3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Tap @ SPH. Poured a clear copper with an off-white head. Earthy and citrus hop aroma and flavor. Caramel malt makes up the base. Mild sweetness with an earthy dry moderately bitter finish. Light to medium body. I’m not an ESB fan but this wasn’t bad.
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
This is great partially because it confirmed my new found belief of how an ESB differs from an IPA. The bitterness here is blended seamlessly with the rest of the flavor. Finishes rather dry with a good hop backbone the whole way through. I can’t over recommend trying this if you get the opportunity.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at the Publick House. Pours a clear golden brown with a thin off-white head that was gone after the first sip. Pleasant aroma of lightly roasted malt and caramel. The flavor begins very similar to the aroma and then adds a nice bread flavor. Moderately dry and bitter at the finish, but not excessive. A very good pint!
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at the Southampton Brew Pub. Poured a medium amberish color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of toasted malts, light caramel, and tea hoppiness. Tastes follow suit. I liked this pint and enjoyed it even more since I was waiting for their RIS to go on sale!
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draught at SPH Brewpub. Light orange in colour. Lacy head. Slightly woody hop aroma. Very great dry bitter start to finish, not quite as sweet start as most though. Great brew!
2.8 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Draught, Publick House, Southampton.
Head is fully diminishing.
Body is light amber.
Aroma is lightly malty (toasted bread), lightly hoppy (apricot), lightly to moderately yeasty (dough).
Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter.
Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter.
Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation.
As with the Secret Ale (which I discovered the draught to be pretty much identical to the Saratoga bottling), quite dominated by raw vitamin B smell. A bit off-putting, but the flavor balance is fine.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draught at the brewery. Beer was clear and medium caramel color with an average-sized, creamy/frothy, off-white, mostly lasting head. High arches of lacing left behind on the glass. The aroma was pretty engaging: malty with light notes of toasted grain and trace notes of cookie and caramel; Hoppy with moderate notes of grapefruit and resin/pine; yeasty with a trace note of damp basement; trace notes of banana and pineapple, light note of honey. The flavor was moderately sweet, lightly acidic and moderately-to-heavily bitter with an extra-long, trace acidic, moderately bitter finish. The body was light, the texture was watery and the carbonation was lively.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Tap at the brewpub. Pours a medium amber iwth a nice lasting thin beige head. Served way too cold, and I had to hold my hands around the glass for a while to allow it to warm up a bit. As it warmed, the aroma had nice fruity esters, and slight herbal and tea-like hops and light caramel malts. Flavor is very clean with light toffee, crystal malts, light crisp hops and a clean bitterness. Mouthfeel is a bit on the lighter side, but still very smooth, flavorful and easy to drink. Nice.
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