Try?
Ask a beer geek what an ESB is, and he (or she) will likely pop a response out almost by rote: “Extra Special Bitter”. And right he or she would be, of course. But ask somebody at Chico, California’s Sierra Nevada brewery what that means, and you might get a different answer. For example, they might say, “Early Spring Beer”.
Fancy that. In fact, Sierra Nevada has just such a beer available in bottles as I type in late January. Now, in my estimation, January is about as far from spring as you can get, at least if the thermometer is any gauge of distance. But never fear, those optimistic folks at Sierra Nevada can’t be faulted for hoping for an early spring, and better yet, their Early Spring Brew is an English styled ESB after all, so feel free to substitute one meaning for another.
Made with English Marris Otter malt and American and British hops, Sierra Nevada ESB certainly would seem to have its pedigree nailed down nicely enough. It’s also a beer with a little extra kick, too; at 5.9% alcohol by volume it’s about 20% stronger than most. But as a beer geek, its flavor I’m looking for here, and Sierra Nevada ESB has that in abundance.
Sierra Nevada ESB pours to a brilliant coppery reddish color with a thick, cauliflower head formation and an enticing nose rich with sweet caramelly malt and grassy herbal hops. Sierra Nevada’s ESB is bottle conditioned, meaning there’s yeast in the bottle actively working on the beer, if only slightly. And indeed this is very much a “live” beer, as tiny bubbles continually cascade from bottom to top after pouring. A thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of the glass as the liquid descends, too.
A sip reveals a full malt body with crisp biscuity malt laced with chewy caramel notes. There’s a hint of fruit, too, but most of all a delightfully herbal and grassy hop flavor and bitterness that builds into the finish, where it balances the malt very nicely with a distinctly minty herbal bitter buzz that punctuates nicely, but doesn’t overwhelm.
There’s a myth that the English serve their beer warm, and although this isn’t an English beer, it is an English style. Truth be told, a lot of lager is sold in England today served ice cold. But you can still get a tall cool pint in a good pub, and a good ESB there might taste something, although not completely, like this one.
I really love the wonderful balance between malt and hop going on here, and that’s what a good ESB should be all about. Don’t miss it, even if it’s not spring yet where you are.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
