Brace & Bit
Woods Boss Brewing Company

we dont see enough of these in american craft brewing, so its always nice to find an esb out there. this one is particularly malty and not as english yeast driven as a lot of them. its also quite hoppy as they go, and is balanced in a somewhat bigger and more substantial way than most of the imported takes on the style i am familiar with. its copper in color, rich looking but clear, shiny, and with a decent little off white head. nutty and sweet at the same time from the malts, caramelized with a toffee flash, an almond property, and even a woody hint, its fuller bodied with a brown sugar sweetness and it has a long trajectory, warms up well, and receives the spicy hops well. some good bitterness later on, a vegetal fresh note to the hops that i am not used to in an esb, but i like it a lot. smooth in body, relaxed on carbonation, and not quite as obviously english in origin as it could be, but a simple and well made beer. these guys have a really ambitious list of offerings in here, its cool to see some english styles sticking around on their menu...