ESB
Art History Brewing

Hazy amber with a tall, level, densely nitro-like khaki head. Once the wonderfully condensed cask bubbles disperse out, it fully clears up to a much darker red-amber.

Cask conditioned and pulled via engine, it's delivered to you soft as can be--fluffy, pillowy, feathery--exhibiting light caramels countered by a leafy, herbal bitterness that's lightly autumnal.

Quite dry, it's even a little resinous, but drinkably on point.

9/28/25 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased 9/12/25 Beer on the Wall at store temperature for $3.98 including tax. Refrigerated upon purchase at home until opening this morning. 16 oz canned on 7/30/25. 5.5% ABV, 35 IBU, Extra Special Bitter Ale. Pub Ale Series. Keep Refrigerated below 37 F. Brewers Notes: This deep mahogany, pub-style ale is brewed with Maris Otter malt as well as chocolate and crystal malts. Target and Savinjski Golding hops provide a balancing dryness. Finishes soft on the palate with notes of caramel, toffee and orange marmalade on the finish. Visit our taproom to experience this real ale poured on the handpump. Brewed and packaged by Art History Brewing, Geneva, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured about 2/3 of the can into a nonic glass, yielding generous egg white creamy head which lasts a few minutes before yielding soapy lacing and a creamy cover over the crystal clear caramel tan base with sustained mild carbonation. Looks good. 4.25

Aroma: Nice toffee and caramel malt, fresh pumpernickel bread. Medium plus strength, a bit higher in enjoyment. 4.25

Taste: Consistent with aroma, caramel, toffee, pumpernickel bread, sweet a bit sticky, nice. 4.0

Mouthfeel: Persistent slightly prickly carbonation, drinks light and easy, below the ABV (feels like a session beer). Sweet, sticky, consistent with expectations and style guidelines. Nice malt flavor ours without excess, toffee caramel pumpernickel from Go!. 4.25

Overall: This is a solid ESB, would like a cask version to note any differences from this packaged offering I’m glad to have picked up. Hope to get out to Geneva before the cold makes me a shut in. 4.25

Very malty for esb. Can at bottle theory.I don't think old, I think made this way. More like an English Red. Thanks Americo for the share. Amber coloured body.

 

 

 

 

Had on cask. Clear reddish brown body with a frothy khaki head and sporadic lacing. Smells of sweeter malts for the style, but plenty of earthy dry english yeast, mild phenols and vague caramel. Getting that lovely malt right away in the taste very purely, with biscuit, earthy phenols, mild toasted caramel and a whisper of tobacco. Feel is malty and smooth with thinner yet dry and soft yeast.

Canned 03/13/24

a: Pours a semi-dark translucent mahogany. About 1 1/2 finger light khaki foamy head
s: Toffee and caramel predominate.
t: following on from the aroma, notes of toffee with a lingering caramel accent. Some nuttiness. Light bitterness.
m: medium body. slightly watery. medium carbonation
o: an enjoyable ESB

 

 

 

16 ounce can into a flute glass. Had 8/15/22.

Pours an amber color, a little cloudy, with a one and a half inch creamy foam head and a good amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, bread, a bit of a spicy aroma. Flavors of malt, caramel, bread, earthy hops with a light hop bitterness. Has a spicy taste. Smooth, a very good lighter medium body, well carbonated.

A solid effort. Great balance between the malt and hops. The flavors are distinct, yet delicate. Very nice.

 

16 oz can into a pint glass. Clear deep ruby/mahogany color with a half-finger light tan head. Sweet nutty malt and raisin aroma. Sweet bready malt, apricot, caramel, faint citrus flavor. Medium body with some creaminess.

It isn't that this is a bad beer, it just seems very unrepresentative of the style. It pours a nice deep amber, which seems right for an ESB, but the taste and nose are an entirely different story. If I had drunk this beer blindfolded, I would have bet the rent is was a hefeweizen. The classic banana, bubblegum notes are there in spades. Very weird. Also, I didn't really detect any diacetyl at all, which to me is a key component of an ESB.

I had this on draft 2/23/23 @ the Hopleaf.

Semi-opaque brown/orange appearance.

Nice khaki head; frothy, tree-rung lace.

Roasted walnut, acorn & mild citrus notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium mouthfeel.

Acorn & mild cream flavors; faint hop bite on the finish.

Earthy, balanced & quite quaffable. I'd have another!

 

16oz can
no apparent freshness date
L: a tall and foamy tan head holds great retention atop a brown colored ale
S: toasted grain, bread, fruit, brown sugar, earthy hops
T: stone fruit, toasted grain, bread crust, brown sugar, caramel, citrus, earthy/herbal hops
F: medium body, soft carbonation, balanced finish
O: good flavors, but oddly fruity to me

Pours a light brown color. Thin khaki colored head forms, lingers for just a few seconds, then dissipates. Just a thin layer of foam coats the top of the beer.

Aroma has notes of nutty earthy malts, some light bread, and earthy hops and just a light fruity note.

Taste follows the nose with notes of bready malts, spicy rye, earthy nutty malts, with floral, lightly fruity hops on the back end.

Feel is light, crisp, easy drinking. Moderate carbonation.

Overall a very nice, well done ESB.