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Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)

Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer (ESB)

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 Percentile 
78
overall
A Premium Bitter/ESB brewed by
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
5173.4/5.03.4/5.0Spring5.9%86 English pint P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Our ESB blends the best of English tradition with the boldness of West Coast style. A blend of malts featuring British-grown Maris Otter is balanced with the earthy spiciness of hand-selected English and US hops. The ale is left unfiltered which enhances mouthfeel and hop aroma creating a slightly reddish copper hue.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 hotstuff (3038), Indiana, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/514/20

May 5, 2008  
Bottle. Small fizzy off-white head that mostly diminished, very little lacing, carbonation noted, hazy, and an orange golden hue. The nose was malt, caramel, hoppy, citrus, and some pine. Ditto for the flavor and quite refreshing. Smooth mouthfeel and medium in body. A smooth easy to drink beer, balanced, uncomplicated and simple beer, and would probably taste quite refreshing on a hot day and not overly bitter or hopping tasting.

 Beer_Hawk (673), Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/513/20
Aug 20, 2008  
Draft @ Flying Saucer - Nashville. Amber in the glass with an off-white head. Sweet floral aroma. Malt caramel flavor backed with hops and light spices. Light to medium body.


 Blom (605), Odense, Denmark
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Aug 19, 2008  
Copper coloured with a dense head. An aroma of pine forests and tropical fruits kindle my interest at once. It doesn’t excactly smell British, but more like an American Pale Ale. The flavours are bitter like grape fruit and citrus, but with a nice malty contrast in the form of cookies and toasted white bread. It’s hard to spot any flaws in this ESB!


 shalloWMeans (113), Florence, Kentucky, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/104/514/20
Aug 17, 2008  
This well hopped version of a classic British ESB, when poured, is a lively copper orange- the color of a spring sunset. This is topped with a creamy head and a light unfiltered haze. In the aroma, an immediate hop presence brings tangerine, ripe mango and grapefruit notes. It’s fresh, energetic, and vibrant with an undercurrent of toasty sweet malt. The taste is a perfecto balance of sweet and dry, though the hops are a lot more over-the-top than a normal ESB (not a surprise coming from Sierra Nevada). There is a very fullfilling malt presence in the mix, bringing a slight hint of breadiness, but again, the hops dominate, bringing a tropical pineapple and citrus tang to the beer, leaving an "extra bitter" mouthfeel that’s creamy yet sharp, exciting and energetic. This makes for a very appetizing ESB. As the beer warms it seems to lose a bit of it’s bitter hop edge and gain a bit more fruity malt. Great for spring or summer drinking as intended. Not entirely representative of the style, it’s more like an APA. Overall though, I give this beer an 8/10 for drinkability, which I suppose is really what a good premium bitter is all about.


 Bragesnak (1134), Aarhus, Denmark
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/515/20
Aug 14, 2008  
From Skjold Burne, Aarhus, DK. Bottled. 140808. Amber with some head. Aroma of fruit notes. Flavor of malt and a nice back of hop bitterness and spicy tones.


 Bov (4604), Bienne, Switzerland
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
Aug 8, 2008  
courtesy of Tony Flükiger - hazy red-amber colour with a little beige foam; fresh fruity hoppiness (melon and passion fruit); good malt body; tart and fairly bitter fruity finish; long lasting




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