Extra Special Ale (ESA) | Yards Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Yards Brewing Co.
Pennsylvania, United States
yardsbrewing.com
Style: Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our first ever and most beloved brew, ESA helped establish a following for cask-conditioned beer in the United States back in the ‘90s. East Kent Golding hops give this English style ale a subtle spiciness, which compliments its strong malt backbone. Hints of chocolate and caramel round out this deep chestnut colored ale. Floral, earthy, smooth.
Added by stirgy on 12-01-2001
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 634 | Reviews: 268
3.78/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Clear orange amber with a couple fingers of tan-tinted head.
Yeasty, bready aroma aroma and taste, with some sweet caramel malt character, a hint of spice (nutmeg or cinnamon maybe?) and a modest hop bitterness on the back end.
Medium bodied with a prickly feel. Nice, quality brew.
287 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Clear orange amber with a couple fingers of tan-tinted head.
Yeasty, bready aroma aroma and taste, with some sweet caramel malt character, a hint of spice (nutmeg or cinnamon maybe?) and a modest hop bitterness on the back end.
Medium bodied with a prickly feel. Nice, quality brew.
287 characters
4.25/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.69/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.34/5 rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia, PA.
This one pours a dark, slightly hazy amber, with a small head, and a good amount of lacing.
Smells like grassy hops, orange, caramel, and toasted brown bread.
This is one of the better ESBs that I've had. It's got a nice clean bitter finish, with grass and orange as the dominant hop flavors. There's a great malt backbone, it's nicely toasty and warm tasting, a little bit of not too sweet caramel, etc.
This is light bodied, with a very crisp mouthfeel, and a good level of carbonation.
They pretty much nailed the style here. It's quite wonderful.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia, PA.
This one pours a dark, slightly hazy amber, with a small head, and a good amount of lacing.
Smells like grassy hops, orange, caramel, and toasted brown bread.
This is one of the better ESBs that I've had. It's got a nice clean bitter finish, with grass and orange as the dominant hop flavors. There's a great malt backbone, it's nicely toasty and warm tasting, a little bit of not too sweet caramel, etc.
This is light bodied, with a very crisp mouthfeel, and a good level of carbonation.
They pretty much nailed the style here. It's quite wonderful.
608 characters
3.79/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.14/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
DATE: September 2, 2016... OCCASION: much work was done today, of the spreadsheet variety... GLASSWARE: Barley Creek pint... dark amber, almost opaque body that evokes a black and tan... the creamy head, off-white and smooth, almost lactic... tough to see, but bubbly enough... nutty, caramel sweet, slightly buttery with some suggestion of citrus and hop... the first sip is sweet, soft, smooth and savory--easily can see how this "helped establish" a cask ale following... flavorful, caramel-empowered, malt-forward profile... the nuttiness is also pronounced, with a lingering citrus--orange, mostly , with grapefruit--with pear strengthening the flavor... glass lacing is thick, filmy and significant... a delicious, full-bodied ESB that finishes strongly and invites the next... at 6% ABV, substantial but drinkable...
824 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
DATE: September 2, 2016... OCCASION: much work was done today, of the spreadsheet variety... GLASSWARE: Barley Creek pint... dark amber, almost opaque body that evokes a black and tan... the creamy head, off-white and smooth, almost lactic... tough to see, but bubbly enough... nutty, caramel sweet, slightly buttery with some suggestion of citrus and hop... the first sip is sweet, soft, smooth and savory--easily can see how this "helped establish" a cask ale following... flavorful, caramel-empowered, malt-forward profile... the nuttiness is also pronounced, with a lingering citrus--orange, mostly , with grapefruit--with pear strengthening the flavor... glass lacing is thick, filmy and significant... a delicious, full-bodied ESB that finishes strongly and invites the next... at 6% ABV, substantial but drinkable...
824 characters
3.82/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On cask @ Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon in Kennett Square, PA.
Deep amber/brown color and good clarity around the edges. Average sized white head with good retention. Mild aroma of lightly toasted malt and light fruity hops. Smooth, biscuity and caramel malt flavor balanced with ample hop bitterness. Medium bodied with low carbonation, as this was from the cask. A great candidate for being served on cask.
409 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On cask @ Half Moon Restaurant & Saloon in Kennett Square, PA.
Deep amber/brown color and good clarity around the edges. Average sized white head with good retention. Mild aroma of lightly toasted malt and light fruity hops. Smooth, biscuity and caramel malt flavor balanced with ample hop bitterness. Medium bodied with low carbonation, as this was from the cask. A great candidate for being served on cask.
409 characters
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.6/5 rDev +22.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
3.5/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.66/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.69/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured 12oz bottle into snifter glass. 6% abv
Appearance- Pours a dark brown with a reddish tint. Heavy two finger head that steadily dissipates. Very clear.
Smell- Caramel, roasted malt, with an extra layer of molasses like sweetness. Some grains in there as well.
Taste- A toasted cracker taste is evident of a roasy malt which lingers on to a quite nutty flavor, still carrying on the toasted flavor. Sweet caramel mixes in with very faint chocolate notes, yet still has a slight medicinal taste. Hop bitterness is well present on the back end, but also never loses that sweet taste.
Mouthfeel- Medium in body with lively carbonation.
Overall- An interesting style not common which makes this beer stand out. Very complex. It has characteristics of a brown ale, a pale ale, and a porter all in one which is very interesting. Worth a try for sure.
854 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured 12oz bottle into snifter glass. 6% abv
Appearance- Pours a dark brown with a reddish tint. Heavy two finger head that steadily dissipates. Very clear.
Smell- Caramel, roasted malt, with an extra layer of molasses like sweetness. Some grains in there as well.
Taste- A toasted cracker taste is evident of a roasy malt which lingers on to a quite nutty flavor, still carrying on the toasted flavor. Sweet caramel mixes in with very faint chocolate notes, yet still has a slight medicinal taste. Hop bitterness is well present on the back end, but also never loses that sweet taste.
Mouthfeel- Medium in body with lively carbonation.
Overall- An interesting style not common which makes this beer stand out. Very complex. It has characteristics of a brown ale, a pale ale, and a porter all in one which is very interesting. Worth a try for sure.
854 characters
Extra Special Ale (ESA) from Yards Brewing Co.
3.75
out of 5
based on 634 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Crisp,well carbonated ale.great balance between the malt and hops which made it an excellent easy beer to drink
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