Founders Empire Strikes Bitter

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Serve in English pint

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Deep amber, minimal head. medium bitterness, but still quite smooth. nice complexity. Why aren’t ESBs more common in the craft world?

Pint at the Founders brewery. Reddish pour with a tan head. Aroma of fruity malts, mild chocolate, mild leafy bitterness. Pretty nice american ESB. Flavor is mildly bitter with a strong fruity malt component. Hard not to like this one. Flavor is right where I’d expect. Medium bodied with lots of carbonation. Pretty good session beer. Finishes fruity with a twinge of leafy hops.

On tap at Founders brewery. Copper with a thin tan head. Aroma of toffee, mild fruit and floral hops. Taste is very ESBish with pitted fruits, caramel, chocolate and a mild bitter character. Smooth and easy drinking…. ok.

Draft at the brewpub. Amber color. Small off while head. Very nice lacing. Wet hoppy aroma that is similar to some of the other Founders hoppy beers. Bitterness in the flavor, but it is so smooth and clean that it is extremely drinkable. Mild bitterness in the mouthfeel

draft at brewpub. aroma is crunchy/toasty malt with little of its own character in terms of any graininess or developed caramel. ’wet’ character but still pleasant. appearance is deep amber, darkened yet translucent. thin but present legs, nearly nil head. flavor is tobacco, light earthiness, clearn grains with developed but delayed caramel, yet devoid of any outright sweetness.

Chesnut color with minimal white head. Aroma of floral hops and sweet malt. Breads abound. Flavor of bitter floral hops, burnt toast. Finishes nutty and very filling. Interesting and wonderful for it’s style.