McNeill's Extra Special Bitter - McNeill's Brewery

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

Picked up a bomber at Abe's Cold Beer for $4.25 and the label tells me this beer is best by the end of October. Seeing this, I assumed I'd have a fresh and tasty beer. This was not the case.

The initial aroma reminded me of Sam Adams Boston Lager for the mix of toffee and spicy hops. Unfortunately, there's a huge, earthy plastic flavor that ruins the beer. There's still a tasty hop finish with a mix of citrus and herbal notes, but the infection, or whatever is going wrong here, has ruined the beer. Drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 22:08:16 | More by tempest

jcalabre

California

2.58/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Split this with herbjones at a mini southern california get together. This was a dissappointing brew. It's not an ESB. It's more like a west coast IPA. Hoppy, Hoppy, Hoppy. No Malts at all. It's hazy golden golored with a huge hop aroma. I'd rate it higher if it were supposed to be an IPA

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2003 17:58:43 | More by jcalabre

Kerin

Vermont

2.63/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

This beer is not my favourite. It's labeled as an ESB, but, um, it isn't. A fair amount of hops - it's hoppier than SNPA, and in spite of being called an ESB it has predominantly American-tasting hops. I think I'm detecting a fair portion of Nugget, Cascade and (I think) Newport hops, none of which are remotely English in profile. There's no earthiness here, and the only thing bitter-ey about this is the diacetyl... which is nuts. So, uh:

Appearance: Slightly below average. It'd be fine for an amber, but it's miles away from being pale. Cloudy, there's an insane amount of sediment in the bottle (and this is coming from a homebrewer.)

Taste: Not terrible, not great. This tastes like an aggressively average American pale ale, and the only distinctive thing about it is the elevated bitterness. No malt profile to speak of save a brief, well-rounded sweet tang at the end of the sip that gives way smoothly to...

Mouthfeel: There is so much diacetyl here I feel like I'm drinking this out of a theater popcorn box. The first couple mouthfuls were novel but by the end of the glass it's getting to be a Goddamn chore. I've had several bitters with significant diacetyl where it worked, but they all had less than this - and they also had less hop bitterness, and the flavor was therefore better integrated with the beer.

Overall, this is a disappointing beer - doubly so because a good ESB is so hard to find in the USA. I'll admit that I do have a very... defined idea of what an ESB should taste like (Fuller's) but this is so far outside the style that I don't know what they were thinking. Marketed as a Pale I'd probably bump the taste and overall scores up half a point apiece, but this mosaic of attributes doesn't work no matter how they're described. Pass, and I would have to think about it if someone offered me one.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 01:31:19 | More by Kerin

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -31%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Replacing a lost review from the data crash...

Sorry it won't be as detailed. Just the highlights.

Visual - Orange/Amber Good Clarity, no visible carbonation. Fairly aggressive, creamy head. Nice Lacing

Aroma - Somewhat floral. Lemon/Citrus Toasted Malts.

Flavor - Much more lemon citrus than I had imagined. Light toasted malts, bread. Slight yeast tone.

MF - Medium/light Body. Mild carbonation.

Drinkability - Hop profile/Lemon nature diminishes drinkability a bit.

Not sure I'd visit this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2009 10:06:10 | More by Reagan1984

BeerTruth

Connecticut

2.8/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a nonic.

Pours a clear copper hue with a very nice three finger fluffy white head that takes its time to die down. Stickiness is pretty good, spotty here and there. Smell is very light on the hops and light on the malt. Some woody earth notes blend well with a nutty aroma. Taste is a bit bland. Watered down caramel malt lacking hops. Very plain flavor; not special, not strong, not bitter. Mouthfeel is light bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Drinkability does ok since it's almost like water. Really not much going on with this beer, lacks a lot of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2007 01:29:27 | More by BeerTruth

waughbrew

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Very hazy rust color, off-white head slowly settles to a patchy covering and thick lace. Once the bottom quarter of the bottle is reached, huge yeast chunks come out. Pitchable. Strong grapefruit hop aroma dominates but bready malts are there backing it up. Taste is big dirty fruity hops with biscuity malts trying to balance, but not succeeding. Fruity esters try to meld with the hops, but the hops still poke out too much. Finish is lingering resiny sting, some sugary coating and dirt from the hops. I still can't place it, but McNeill's beer often has that dirty hops character. It is a mix between earthiness and sting I guess, but it comes off to me as dirty (not necessarily a bad thing). Feel is a little thin and very smooth. Made for drinking a good amount of. Decent beer. Definitely reminds me of homebrew with mediocre results.

DRINK WARM! This beer tasted pretty bad when chilled. I strongly suggest letting it get to cellar temp or warmer before drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2004 00:47:49 | More by waughbrew

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a clear orange with a HUGE foamy white head. Aroma of sweet light malts, floral hops. Flavor is sweet and puckering up front with a fruity (like fruit punch) finish. Slightly astringent with malty cereal graininess. I'm not really a fan of the McNeills house flavor, which seems to be present in all their beers. This isn't too bad, but it isn't too good either.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2009 19:26:22 | More by LilBeerDoctor

claspada

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a somewhat hazed burnt orange with a lage fluffy white head that held clinging to the glass that never really settled. Really overcarbonated to be honest, especially for an English style beer that are typically served on cask.

Aromas begin with light caramel and some toasted bread in the nose, light fruity yeast smells as well.

The tastes begin with light yeasty fruit with some caramel sweetness. It has a light, pale and crystal malt flavor; dry with a touch of caramel sweetness. The hop character is quite good. It has a refreshing floral character that compliments the simple malt bill.

Mouthfeel is affected by the over-carbonation here once again. Too bubbly and lively for the style. I would much rather have a still ESB than one this heavily carbonated.

Overall I had heard good things about this beer but the unbalanced mouthfeel and uninspired flavor profile just didn't do it for me. I like more toasted bready malts and earthy hops with gentle carbonation, where this was more cracker malty and citrus/floral hopped. Too much of an American "interpretation" for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 17:02:22 | More by claspada

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.3/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A hazey amber ale. Next to no head at all (what little there was, was off white). The aroma was lightly malty with a nice fruity hop character. No carbonation detractes from the taste. The flavor has both a sweet and a toasted malt character followed by a smooth hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2005 22:15:03 | More by ybnorml

UncleFrank

Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving was a 22 oz bottle from the brewery.
The look is medium dark with a thin head. The aroma is wine like. Not hoppy, not malty, just some alcohol, which should not be there. The taste took my fears away though as a caramel and hops mixed and danced around and battled with the hops being victorious. But the mouthfeel was thinner than I would have liked. I could drink more of this, and will, but not as an ESB.

I must confess I was not impressed by this beer as much as I have been with others, or as much as others who have reviewed it. An ESB will often be estery and somewhat higher in alcohol, but not hugely so. ESB is the "Special occasion beer" It's the beer you serve at your daughter's wedding rather than the one you swill at the pub on the way home from work. A great example is Old Thumper. The McNeil's though, to me, is a pub beer. A very good pub beer, but not to the levels I expected from McNeil's.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2003 04:40:12 | More by UncleFrank

flexabull

California

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Beer pours with a huge head from the bottle. Cloudy amber color, not the prettiest beer to look at.

Aromas are of caramel malts, and some sweet hard candies.

Taste is a bit dull but not offensive at all. Some yeast flavors, sun tea, burnt caramel malts, and a slight mineral hop finish.

Mouthfeel is above average. Smooth and a bit supple.

Nothing special here. I wouldn't turn one down, but I wouldn't seek this out either.

Thanks again for the bottle cburian!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2007 20:46:28 | More by flexabull

merlin48

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bomber pours a dirty looking golden brown body with a small beige head. Lots of suspended particles in the body and sediment in the bottom of the glass. Wispy lacing caps an appearance that is lacking for an ESB.

Aroma has floral and spicy hops, backed by bready notes of toasted caramel.

Medium body and carbonation.

Taste is nicely balanced. Spicy and floral hop bitterness all the way through. Toasty caramel and some toffee offer a solid malty balance. A bit hoppy for the style.

Decent ESB, but not one I would want again. I've tried several McNeill's bombers that have been on the shelves of Knoxville's finer beer stores but just haven't been overly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 22:44:29 | More by merlin48

Naugros

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Reviewing against the style shows some flaws in this beer...or at least this batch of it which is shown on the bottle as viable until the end of July.

The head is spectacular, taking up half the pint glass with a really tight bead to it and exceptional lacing left behind in clumps. Sadly, the beer is really hazy to the point of being opaque. This is a knock against the style.

The aroma smacks of earthy hops, but their aspect is changed by the sulfuric smell, turning the overall sense vegetal...almost like Brussel sprouts. Sulfur is allowable, but not at this level and there are no discernible esters...fruity or otherwise. The malts are there and are more like treacle than caramel.

The taste is sort of similar to the smell with less sulfur (falling more in line with what is allowable), which allows the hops to be less vegetal, but still not pleasant to my palate. The malts do come through more as caramel now and do an admirable job of keeping the bitterness from becoming overwhelming.

This finishes dry and with a bit of lingering bitterness. The body is medium.

I'm really not fond of the variety or varieties of hops used here. And it's not because I'm the typical American that only enjoys the piny/citrus flavored ones. Reading some of the other reviews, a completely different hops sense was detected, so perhaps this bottle oxidized. I'm not all that fond of this style to begin with, but this is not even close to my favorite example of an ESB. I'll need to pick up more of McNeill's stuff to get a better handle on what this brewery is all about.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 01:08:55 | More by Naugros

albern

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a good beer, but I have to admit a tad disappointing. The beer pours a coppery amber color with a thick and foamy head, a touch of lacing, and excellent retention. It's a good looking beer for sure. The nose is spicy hops, coriander, maybe some clove, maybe some florals, a bit of caramel, and a background of sweetish malt.

The beer is quite boozy and I would have suspected a much higher ABV. There is also a very prickly mouthfeel that makes it hard to take more than small sips. The taste is a boozy caramel, a liqueur like slightly rum soaked fruitiness, sweet caramelized malts, maybe a touch of brown sugar. The taste isn't overly complex, but I can't get beyond what seems like a rather high ABV beer that just isn't.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 20:07:57 | More by albern

Nipitato

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: Deep copper. Opaque. Looks thick and viscous. Thin off white head. No visible carbonation. Visible yeast sediment.

S: Nice fruity hoppy aroma. Fruity hops smell of apple and citrus. Maybe apple aroma is an ester? Minimal lingering sweet malt aroma.

T: Balance of taste is hops as to be expected. Hop flavor is kind of flat, rough, and not smooth. Hop flavor is almost "woody". Not nearly enough malt to back up the high hop flavor. Finish is not dry.

MF: Aggressively carbonated. Medium filling mouthfeel.

D: Too hoppy for a traditional ESB and not balanced enough. Definitely drinkable though.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2007 17:48:47 | More by Nipitato

Gmann

New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy honey brown color with a creamy tan head that settles into a solid cap. The aroma is of a floral hop with some honey and light caramel notes. The taste is sweet with honey and light caramel and some fruity flavors, which is followed by a floral and light citrus hop. Substantial bready malt. Quite hoppy for an ESB, almost like a dirty AIPA. Moderate to full body with tingly carbonation, not too strong. Finishes with a grassy bitterness. The ESB is good but I didn't find any particular quality great. There are no bad characteristics and this is well made but it didn't wow me.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 01:15:38 | More by Gmann

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I finally had the chance to purchase this bomber at Atlas in Quincy. I poured the beer into an English style pint glass.

Appearance: The beer is an copper/dark amber color. The two fingerthick foamy head is formed and goes down to a small head. This will lead to a considerable amount of lacing. There is also a little bit of carbonation towards the top of the glass.

Smell: There is a sweet malty scent with some hints of citrus and toast.

Taste: Malty, citrusy, and a bit of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: There is definitely some nice carbonation that tingles throughout my whole mouthm and the beer goes down smoothly.

Drinkability: This is an easy drinking beer. I could have another, but couldn't see myself drinking a sixer of these if they were available. Very decent beer to add to my list.

Overall, I was very pleasantly suprised by this brew being that its my first from mcneils. I would buy this beer along with my other bitter IPA's. I good compliment to the mixture of beers I purchase every once in a while.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 03:20:16 | More by Flounder57

kennyo

New York

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Now this is a good McNeills beer, as compared to my previous trashing of Pay Day

Amber color with the right amount of carbonation, pours with a nice white frothy head that dissapates fairly quickly. Aroma is hops, stickiness. Flavor has malt, light hop bitterness, kind of dry finish on the back of the tounge. Very drinkable, would like to try this on tap at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2006 18:54:57 | More by kennyo

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz Bomber consumed on 9/23/09.
A) Pours with a crazy active head - a bit out of control - definitely over-carbonated. The lacing creamy and sticky. Hazy. copper in color.
S) Floral. Orange. Light grapefruit.
T) Definitely bitter with a good balance of malty sweetness. Notes of orange and lemon. Earthy hop notes linger in the aftertaste.
M) Body is just shy of medium and feels a little thin. Fizzy.
D) A decent bitter but over carbonated. Waiting for the foam to settle is no fun.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2009 18:06:00 | More by u2carew

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice peachy golden with some head. Significant English hop aroma.It was a nice bitter, grapefruity modified by carmel, with a bit of a background edge. More bitter than balanced. FIne drinking but not the best bitter I have tried.
Picked it up in August, but did not notice it expired in September, but I do not think that would make a significant impact.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2007 00:55:27 | More by northyorksammy

oberon

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a imperial pint glass a somewhat hazed burnt orange with a lage fluffy white head that held clinging to the glass,and never really settled.Light caramel and some toasted bread in the nose,light fruity malt lingered.Fruity on the palate with some caramel sweetness,another ESB that is light in the hops.I like a good ESB,but I like one with a hop profile,this just doesnt have enough of one for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 23:01:53 | More by oberon

philipquarles

Louisiana

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle. Pours cloudy dark copper with a rocky, grey-tinged head that leaves nice lacing. Really interesting aroma with plenty of bubblegum and a lot of floral character. Definite hop presence, with a faint soapy notes that I find a lot in west-coast varietals. The same thing shows up in the taste, along with a crisp bitterness. Again, quite floral, and with some light fruit here. The hops are clearly at the center of this one. Kind of disappointed that there isn't much lightly toasty malt, as I expected to find. Light body. A decent beer, but it's not a very good portrayal of a typical ESB...the "bitter" is taken a bit too literally.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2009 23:56:53 | More by philipquarles

BigPlay1824

New York

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pilsner glass

A: pours a deel golden/copper color that is cloudy with plenty of floating yeast bits. Has a thick foamy head that is a nice milky white. Leave considerable amount of lacing

S: strong wheat scent with nice slight fruit citrusy notes

T: very pleasant wheat taste brew with citrus notes and what I believe may be pepper? Not sure but something slightly spicy is there

M: nice carbonation tingle and leave a nice coating on the tongue that leaves a nice aftertaste

D: nice drinking brew. Perhaps a bit too strong of a bite on the tongue but that's only if I'm looking for something to complain about

Overall, I was very pleasantly suprised by this brew being that its my first from mcneils. May have really turned my opinion of esbs towards the positive. Very nice and highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 01:05:50 | More by BigPlay1824

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on cask at the brewery. Two fingers of tan head topped my glass of copper colored ale. Displayed wonderful retention and great lacing too. Hoppy aromas with some caramel malt beneath. The flavors were less well defined, bitter hops, biscuity malts and an iced tea like quality. More bitter than anything else and off-balance in my opinion. Medium bodied and, light carbonation and very smooth (which probably has to be chalked up to the casking). Drinkable, yes but not much better than some of the other famous bitters out there (Redhook, for example).

Serving type: cask

08-28-2008 15:38:24 | More by thekevlarkid

tai4ji2x

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber. no date. tasted in late may 2009.

classic clear copper amber (but lots of sediment to decant). almost over-active head, an enormous 5-fingers tall, off-white, foamy, and slowly recedes to meringue, then a constant 1-finger layer replenished w each sip. great puffy lacing.

aroma: mildly pine and citrus rind, plus more classic english hops as well, and together the hops are resinous. caramelized, toasted malt underneath, w apple juice esters and faint diacetyl.

taste: hopping more prominent, with american/english combo again, but definitely lots more pine and citrus rind. moderate bitterness, resins lingering along with light, fruity acidity and mild diacetyl. ok, but just a little "weird", almost cloying. toasty caramelized malt and fruit esters are a bit overpowered as a result.

medium body, somewhat smooth, with some resins and acidity, as the resins linger w diacetyl, giving a "weird" character again. moderate carbonation is prickly, but doesn't really seem to wash away any of that "cloying" or "weird" character.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 04:42:57 | More by tai4ji2x