UPDATED: SEP 5, 2020 Keg at Tugboat Brewery, Portland, OR on 27/09/2010. The Cascade hopping turns this into quite the hybrid of concept. Way more assertively hopped than any ESB in the U.K. back then. There was a decent malty undertone, though.

Half pint on July 1, 2015. At the brewpub in Portland.
Hazy brown color, tan head. Acidic, malty taste. Acidic, bitter aftertaste. Medium thin mouthfeel, very low bitterness. Acidic, fruity scent.
Feels like an infection going on here, or just very bad cleaning of the lines at the bar. All in all not a pleasant beer the way I had it served.

Draught at brewpub. Tugboat was the real letdown of the trip. Very little of their own beer on tap. This ESB had an odd but strong fruit flavor I liked. Maybe too much grape, but not bad.

Draft. An unclear amber beer with no head. The aroma is sweet malty with primary notes of caramel as well as lighter notes of citrus. The flavor is sweet matly with notes of citrus, grass, and hops. Way above their pay- grade?

Nice, pleasant beer. Cloudy amber colour with ruby. Nice white head. A bit watery but very nice.

Date: 10/15/1996
Source: Brewpub

centenial hops, very smooth and bitter througout

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Foggy copper color (at least that is how it appeared in the darkness of Tugboat’s tap house). Strong floral hops in the nose. Body a little washed in the finish. Hoped for more bitterness. A little homebrewy and under carbonated. Overall a decent drinkable beer, but nothing to write about (oh wait I am). Try it at least once. Maybe mine was slightly off.

By far the best of the tugboat beers I had today. Strong hop taste with an almost equally full malt body. Smells of pine and caramel and taste is similar. Aftertaste coats the mouth quite well.

Cloudy amber colour, a bit of ruby tint as well. Pale malt, light caramel, spice/resiny hop aroma. Falvour shows light fruity malt, a bit of yeast. Spicy and resiny hop flavour. A touch of citrus in the finish. Comes across a bit muddled, but is drinkable.

Hazy orange-brown color. Fruity, apple like aroma. Moderate bitterness, some notes of grape skins and toast. An alright bitter, but something just seemed off about it.