Bayonet ESB
Natty Greene's Pub & Brewing Co.

On tap at Natty's
Light orange pour. I have had this before and it was darker towards a copper color, but not this batch. Spotty lacing is left behind.
Aroma- sweet malt and a healthier dose of some citrusy hops.
Mouthfeel-man this hits the palate like an IPA wanna-be and this is not a bad thing! The Pale Malt and I would bet on a dose of Maris Otter is really tasty and the hops are kicking a little west coast action on this ESB. A froth on the palate sweetens it up and the hops maintain their citrus profile. Not surpising, but I agree with Ding on how this ESB is a bit distant from a traditional English bitter. Hovering somewhere between a toned-down IPA and a Bitter with some american citrusy hops Misfit? Maybe.. I totally like the way they brewed this style- a touch Americanized if you will. On cask this would kill!

Had this on tap at Natty Greene's, served in a pint glass.

A - Clear copper with about a 1/2 inch head. Decent retention and some moderate lacing.

S - Some semi-sweet malt, along with biscuit aromas, and a definite floral/earthy hop character.

T - Initially there's a hit of citrus hops followed by some bready, toasted malt. The brew never really approaches sweet, but begins drying out by late palate with a very earthy character. Moderate hop bitterness.

M - Lightly carbonated and medium bodied. Smooth.

D - Decent, but a little bitter and dry for my tastes. A lot like an IPA or something; I don't know, not as mild as I was prepared for, but still great tasting.

I have this everytime it is on tap at the downtown brewpub. It is my favorite Natty beer.

Nothing knocks your socks off here, but it is sooo drinkable.

Tangerine colored, lots of hops but just enought malt to balance. It could use a little more crystal to make it more English, but then again I don't like the caramel bombs that many ESB's are. I would call this an American ESB.

I doubt it is 6.2%, maybe 5.5%, but who's counting!

This style is usually a fair dissapointment for me, but I really enjoyed this beer and wish I had more than just my one growler.

Pours a murky tangerine brown in color. Relatively thin white head that dissoles to a scarce film and a denser ring around the glass. The color kind of glows. Nose is just a sweet medley of sweet and bitter. The malts and the hops work off each other nicely to help bring each other out.

Flavor is just so full and nicely balanced. The hops pop at te first sip. The the malts give a nice sweet balance. Hops then rise again and I think I am going to taste them well after the growler is gone. Rose hips, cloves, orange and grapefruit just keep coming out. I actually enjoy the taste of my own burps. Medium mouthfeel with a bit if a sweet and hoppy tang to it. Want another growler of this beer for a great New Years night.

On tap at Natty Greene's in Greensboro, NC.

Poured a hazy deep copper with a thin, eggshell-colored head that stuck around for a couple of minutes leaving a little bit of lacing. Smell was pretty hoppy for the most part -- not a lot of strong malt. Taste was a refreshing, malty intake and a very hoppy finish. Much hoppier than I'd anticipate in an ESB -- particularly an English style. But that's not a bad thing at all. Nice, crisp mouthfeel and pretty drinkable too.

I liked it. Not exactly emblematic of the style, but a very nice beer overall. Tasted more like an American Pale Ale than an English bitter. Didn't have that buttery mellowness of its English counterparts

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a cloudy copper color and a foamy head that hangs around for a while and leaves good lacing

Smell: Earthy, hoppy aroma

Taste: Commences with a biscuity flavor that, after the swallow, is overwhelmed by the earthy bitter flavors; the finish is dry and pithy

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A decent ESB, but I would prefer it to be a little more subtle in the English style; the bitterness here almost verges on a sour flavor

Sweet Jesus this is a nice beer!Let me start by saying this is not a typical ESB this is a big hop bomb with a touch of biscuit/cracker malt.Poured a hazy deep burnt orange with a very tight one finger white head that left sheets upon sheets of lace behind as it settled.Aromas are hopelicious piney and resiney with a touch of dryer cracker malt but the hops drive this bad boy,the dry piney hop flavors really hit ya up front on the palate grapefruit and resin round out the big hoppiness, finishes with a dryer cracker malt flavor that lingers well.As soon as I saw this beer poured I knew this was not your everyday ESB,if I was to compare another ESB to this it would be an Elysian the Wise ESB but this is even bigger and hoppier than that.As of now my favorite NC brewed beer,that is before my Asheville trip in March.

Damn I love burping hops nearly an hour after drinking this beer!