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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


3.3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
SpringsLicker (2484) - Tennessee, USA - FEB 8, 2009
Thanks to decaturstevo for sharing this one at his Februmergency Tasting. Clear dark amber with a minimal off-white head. Sweet malt ginger-cookie aroma. Sweet malt flavor profile with a touch of dryness in the finish.

3.3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
tronraner (2429) - Walland, Tennessee, USA - FEB 8, 2009
Bottle at the Febmergency tasting. Pours dark copper with very slim beige head. The aroma is super sweet with a few notes of tangerine and lots of Big League Chew. The flavor is bubblegum, woody bitterness, and a few floral notes. There are lots of ambient fruity notes. Decent beer, if a little strange.

3.3
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
Butters (2839) - Richmond, Virginia, USA - FEB 7, 2009
Bottle at decaturstevo’s Februmergency Tasting for those of us that missed out on Sexual Chocolate ’09. Clear reddish amber with fair tan head. Pineapple citrus aroma is ’big-league-chew’. Flavor is a great balance of sweet caramel malt and grapefruity hops. Medium body with medium carbonation. Pretty decent.

2.7
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 2/5   OVERALL 10/20
jgb9348 (3369) - Arlington (Pentagon City), Virginia, USA - FEB 7, 2009
Clear definitive copper coloured body with a light amber hue and a thinnish soapy, fast-dying tan head. Aroma of bubble gum, caramel, malt, alcohol, toffee and a touch of nuts. Medium-bodied; Strong assertive caramel and yeast up front with a bittering metallic twang followed by a bubble gum fake sugar twist. Aftertaste shows a lot of the malt bitterness, some alcohol roaming and a touch of metal too. Overall, not too exciting - good to try, but not one of my favourite Legend beers. Try this if you like all Legend stuff, but pass if they have other Legends in the store! I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased earlier today at Whole Foods in Clarendon (Arlington), Virginia sampled at home on 06-February-2009.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
Dickinsonbeer (5077) - Hoboken, New Jersey, USA - FEB 3, 2009
Bomber. Actually a nice bottle for a chance at Legend. Pours a brigth clear stragith amber iwth a nice fluffy lasting beige head. Aroma is a nice blaance of straight up medium stew crystal malt, and a good herbal and floral english hop presense. Flavor is a bit malt florward but it si sharp crystal and nice caramel flavors, some light toast light fruity flavros from the yeast and a good floral hop background - bitterness is somewhat on the mild side but overall a nice bottled beer from them. Ok.

3.3
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 12/20
Drake (4803) - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA - JAN 15, 2009
22 ounce bottle from Whole Foods Market, Charlottesville, VA. Pours a copper color with a medium head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma is caramel, grain, bread and green apple. Taste is bitter hops, grain and caramel. Slightly tart. Medium bodied.

3.2
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
EKGoldings (487) - Radford, Virginia, USA - NOV 27, 2007
My favorite from these guys but again this fails to grab me and get me excited about drinking a second. I’m enjoying it a bit less as the bottles age in my basement.

2.9
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
hopdog (6943) - Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA - JUN 29, 2007
22oz bottle acquired in trade with The_Beer_God (thanks!). Poured a medium to deeper copper color with a huge sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, nuts, and lightly fruity. Tastes of caramel and lightly fruity. Ended in a light tart, sourness.


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