Ahhh…an American ESB that fits largely into the ESB category – a nice surprise!
12oz single from Total Wine in Kennesaw, GA, USA.
Notched as being bottled in the first week in Feb. Reasonable to assume that this is Feb ’08 (since Total Wine seems to have a decent turnover), but you never know!
Good, standard color for the style (pleasing) with copper and dark orange hues, and a good initial head, however, any lasting head and lacing are disappointing thus reducing the ultimate potential of the appearance score.
Sweet toffee based malts hit the nose and a similar candyish taste replicates itself in the taste. Smooth and easy drinking. Aftertaste is light and satifying.
All in all a decent stab at the ESB style with sensible ABV. Those attributes are unusual enough in many American versions of the style so I am turned on to this beer. Outside of that it is solid rather than spectacular, but I have to take what I can get whe I am so far from home. Above average for a Stateside version; average from a wider perspective.