AleSmith Anvil ESB

Pours copper with a slight haze and a medium head. Aroma is a slight sourness to it, barely detectable though. My first sip all I got was a nice blend of caramel and roasted malt. But my second sip that sour aroma started to creep on to my palate. Hard to put my finger on it. I want to say green martini olives. Yes, that’s exactly what it tastes like. With so many positive ratings I have to think that my beer is skunked. I’ll have to try it again when I am closer to San Diego. I bought a 22oz bottle and I am going to have to drain this one in the sink... so sad.

22oz bottle via trade with FlacoAlto - Thanks Sebastian - Pours dark amber with minimal sudsy dirty white head. Aroma is a nice mix of rich caramel malts and beautiful citrus hops. Also I get some definite toasted almond aroma coming through. Flavor is bread, toasted malts, more almonds, caramel, a bit of licorice flavor as well. Nice dry floral hoppy finish. Palate is medium bodied and smooth. Crisp and clean on the palate. Easy to drink. I think this could be my everyday beer if I lived on the West Coast. Very enjoyable!

nice dark amber pour, and a tiny white soapy head. citrusy hop aroma. well balanced flavor with a good malty base with a bit of citrusy hops. medium mouthfeel and very drinkable. i want to try this on cask sometime.

Sampled @ GABF- Pours a clear copper color, small white head. Aroma is light toasted malt, caramel and notes of cherries and almonds. Flavor is a nice balance of tasted malts, and english hops. Fruity and slightly bitter body with a dry finish. Thanks to Peter Zien for the sample!

This pale amber ale poured with a short off-white head that dissipated quickly. The aroma was of caramel. There was a slightly sweet initial flavor, with a clean bitter finish.

This is the first real beer i have tried. I spent most of my life just drinking MGD, Mickeys and those type of beers. I cam across this website and decided i would go get myself a good beer and see what i have been missing out on. I found out AleSmith was reputaple and was very near me so i went down and picked up this and two others. I enjoyed this one alot. It poured an ambery/light brown with a small tan head. Flavor had a hint of caramel and some others. Overall i enjoyed this much more than any of the "piss beers" and cant wait to try more.

Lightly hazed dark amber color with a smaller foamy light tan head. Aromas of earthy malt, dough, flowers (rose and petunia) and fruit (apricots). Interesting aromas that don’t seem to mix well with me. Seems oxidized (papery), but this should be a reasonably fresh bottle. Earthy english malts hit the flavor sensors running. Mild floral hops and a slightly strong citric and licorice flavors balance the malts. Yeasty flavors some in late and dry thinks out. A middle of the road type bitter to me.

Tiny hiss as the cap come off, pouring a clear, opulent copper color with a short, creamy tan head and cascading lace. Aroma is nice, deep and rich, pronounced with baguettes, honeyed hops, caramel, toffee chews and a scant trace of unrefined cocoa. Flavor resonates well. Pecans, pralines, barnyard barley and oats. Numerous, harmonious nutty and sweet libations. Cedar chest woodsy smoothness with a subtle piney bitterness, rounded out with sweetening from English toffee and butterscotch. Smooth and sublime palate feel. Carbonation is toned down but that’s clearly intended. Finishes with toffee and a calming bitterness that seems to perform a tiny titillating socket dance on each individual taste bud. Tasty stuff. Thanks to tpkenned for the bottle!