Phoenixx Double ESB | Real Ale Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Real Ale Brewing Company
Texas, United States
realalebrewing.com
Style: Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.20%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
"Double ESB", Rotating/Seasonal
Added by TPoling on 12-31-2005
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
Ratings: 318 | Reviews: 128
Reviews by marc956:
More User Reviews:
4/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a copperish color with a white head. The aroma is hops with some toffee and biscuit malt. The flavor is earthy hops along with caramel malt and toffee. Medium mouthfeel and carbonation. Another good seasonal beer from Real Ale that was recently released in bottles for the first time.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a copperish color with a white head. The aroma is hops with some toffee and biscuit malt. The flavor is earthy hops along with caramel malt and toffee. Medium mouthfeel and carbonation. Another good seasonal beer from Real Ale that was recently released in bottles for the first time.
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3.98/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a pint glass brownish red with a one finger white head. Good retention and great lacing all the way down the glass. Smells strong of green hops. The taste is much the same as you get a hop bite upfront. It is well balanced and mellows out as other flavors roll over your tounge. The mouthfeel is perfect, making this another Real Ale seasonal that I wish were a year rounder. I can't wait for their next bottled seasonal.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a pint glass brownish red with a one finger white head. Good retention and great lacing all the way down the glass. Smells strong of green hops. The taste is much the same as you get a hop bite upfront. It is well balanced and mellows out as other flavors roll over your tounge. The mouthfeel is perfect, making this another Real Ale seasonal that I wish were a year rounder. I can't wait for their next bottled seasonal.
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2.79/5 rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A lot of sediment is suspended with the rich honey reddish amber colored ESB. A medium white head settles into a pretty small lacing on the edge of the glass with a nice little bisquity dome in the middle of the glass.
A very light sweet malt aroma dies out as the beer sits between drinks.
A lightly bitter hops taste is blended well with a light sweet caramel malt.
A light almost bitter dry aftertaste on this medium bodied double.
I wasn't really impressed with this as a double ESB, but what the hell do I Know.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A lot of sediment is suspended with the rich honey reddish amber colored ESB. A medium white head settles into a pretty small lacing on the edge of the glass with a nice little bisquity dome in the middle of the glass.
A very light sweet malt aroma dies out as the beer sits between drinks.
A lightly bitter hops taste is blended well with a light sweet caramel malt.
A light almost bitter dry aftertaste on this medium bodied double.
I wasn't really impressed with this as a double ESB, but what the hell do I Know.
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3.08/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Review from notes.
A: Pours a clear brown with a small white head with moderate retention and minimal lacing.
S: On the closed side, some toasted malt and some faint earthy hops.
T: On the boring side, with some toasted malt, light caramel, a touch of wheat, and a hint of coffee.
M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
O: Not a whole lot going on with this one. Nothing bad about it, but for a 7.2% abv ESB, I was hoping for a bit more.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Review from notes.
A: Pours a clear brown with a small white head with moderate retention and minimal lacing.
S: On the closed side, some toasted malt and some faint earthy hops.
T: On the boring side, with some toasted malt, light caramel, a touch of wheat, and a hint of coffee.
M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
O: Not a whole lot going on with this one. Nothing bad about it, but for a 7.2% abv ESB, I was hoping for a bit more.
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3.98/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle, served in standard pint glass
A - pour yielded about a finger of light tan foam, fell within a couple minutes to a thin layer and ring with quite strong lacing all over the place. the beer is slightly hazy and a bit dark for the style, bold dark amber/copper.
S - caramel, biscuit/dough, semisweet chocolate, faint earthy hops
T - kicks off kind of sweet, both fresh cracker and deeply roasted malts, caramel, chocolate comes in stronger and near the end. big bite of grassy hops at the end adds some nice complexity and balance.
M - lightish body but hugely oily...for once i feel a beer is a tad undercarbonated. a few more bubbles would help deliver the second half punch rather nicely - though the current level isnt detracting much.
D - another pretty impressive beer from Real Ale. felt that it needed half a point bonus for great complexity and balance, something a lot of ESB's struggle with. quite enjoyable.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle, served in standard pint glass
A - pour yielded about a finger of light tan foam, fell within a couple minutes to a thin layer and ring with quite strong lacing all over the place. the beer is slightly hazy and a bit dark for the style, bold dark amber/copper.
S - caramel, biscuit/dough, semisweet chocolate, faint earthy hops
T - kicks off kind of sweet, both fresh cracker and deeply roasted malts, caramel, chocolate comes in stronger and near the end. big bite of grassy hops at the end adds some nice complexity and balance.
M - lightish body but hugely oily...for once i feel a beer is a tad undercarbonated. a few more bubbles would help deliver the second half punch rather nicely - though the current level isnt detracting much.
D - another pretty impressive beer from Real Ale. felt that it needed half a point bonus for great complexity and balance, something a lot of ESB's struggle with. quite enjoyable.
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3.77/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
a hybrid style beer from the real ale folks in texas. poured a slightly hazy orange/copper color from the 12 oz bottle. smelled like an esb with clear notes of toffee and caramel greeting the sense first. english hops lend that british fruitiness and a bit of earth rather than the dank pine or citrus from the west coast varietals. i don't detect the over 7% abv on this ale; a touch watery, if anything. finishes with lingering bitterness - a plus in my book. the phoenixx is labeled a seasonal release, but my bottle claims to be good until september of this year.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
a hybrid style beer from the real ale folks in texas. poured a slightly hazy orange/copper color from the 12 oz bottle. smelled like an esb with clear notes of toffee and caramel greeting the sense first. english hops lend that british fruitiness and a bit of earth rather than the dank pine or citrus from the west coast varietals. i don't detect the over 7% abv on this ale; a touch watery, if anything. finishes with lingering bitterness - a plus in my book. the phoenixx is labeled a seasonal release, but my bottle claims to be good until september of this year.
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3.4/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 oz. bottled poured into a pint glass.
Appearance - Small off-white head tops a dark amber body. Clear and very dark. Not much lacing on this at all.
Smell - I don't get much hops. I get some pine aroma, but it's second to the malt, which is quite toasty.
Taste - Follows the smell. Not much hops up front. Goes right into a burnt toast malt flavor. Very bready. It's accentuated by a strong bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel - Heavier mouthfeel than I was expecting. Strong bitter finish makes it feel heavier than it really is as well. It's not really smooth or easy drinking at all.
Overall - Interesting take on an ESB. The flavors are overwhelming in a negative sort of way. Too bitter of a finish and the malts are too burnt tasting. I get that it's a double ESB, I just don't love how it comes together.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 oz. bottled poured into a pint glass.
Appearance - Small off-white head tops a dark amber body. Clear and very dark. Not much lacing on this at all.
Smell - I don't get much hops. I get some pine aroma, but it's second to the malt, which is quite toasty.
Taste - Follows the smell. Not much hops up front. Goes right into a burnt toast malt flavor. Very bready. It's accentuated by a strong bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel - Heavier mouthfeel than I was expecting. Strong bitter finish makes it feel heavier than it really is as well. It's not really smooth or easy drinking at all.
Overall - Interesting take on an ESB. The flavors are overwhelming in a negative sort of way. Too bitter of a finish and the malts are too burnt tasting. I get that it's a double ESB, I just don't love how it comes together.
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3.53/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Exiled for this extra. Trying to get back into the reviewing thing...
Poured into a Sam Adams glass by my wife following a long day. : )
A: Thin white head (one to one and a half fingers high) that fades quickly. Minimal lacing in the glass. Translucent amber-copper color.
S: Slightly muted. Earth, biscuits and bread dominate with a hint of toffee and caramelized sugar. Citrusy hops are present but hidden behind the malt.
T: Citrusy hops are present up front and linger throughout. A solid malty backbone is present with flavors that mimic the nose. Finish is mostly clean with a slight residual sweetness remaining. Malt dominates, but the hops are not hidden.
M: Properly carbonated for the style. This beer is medium-bodied. Neither hops nor malt sticks to the tongue.
D: Above average considering the ABV. I enjoyed the beer and would certainly be interested in another.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Exiled for this extra. Trying to get back into the reviewing thing...
Poured into a Sam Adams glass by my wife following a long day. : )
A: Thin white head (one to one and a half fingers high) that fades quickly. Minimal lacing in the glass. Translucent amber-copper color.
S: Slightly muted. Earth, biscuits and bread dominate with a hint of toffee and caramelized sugar. Citrusy hops are present but hidden behind the malt.
T: Citrusy hops are present up front and linger throughout. A solid malty backbone is present with flavors that mimic the nose. Finish is mostly clean with a slight residual sweetness remaining. Malt dominates, but the hops are not hidden.
M: Properly carbonated for the style. This beer is medium-bodied. Neither hops nor malt sticks to the tongue.
D: Above average considering the ABV. I enjoyed the beer and would certainly be interested in another.
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3.74/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Phoenixx Double ESB from Real Ale Brewing Company
3.72
out of 5
based on 318 ratings.
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
For a bitter, this isn't terribly so, but you can
definately notice the hoppiness. I cannot give it
a high grade on drinkability due to a relatively
high alcholic content (7.2%) it's worth a try and
having lived in CA, close enough to Lagunitas IPA
that I'm less homesick than before. Real Ale is a
good product this being one of their better ones.
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