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6065
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Serve in English pint

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RATINGS: 43   WEIGHTED AVG: 3.12   SEASONAL: Winter   EST. CALORIES: 195   ABV: 6.5%
COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Winter is big beer season, when breweries bring out their heartiest and heaviest offerings, and Legend is no exception. Along with our regular lineup, we currently and proudly serve up our Imperial Stout and Belgian Tripel, with the massive Barleywine on deck for an early January release. Our seasonal beers are very popular and so with the rapid disappearance of this year’s Chocolate Porter, were faced with the need to fill a slot for a “not so big”, but still exciting beer to keep things interesting. Why not an E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter)? This is a British style that understandably is a bit confusing by name… ”Oh, Legend makes an extra special beer…oh they call it bitter…hmmm, I’ll try something else”. Actually, an English Bitter is not what it sounds like. It is a medium bodied, somewhat malty brew with the hop character coming primarily from bittering hops. The result is low hop aroma with a little bite of bitterness on the finish. Not present are the intense hoppy flavors and aromas of a Pale Ale, for example. An E.S.B. refers to a brewery’s finest version of a Bitter, usually a little higher in alcohol and malt flavor. History lesson aside, Legend E.S.B. serves as a medium octane winter warmer that brings flavor without chaos. Legend E.S.B. pours a deep reddish orange and possesses a nose ripe with fruity aromas. The body is medium, as is the carbonation. The flavor is at first of fruit (apples, pears, berries), then turns in a warm caramel toasty direction provided by the specialty malts. The finish is dry and earthy. Malts: Two row malted barley, light roast malt, caramel malt, aromatic malt, wheat malt. Hops: British East Kent Golding Yeast: British premium bitter yeast strain Legend E.S.B. is available on draft and in 22 oz. bottles


3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 11/20
dmac (2509) - Toms River, New Jersey, USA - APR 22, 2009
Bottle shared at jimmacks Beer Wars preparty. Poured an orange body with a foamy white head. Aroma of citrus, apricot and grains with an overall soapiness about it. Medium body with bubbly carbonation. Flavor different then the aroma but still no real improvement, chocolate and grain. Meh average brew at best.

3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
yobdoog (1835) - Woodridge NY, New York, USA - APR 18, 2009
Nice pour. Good solid bitterness. Nice malts and a hint of nuts. a little bread. Not bad.

2.6
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 4/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 9/20
Rciesla (5500) - Exit 15W, New Jersey, USA - APR 17, 2009
Jim Mack’s Pre-Beer Wars Gathering. Pours a brune amber body with a tan head. Burnt and toasted malt, cherry a bit medicinal with some grain and fruity finish. Not so good.

2.9
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 11/20
jcwattsrugger (8685) - Florida and, New Jersey, USA - MAR 22, 2009
22oz bottle-pours a foamy tan head and amber color. Aroma is medium fruit, medoum malt-toffee, some sharpness/spice hops. Taste is medium malt-toffee, medium fruit-cherry, some sharpness/perfumy/spice hops, yeasty.

2.9
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 11/20
nimbleprop (2126) - SouthWest, Washington, Washington DC, USA - MAR 17, 2009
Was looking for something easy to drink and that would appeal to many, this fit the bill... sorta. Pours a slightly transparent, maple brown with a soft, creamy, slightly off white head. Nose is all malt, caramel, toffee, sticky fruits, but no citrus. Hmm. Flavor is all malt, brown sugar, caramel, some light toasted notes but no citrus. Finish is lasting sweetness and some sticky sugar. What’s an ESB with no bitterness? This was the sweetest damn ESB I’d ever seen in his life. The result was an OK beer, which disappointed me a bit.

3.1
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 13/20
joshwilfong (1200) - Cleveland, Ohio, USA - MAR 6, 2009
reddish brown with large white head. moderate carboation, mild hop nose. flavor has starts with mild hop bitterness and a lot of hop flavor, far too much for the style. the malt backbone is not there either. the hop flavor is a little too floral too, not the traditional EKG flavor, I am surprised that is the hop that they report. one of the weaker legend brews I have had

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20
lithy (2913) - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - FEB 23, 2009
decaturstevo’s Febmergency Tasting. Sample from a bottle thanks to decaturstevo. Dark red body with a thin off white head. Big citrus, pineapple aroma, taste is more sweet malt, bitter hop finish with a nice fruitiness.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
decaturstevo (3386) - decatur, Tennessee, USA - FEB 9, 2009
Deep copper with tan head and lace. Citrus hops and light pineapple. Cough syrup and abv warmth. Foamy medium bodied beer. Good beer that is a tad warm which was worth a .1 for me.


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Rating Notecard:
Beer: Legend ESB Rating Avg: 3.12 No. of Ratings: 43
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