Elora ESB
All or Nothing Brewhouse

Elora ESBElora ESB
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From:
All or Nothing Brewhouse
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
75
Avg:
2.92 | pDev: 16.1%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
16
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 14, 2013
Added:
Jul 06, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by bros:

  None found.

 
Rated: 2.75 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Feb 14, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Nov 06, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by beerhunter13 from Canada (ON)

Feb 09, 2012
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

2.38/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Bottle: Poured a light hazy brown color ale with a small bubbly head with no retention and no lacing. Aroma of dry lightly bitter English hops is the only discernable characteristic. Taste is also dominated by light English dry hops with no discernable malt profile. It might be due to low carbonation but this beer appears to be stale. This was definitely not true to the style or anywhere close to being interesting.
Jul 07, 2008
Photo of CanuckRover
Reviewed by CanuckRover from Canada (ON)

3.67/5  rDev +25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours a pretty bright copper, clear. Fizzy head, about a finger thick with a fast pour, doesn't last. Loads of visible carbonation racing to the top. Just won't calm down.

Some nice bitter hops on the nose with a citrus note. A hint of pine. Noticeable alcohol. Pretty nice.

Lively carbonation makes it hard to pick out flavours right away. All in all, this is pretty bitter for a Canadian ale. Sadly, the bitterness and carbonation stops much else from getting through. There's some fruity malt hiding behind it all, but it sort of comes through like orange listerine. This isn't bad really, the hopping is actually quite nice.

The carbonation, as already stated, does take a bit away. However this is pretty drinkable and quite refreshing.

A pretty decent offering. Some nice hops, but it lacks the wonderful malt profile of the better English version(s).
Apr 11, 2008
Photo of JustinBathurst
Reviewed by JustinBathurst from Canada (ON)

3.62/5  rDev +24%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a reddish copper with a very creamy tan head. Around 2 cm of tight foam.

Smells extremely fruity and sweet. Very floral.

Mouthfeel is crisp and well-carbonated.

Taste is fairly sweet and citrus, and not quite so bitter.

I found this to be a really good beer. Something I could really drink as a session beer. Not as bad as the reviews would have had me believe.
Apr 10, 2008
Photo of ThatWineGuy
Reviewed by ThatWineGuy from Canada (ON)

3.73/5  rDev +27.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I tried this in the large bottle about six weeks ago but BA wasn't accepting further reviews of it at the time; glad to say that has changed and that I kept my tasting notes.

I found this was a hazy, golden colour in the glass, transluscent with suspended yeast particles. One finger cream coloured head, good ring, wispy centre, slow but steady flow of large bubbles, good lacing. Citrus nose, lemon lime, hops. Very bitter taste, lightly hopped, pomegranite, toasty backdrop. It sure tastes like a bitter! There were flashes of a more sour fruit now and then with a bit of grapefruit. I found the body on the light side but the mouthfeel and drinkability were not bad at all. This is definately an improved version of what I remember was available previously, I wouldn't mind trying this again sometime soon.
Nov 25, 2007
Photo of demcorhip
Reviewed by demcorhip from Canada (ON)

2.21/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Thanks to chonyr for bringing this 650ml bomber back to NWO.

Appearance
Looks much like it should, pouring a clear, coppery brown ale. Not much head however, and also not laced. Slightly more than barely carbonated.

Aroma
Not much going on for aroma either. Slightly cheesy (mozzarella?) with hints of cough syrup.

Taste
More going on here, but the flavour of mozzarella cheese almost dominates the almost pleasant biscuit and nut malts flavours. A hint of adjunct grain corniness also present. Some fruity esters also present, with hints of apple and dark grape. Finishes in earthy and woody hop bitterness with some floral and fruity character. The almost pleasant hop contribution is marred by its lingering medicinal character, and combines with the esters present in a way thats reminiscent of cough syrup.

Mouthfeel
Light to medium in body, dry finishing and mildly astringent. Malts and hops balanced according to style, but yeast cheesiness wont let go, and due to the sum of its parts the hop finish blends into a medicinal mess that suppresses cough and loosens phlegm.

Drinkability
Much more drinkable and sessionable than Robitussin. Likely best paired with something even more cheesy, like pizza or lasagna, to numb one to its own inherent cheesiness. Not a good example of the style thanks mainly to the off yeast flavours. Can finally see where pootz is coming from with his disdain for Trafalgar.
Feb 21, 2007
Photo of Viggo
Reviewed by Viggo from Canada (ON)

2.8/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours from a 650 ml bomber, clear red/orange, two finger off white head forms, begins to disappear, some lace spots, Trafalgar always seems to have head/carbonation issues. Smell is sweet, very fruity, some floral/citrus, bit of caramel, some iron, not too much going on. Taste is much the same, malty, some fruit, bit of floral/grassiness, sweet, malty finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with low carbonation. Not horrible, but certainly lacking in every department.
Feb 12, 2007
Photo of Mindsquall
Reviewed by Mindsquall from Canada (ON)

3.19/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
This one poured a rather excited fizzy red but that quickly subsided to no head or lacing, in the end looks like deep red water. Smell isn't too bad, some malt extract in there with some hops, the finish has a slight bitterness to it which is nice, but unfortunately this brew isn't very lively and the lack of carbonation really kills it. However it isn't a difficult brew to drink.

Overall this one isn't terrible, but it isn't exactly a prize either. Save your money and go for one of the better offerings available out there.
Nov 13, 2006
Photo of allergictomacros
Reviewed by allergictomacros from Canada (ON)

3.02/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A - Clear copper-red, but the head is very sodapop-like. Rising and falling quickly.

S - Nutty with some floral hops and toasted grain.

T - Solid bitterness and toastiness. There's a slight tart edge to this, followed by a long, finishing bitterness. Fruitiness is a bit subdued.

M - Feels nice enough. Carbonation is nice and mild, and body is medium-ish.

D - Easy drinking, unspectacular brew. Pretty well balanced, but not really flavourful.
Nov 09, 2006
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

2.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
The reviews frm the defunct Old Mill should of course be combined here. This is a watery rendition of an ESB, with a faint bitterness in the finish. There is a tad of a scent of malt and and clear washed out redness in the colour. The mouthfeel is close to that felt by water alone.
Aug 07, 2006
Photo of pootz
Reviewed by pootz from Canada (ON)

2.55/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
650 mil bomber. Hard pour yeilds a light amber beer with a slightly off white weak 1 finger cap....reduced quickly. Light, fine- bubbled carbonation. Light aromas of sweet carmel malts and some tart green apple smells over grassy hops. Light bodied, malty, sweet without cloying, buttery mouth feel... finishes clean as bittering takes over. Malty/woody finish...not good for a Canadian ESB. Could use some aging to lose the diacetyl butterscotch, more body and lose that yeast.
Dec 30, 2005
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

2.06/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
This is a cheesy beer from the word go. Labels designed by some guy having a mid-life crisis fantasy (part of a series of three or four, I forget).

Smells of sweet malt and old veggies, a quite unpleasant combination. Thin, vegetal, caramel and fruit. A hopeless melange off just-off flavours.

Copper orange pour with a moderate head that immediately dissapates. Loks average, everything else below par. Feh. Save your money, give it a pass.
Oct 05, 2005
Photo of SaunaKing
Reviewed by SaunaKing from Canada (ON)

2.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
The 2nd beer i have tried from the Trafalgar Brewing company. Again the apperance leaves much to be desired. Color was ok, a light amber/copper but the head was small & thin and gone in the blink of an eye. Smelled kind of mediciney, tastes watery and really not that great.
Oct 30, 2004
Photo of CAMRAhardliner
Reviewed by CAMRAhardliner from Canada (ON)

2.97/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
there is nothing truly offensive about this beer, but also nothing outstanding, or even interesting. Its very insipid.

pours a bland pale amber color, with a flash in the pan head and no lace at all. The aroma is caramelly with a spicey hoppiness and some sour off notes. The taste starts of quite nice with with caramel, a pronounced grainyness and a good English hop character. Unfortunately these flavors quickly give way to wet cardboard and slightly vegetal flavors. Maybe this was fermented too warmly and/or oxidized.

The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy and not very clean. Theres too little carbonation. Despite all these defects, this beer is still drinkable, though just not worth buying again.

Note I tried two bottles two months apart and they had the same characteristics so I doubt it was just a 'bad bottle'
Sep 12, 2004
Elora ESB from All or Nothing Brewhouse
Beer rating: 75 out of 100 with 16 ratings