Dry Dock HMS Victory ESB

10 oz draft at the Brewery / Bar. Pour is a light brown and orange with a normal off white head. Great caramel sweet roasted nose. Taste has the nice malt sweetness, dried fruit and floral hops. Beautiful palate and mouth feel. Normal flatness for a Bitter. Very nice all around.

had this in most of it’s forms. cask, tap, dry hopped, whatever. pours a light tan with soome orange in it and a lasting bit of white head. malty aroma that reminds me of syrup and a light floral note. dry hopped cask version is my favorite it really is an easy drinking enjoyable beer. good balance and a great mouthfeel. sweet caramel and grain flavors are pleasant all the way through.

Draught at brewery. Pours clear amber with an average fizzy off-white head, somewhat lasting, good lacing. Aroma is average malt (cereal, meal), average hops (flowers), average yeast (dough, sweat) with notes of cola and dust. Light bodied, thin texture, flat carbonation and a chalky finish. Average duration, moderate sweetness, acidity and bitterness.

On tap at the Dry Dock Brewery Tasting Room. Poured a medium orange color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, citrus, and fruity. Tastes of caramel, citrus, fruits, and I was getting a light spicy finish.

UPDATE 11/18: Was given a bottle of an older brew session, much better, can’t wait till I get another chance at this one.

Well, I was told by the Kevin’s that this batch I tasted was a bit young and the yeast string could have been a bit off. Unfortunately, this ESB was off and not at all what I was expecting. Will go back for another try as this is supposed to be award winning.

First noticeable letdown was how it looked in the glass. Murky or muddy due to the yeast not finishing off; young batch indeed. Virtually no head and was there was off-white and disappeared quickly. The color was a dirty yellow when glass was tipped to the light but a dense orange brown at the thickest part of the glass. Not an ESB look. Light malt aroma was over thrown by moderate hops in the form of herbs and grapefruit. But it was complex, so it took a bit to pick out the other rather unpleasant smells of this funky brew on this night. Prune or date and sour milk, with an offending band-aid smell and maybe a bit of malt spice.

Moderately bitter at first with acetic and even minor salty taste. Finishes with a harsh bitter and acetic flavor, not as smooth as I would have expected. Leaves a dry and syrupy texture that is uninvited as this light bitters hops and lack of malt don’t carry on through the finish.