and light bitter floral hop note with a lightly roasted malt note accompanying it. It finishes with a good yeast bread note.

The taste strongly resembles the smell with a bitter floral hop note and a lightly roasted malt note that leads to a delicious bread note in the finish. The overall impression is that of a lightly toasted slice of bread.

The feel is good. The beer has a light and thin body with tingling carbonation and a dry yet refreshing finish.

Overall, this is a pretty good ESB and new world take on an old world classic. I definitely recommend this one.
Apr 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by beerrat from Virginia

Apr 07, 2023
Photo of Kubishark
Reviewed by Kubishark from Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is like a beer made especially for my tastes. Really fantastic. Really quite flavorful, lots of delicious maltiness. Will be coming back for this one again soon.
Jan 31, 2020
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.62/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On tap at brewery:
Pours a hazy amber with an interesting glow from a light source I can't identify. Off white head forms a surface film and medium collar for the duration of the pour.

Nose is lightly floral hops, along with an old orange rind note (that isn't as bad as it sounds). Nothing more classically bitter here - more of a new world floral to fruity hop scent.

A medium bodied, white bread malt lays the canvas for a lightly citrusy balancing bitterness. The balance is what gets me to my perception as an APA more than an ESB. I never get a good pull from the bitterness, classic English or American.

It's an enjoyable beer, but in my opinion, consider it more of a solid APA going in.
Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by hophugger from Virginia

Aug 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by godawgs from Louisiana

Jan 31, 2017
Purley's ESB from The Virginia Beer Company
Beer rating: 3.86 out of 5 with 7 ratings