AleSmith Anvil ESB

Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
San Diego, California USA

On draft at San Diego Brewery. I was not overly impressed with this beer. My first impression was literally of cardboard. Very average in my opinion.

bottle, ruby to orange color, very hoppy malt nose, flavor is very IPA except for the chocolate and leather notes as it finishes,

22 oz Bomber-Dark ruby red color w/a moderate tan head. Roasted malt aroma. Roasted malt flavor w/traces of biscuit, caramel, toffee, cane sugar, & some dark fruit. Long finish w/just the right touch of bitterness. Solid brew, found it to be similar to thier Wee Heavy.

Bomber. Pours orange with a very large white fluffy head. Looks highly carbonated. Good head retention. Aroma is surprisingly fruity. Strong fruitiness, a yeasty fruitiness and not so much a hop fruitiness. A lot of esters. Raisins. Some malt and subtle hops are noticeable underneath but the yeast is what really takes from and center. Same deal with the flavor. High level of fruitiness. Sweet and sour sauce. I prefer less esters for this style. It was to the point where it was muting the hops and malt. All right but a let down considering how much I dig all their other beers.

On tap at Father’s Office in Santa Monica. Poured reddish copper with an off white pillowy head. Toasted malts and caramel aromas. Bisuity flavors with a bit of caramel and fruit juice. Soft, creamy mouthfeel, smooth all the way with a pleasant lalty aftertaste.

On draft awhile back @ Newport Pizza in OB, (just found some old notes i’d taken), an elegant amber with a nice reverse cascade. Big frothy lingering head finally dissolving to a sheet of lace. Aroma is slightly malt and fruit, flavour opens malty sweet with some apple notes, middle well balanced hops and malt and a bit metalic, with a dry hop finish and aftertaste. Mouth feel is smooth and drinkable

(On tap) This is the first ESB I’ve tried that has been truly devoid of any objectionable qualities. That in itself is a huge plus. This beer is dark for an ESB. The flavour is fairly light though. Just the right amount of body so that it is neither thin nor heavy. Overall, however, not particularly remarkable. There is nothing about this beer that stands out, and in my opinion, it is not terribly complex.

Suprisingly delicious. I never know what to expect anymore with American ESBs, they are all over the board. This was superior in its rich but not overly sweet malt background, just the right amount of floral hoppiness gets into your nose with every sip along with some jammy fruit notes. Creamy well balanced mouthfeel. Highly enjoyable.