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Woods Boss Brewing Company

Had on tap at the brewery.

On arrival, as with all the pints I've had here, there is about half a finger of head sitting on top of a nice deep but bright amber body with almost no haze.

Aroma is sweet, malty, and mild. This is off to a good start. It is quite clean with the expected English yeast fruity aromas, but not too much so. Simple but attractive.

Flavor is similar to the aroma however it is less sweet. The focus is certainly the toasty malts here. There is a sweetness that builds, but not to the extent the aroma might suggest. There is a slight bitterness that builds as you drink but it is quite subtle and feels like the toasted malts contribute as much as any hops. Hops are pretty much only contributing bitterness here.

The feel is quite malty and full. Despite that and the long finish, there is a definite dryness/astringency that builds as you drink more and more. It is quite drinkable or you could comfortably sip this by a fire. It is on the thicker side but it is versatile.

Overall, this is an ESB. While I don't drink them often, and they are easily mistaken/brewed like an amber ale, this isn't feeling like an American amber at all.

This is a solid ESB - the description on the website says it's a revamp of a previous beer that I don't think I've had, so I don't have any basis for comparison. The old beer, Brace & Bit, only has one review from late 2017 on this site, so this is basically a new offering altogether. It's not too overpowering thanks to the malty red ale backbone, but there's just enough bitterness to fit the ESB category nicely. I'm glad they brought this one out and hope it sticks as part of their rotation.