ESB
Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room
- From:
- Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #58 - ABV:
- 5%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #23,344 - Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 5.97%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 24, 2022
- Added:
- May 10, 2021
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
True to the tradition of English pub beers, this classic style balances complex malt notes of toasted nuts, caramel, and honey with gentle hop bitterness. Combined with a crisp water profile, these complex flavors lift right off your palate from one refreshing sip to the next.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Spikester from Oregon
4.18/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.18/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear reddish gold with three fingers of cream color head. Rings of lace appears as the head drops.
Smell is bready malts with some herbal hop bitterness.
Taste is malty some caramel and some herbal grassy hops for balance.
Mouthfeel is light with proper carbonation. The finish is lightly dry and balanced.
Overall a tasty ESB, I enjoyed it Date 03/03/22.
#1855.
Oct 24, 2022Smell is bready malts with some herbal hop bitterness.
Taste is malty some caramel and some herbal grassy hops for balance.
Mouthfeel is light with proper carbonation. The finish is lightly dry and balanced.
Overall a tasty ESB, I enjoyed it Date 03/03/22.
#1855.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
3.38/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.38/5 rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Pours a clear dark amber with plentiful foam in the tall IPA glass. Tangy and spritzy on the tongue. Warm flavors with plenty of malt. Distinct musty and nutty flavors and OK, honey. Quite bitter aftertaste. An interesting and robustly flavored version of the ESB style. LIke everything with Block 15 lately, seems to be overly hopped with bittering hops. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station.
Oct 21, 2022
Reviewed by metter98 from New York
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: The beer is clear orange amber in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high frothy off white head that has excellent retention properties and hardly died down, consistently leaving a short head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of toasted malts are fruits are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell but has more pronounced flavors of toasted malts along with notes of fruits. There is only a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed the malty nature of this beer. It was a good American representation of an English style.
Serving type: can
Jun 12, 2021S: Light to moderate aromas of toasted malts are fruits are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell but has more pronounced flavors of toasted malts along with notes of fruits. There is only a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed the malty nature of this beer. It was a good American representation of an English style.
Serving type: can
Reviewed by TheBricenator from Oregon
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Look: Semi-clear rich amber red with a hefty and billowing off-white head that pillows up and slowly recedes, leaving great lacing on the glass
Aroma: Freshly baked bread, toffee, light herbal notes, raw dough, floral hop notes, and caramel
Taste: Bread, toffee, and flowers open it up as dough and caramel slowly trickle into the picture. A slight herbal hop note presents itself as the initial flavors fade and sweet bready malt also shines before floral hops and toffee finish it out
Mouthfeel: Full, clean throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a nice soft finish with no dryness
Overall: This is tasty stuff. Having just homebrewed an ESB, I couldn’t pass one up by a brewer I enjoy and respect, plus this style is criminally underrated and underrepresented in my opinion. Checks all the boxes for me for a good one and readily available to boot. Delicious and recommended
Jun 01, 2021Aroma: Freshly baked bread, toffee, light herbal notes, raw dough, floral hop notes, and caramel
Taste: Bread, toffee, and flowers open it up as dough and caramel slowly trickle into the picture. A slight herbal hop note presents itself as the initial flavors fade and sweet bready malt also shines before floral hops and toffee finish it out
Mouthfeel: Full, clean throughout, medium-high carbonation, and a nice soft finish with no dryness
Overall: This is tasty stuff. Having just homebrewed an ESB, I couldn’t pass one up by a brewer I enjoy and respect, plus this style is criminally underrated and underrepresented in my opinion. Checks all the boxes for me for a good one and readily available to boot. Delicious and recommended
Reviewed by vurt from Oregon
3.74/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
16-ounce can purchased from Uptown Beer Co. Date stamp reads "PKGD 04/28/21". Enjoyed in a nonic half-pint glass.
Look:
Block 15 ESB starts off beautifully: a proper deep amber color with fiery orange highlights. The body is crystal clear. The head is ivory white and creamy, and leaves good lacing.
Smell:
Delicious biscuity malt with a floral honey finish. Notes of thick-cut orange marmalade, toasted wheat bread, toffee. Slightly vinous character. Hint of wintergreen?
Taste:
Flavors generally match the nose. It starts out sweeter than it smells, with a rush of sweet malt and brown sugar. Stays malty through the middle, even as the sweetness diminishes abruptly. Flavors of roasted nuts and orange marmalade emerge but are largely overwhelmed by an earthy bitterness that ramps up quickly. The tasty and rather moreish finish is dry malt, a drop of honey, and persistent bitterness. Overall, the beer offers a tasty if abrupt collection of flavors that I wish were a little better balanced.
Feel:
Medium-bodied and smooth, with a drying finish that makes it very easy drinking and moreish. Moderate carbonation.
Overall:
ESB is a pretty rare style that's hard to get right. Block 15's version is a bit sweeter than I prefer, with flavors that are more abrupt than seamless and a bitterness that could stand to be dialed back a notch. But these are more quibbles than complaints. I'm glad Block 15 decided to brew an ESB, and I'd be happy to drink it again.
May 17, 2021Look:
Block 15 ESB starts off beautifully: a proper deep amber color with fiery orange highlights. The body is crystal clear. The head is ivory white and creamy, and leaves good lacing.
Smell:
Delicious biscuity malt with a floral honey finish. Notes of thick-cut orange marmalade, toasted wheat bread, toffee. Slightly vinous character. Hint of wintergreen?
Taste:
Flavors generally match the nose. It starts out sweeter than it smells, with a rush of sweet malt and brown sugar. Stays malty through the middle, even as the sweetness diminishes abruptly. Flavors of roasted nuts and orange marmalade emerge but are largely overwhelmed by an earthy bitterness that ramps up quickly. The tasty and rather moreish finish is dry malt, a drop of honey, and persistent bitterness. Overall, the beer offers a tasty if abrupt collection of flavors that I wish were a little better balanced.
Feel:
Medium-bodied and smooth, with a drying finish that makes it very easy drinking and moreish. Moderate carbonation.
Overall:
ESB is a pretty rare style that's hard to get right. Block 15's version is a bit sweeter than I prefer, with flavors that are more abrupt than seamless and a bitterness that could stand to be dialed back a notch. But these are more quibbles than complaints. I'm glad Block 15 decided to brew an ESB, and I'd be happy to drink it again.
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
16 oz. can from a 4-pack purchased from Westside Taphouse in West Salem OR
$12.
Really authentic look to this one. Dark amber, clear with a small clingy beige head. Loom English beer up in the dictionary and this would be the picture.
Malty aromas mostly caramel and toffee. Hops in the background. Give some leafy aromas.
Nicely balanced ( as per style)..toffee, caramel, brown bread and a twist of citrus hop in the every end.
Excellent smooth drinkable mouth feel. Designed for optimal quaffing.
A really good example of the style even if not using traditionally English hops. Understated, satisfying, drinkable and lowish alc.
I would love to see this on cask
May 15, 2021$12.
Really authentic look to this one. Dark amber, clear with a small clingy beige head. Loom English beer up in the dictionary and this would be the picture.
Malty aromas mostly caramel and toffee. Hops in the background. Give some leafy aromas.
Nicely balanced ( as per style)..toffee, caramel, brown bread and a twist of citrus hop in the every end.
Excellent smooth drinkable mouth feel. Designed for optimal quaffing.
A really good example of the style even if not using traditionally English hops. Understated, satisfying, drinkable and lowish alc.
I would love to see this on cask
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