Anytown USA A.S.B.
Willimantic Brewing Co.

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From:
Willimantic Brewing Co.
 
Connecticut, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 7.75%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
15
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 18, 2016
Added:
Jul 31, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Brewed for American Beer Month, this hoppy, unfiltered American Special Bitter is hopped with Cascades in five additions.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.75 by shigg85 from Japan

Oct 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by tachyons22 from Connecticut

Aug 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by psweendogg from Connecticut

Jul 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by canawler from Pennsylvania

Jul 24, 2014
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap 8/4/13 at the brewpub in Willimantic, CT, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a short foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains caramelized malts, some hops and a touch of citrus.

T: The taste starts with a strong but not over-powering hops bitterness. Then a hearty but not too heavy malt character comes in along with a little bit of caramel and citrus sweetness to provide some balance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly bready.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid sessionable beer to drink for a long time.
Aug 05, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Jan 30, 2012
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a hazy medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a grassy hop with a touch of citrus.

The taste consisted of slightly thin malts, an upfront spicy hop and a residual citrus.

The mouthfeel was a touch on the thin side.

Overall a pretty good ESB.
Jul 27, 2010
Photo of LilBeerDoctor
Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York

3.8/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed on 8/21/09. On tap at the brewpub. Pours a cloudy light brown with a thick white head. aroma of sweet malt and citrus. Flavor of caramel malts, light fruits, and citrus. This has a nice malt presence with prickly, spicy hops in the finish. Chill and easy drinking. I liked the addition of cascade hops to this beer--very tasty!
Dec 18, 2009
Photo of ExtraStout
Reviewed by ExtraStout from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Unfiltered American Special Bitter hopped with Cascades in five additions, 4.9%abv. This was by far the most pleasant surprise from my recent trip to the Willibrew Pub. All around fine ESB that they should consider doing again and again, all year long.

I agree with a previous review that it doesn't really know if it wants to be an ESB or an IPA but that is fine because I like them both. If they could just bump up the ABV by 2% I would move in there.
Aug 12, 2009
Photo of Durge
Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This brew has a hazy dull amber look with a fine off-white head and fair clumps of lacing. The aroma is primarily a polite but pleasant citrus hop with nice, bready malt undertones. The flavor is a bright and crispy wheat with sharp but reasonable grass hop. It's a bit floral and finishes with a dry touch. The body is fairly light but it's lively in carbonation. Very refreshing and the hops are quite prominent, and enjoyable. Though I generally don't care so much for the grassy green hop as much as the piney/herbal sweet hops, there is some subtle caramel sweetness here. This one grew on me and I would consider this very sessionable, especially if you are into hops. Overall it's pretty much wheat and hops and bitter refreshment. Good stuff!
Aug 06, 2009
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A treat to try this one on tap (and a sample @ home... ;-) ) at the Greater Hartford Disc Golf Championships today @ Wickham Park, thanks to Brewer/Disc golfer/good guy Dave Wollner. Pours medium amber, with a plum flesh hue, soft light tan head, leaving gobs of sticky lacing and some fine sheeting. Nose here is of fresh hops and it's cascades we're talking about. According to brewer Dave this one was brewed with all cascades. So what we have is a British style brew, bended and pushed some by the use of the thoroughly American cascades. Fresh hops carry the day. The result is a pleasantly hoppy brew, fairly light in body and thoroughly sessionable. Tasty and refresing, this is a fine summer or anytime of year quaffer. Nice work and thanks again, Dave, always a pleasure to enjoy your creations and see you on the fairways of Ct!
Jul 21, 2006
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Draught @ Connecticut Brewfest: This beer pours a darker golden color. The nose has a big whiff of hops. I was getting a mix of pine, grapefruit and slightly orange in there. The body was medium, with a decent malt backbone. The taste has a good hop bite to it, but pretty well balanced. Not quite sure if it wants to be an ESB or an IPA, but it is pretty good.
Jul 08, 2005
Photo of goodbyeohio
Reviewed by goodbyeohio from Connecticut

4.09/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
this year, it's 5.1%

cloudy, golden orange. spiderweb like bubble pattern on top, some sparse lacing. impossible to see through, very dense. smells insanely citrusy with lots of bitter, smoky aromas present as well.

asb, ipa?

taste is overwhelming with fresh hops. very bitter and no fruit present to speak of. lots of botanical plant flavors and some fresh-cut grass. savoury in its beeriness.. perfect for hopheads and somewhat sadistic in its assault on the senses. couldnt believe people were frothing for growlers of cascade IPA when this is a far superior brew.

being a hophead, gotta say its rather light and drinkable. ignore that last statement if you prefer nut browns.
Jul 04, 2005
Photo of UnionMade
Reviewed by UnionMade from New York

4.26/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Arrives looking cloudy golden amber, with a thick white head. Massive cascade aroma, exrtemely floral and almost sweet. Incredible. It's such a pure, clean aroma, I've never smelled anything like it save for opening a packet of hop pellets. The malts only serve to accent the hop saturation. Flavor is not as hoppy as the aroma siggests, but still bold and spicy. Solid malts with a big hop kick. I'd like the malts to be a little more apparent, with a bit more body, but i guess this is ASB, not ESB. Tastes like an IPA to me. Definitely bitter, although not up to Willi's bittering tastes for their IPA's (huge). Floral, light citrus, some estery fruitiness, light to medium carbonation, light body. Very nice accompaniment to their pizzas.
I'm normally disappointed when I get a bitter and it turns out to be more IPA -like, I guess that's american style, but this one was so good I didn't care.
Jul 31, 2003
Anytown USA A.S.B. from Willimantic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 15 ratings