Naughty Hildegard ESB - Driftwood Brewery

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another awesome bottle sent by Rutager in a recent trade. Thanks for all the loot man!

From a bomber into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, one finger, fluffy, white head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a thin wisp and ring. Clear burnt orange in color with medium carbonation evident. A faint half wisp remains and coats the sides of the glass with lacing. Very nice looking.

SMELL: Pale malts, caramel, citrus lemon and grapefruit on the nose. Some pineapple and melon in there as well. Very fruity and hoppy for an ESB. Not quite to style, but it's still very nice.

TASTE: Pale malts and some sweet caramel malts up front, then a nice dose of pineapple, melon, and some fruity flavors at the swallow. A nice bitterness arrives at the finish with grapefruit, lemon citrus flavors, and some floral hoppiness. Aftertaste is bold and persistent with plenty of hop bitterness, citrus flavors and a light melon sweetness for balance. This is more IPA than ESB, but still a wonderfully flavorful brew in itself.

PALATE: Medium-fuller body with medium levels of carbonation. Quite creamy smooth on the palate, goes down smoth and finishes a touch dry. Nice feel for sure.

OVERALL: Another quality, quality beer from Driftwood. It seems like these guys know how to do their hoppy stuff. The hop bill makes this more of an IPA than a true ESB, but the beer is fantastic regardless. I'd gladly drink this on a regular basis, so if you get the chance to try it, don't pass it up. Thanks again for the awesome box Rutager. Fantastic stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 11:59:50 | More by Jeffo

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Jason, 650ml into a tulip.

Darker orange/copper with a white head. Strong retention and great lacing. Bready nose, some English hopping with strong citrus presence, earthy, sweet and caramel flavours. Taste has some toffee, earthy, more citrus, pine and some light herbal notes. Bready sweet finish. Light bitterness, medium low carbonation. A very flavourful ESB.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 16:03:56 | More by liamt07

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark orange and a nice, creamy head that retains well.

Smell: Lots of citrus hops in the aroma followed by a nutty English malt character. Reminds me of a highly hopped Fuller's ESB.

Taste: Lots of malty sweetness and a slight English pub-ale flavour. Definitely picking up some biscuity malt as well as a ton of coastal hops (grapefruit, mango, lemon). Slight alcohol taste as well but it is well placed among all the other assertive flavours.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy as a solid, English-style ESB should be. I've had a lot of other North American interpretations on the style but mouthfeel is something most haven't been able to replicate from their English cousins. Driftwood does this incredibly well with Naughty Hildegard. Extremely pleasant to drink.

Overall: The hops make this border on IPA territory but the malt keeps it firmly entrenched as the delicious ESB it is. As a close cousin to the Fat Tug IPA, this is a nice, smoother alternative for someone who craves hops, but doesn't want to be bitch slapped by them.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 20:45:38 | More by Hornet2003

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes accumulated since the birth of Zoe.

Thanks to chickenm for this one.

Poured from a 650ml. bottle, best before 111612.

Appearance: Bright burnished copper, fairly clear. Head manages barely over 2 fingers before going to a thin ring. Clings all around and could be a bit livelier though nice rings as glass empties.

Smell: Juicy hops leave a nice citrus aroma mixed with some pine. Laced in back is a tea-like maltiness.

Taste: More balanced in flavor as malt is more predominant with hops coming in the latter part. A touch of grapefruit sweetness in the finish that grows as drinking progresses.

Mouthfeel: I'll give the body a medium feel with a nice raw bitterness in the aftertaste that gathers steam.

Overall: Gets better as it warms. A hoppy ESB that is quite good though i preferred Mitchell's.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 00:08:23 | More by papat444

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle best before 11/14/12 courtesy of Rutager. Thanks! Poured in to Bruery tulip glass.

A - Translucent medium amber/orange colour. One finger of fluffy cream coloured head with decent lacing.

S - An amazing fresh hop aroma up front with grapefruit, tangerine, peach and pine notes. A slight malt sweetness is present in the background.

T - A nice bitterness up front, reminiscent of an IPA. Grapefruit, pine, orange zest and some peach. A decent malt sweetness provides some semblance of balance.

M - Light to medium body with a very nice chew. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 13:38:21 | More by TheSevenDuffs

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a nice "interpretation" of an ESB. There's a ton of fresh citrusy-piney hops on the nose and an equal amount on the palate. But at 6.5% this is approaching an IPA in a lot of ways (except for the copper-brown color). Still, a flawlessly made beer and another great release from Driftwood.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 23:28:53 | More by CookstLiquor

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A perfect clear copper with minimal bubbles that stream up to 2 fingers of just off white head that finishes with a thin film of bubbles.

S: Floral mix with pine resin and warm smooth malts. Hints of warmed sweet cream and grapefruit. ... please please...let the taste be as good as the smell!

T: Excellent balance between smooth malts and piney resin. Tastes of grapefruit and smooth cream and finishes back with grapefruit rind. Opposing flavours can sometimes be overwhelming and confuse, but this manages to strike a middle ground and a simple balance of creamy malts and piney hops.

M: Mild on the carbonation and rich and creamy in mouth feel, top notch

O: Balance between hoppy citrus, pine and malty sweetness with smooth creamy mouth feel creates an incredible interplay of opposing scent and tastes. This brew develops a balance that is incredibly wonderful to drink. Must buy more.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 02:26:26 | More by FondueVoodoo

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

650 ml bottle poured into an imperial pint glass.

A: Rich amber with a moderate, off-white head that dissipated with some lacing.

S: Pleasant, vegetal hops and sweet malt.

T: Big but well-balanced ESB - all of the malts and hops were there in force. Lingering bitterness, subtle alcohol.

M: Moderation in all aspects.

O: This beer is outstanding. It shows that you can make a well-balanced ESB that is still exciting. Another Driftwood classic - wish this one was year-round!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 04:15:26 | More by schopenhauerale

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy amber liquid with 1/2" cream coloured head that left a nice lacing.

S: Yeast and floral hops.

T: Citrus and pine hops at the start, malt in the middle, with a dry finish and a nutty aftertaste.

M: Medium viscosity with a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: Great ESB with an interesting taste profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 05:36:46 | More by DaftCaskBC

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Fresh bottle from rutager. Pours tan brown body with small retained white head. Smells odd. Taste is mild hoppy competing with some sourness and buttery and some honey. Really not meeting the style. Not to drinkable. Will try again on tap when I am there soon.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 03:00:36 | More by northyorksammy

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle conditioned bomber care of psiweaver, thank you for the generous extra man! No clear date coding that I can see on the glass or label. Poured into a pub glass, this brew appears a clear copper to amber color with a thick, frothy cap of yellowish stained head just shy of 2 fingers strong. Bubbles rise constantly through the body in support of the head which is composed of rather large bubbles. As the head slowly fades, it leaves thick patches of lacework on the glass.

The smell of this brew is quite dank with hops. Other hop characteristics of flowers and light herbs come into play as well across a backing of toasty sweet malt. The sweet smelling character of the malt really makes the floral aspect of this brew's scent pop. Shoving the nose deeper inside my glass brings forth mild grassy scents and more herbal qualities to the hops that at times have a mild stinky cheese aspect to them. Overall a fantastic nose on this offering.

The taste is malty sweet with a flavor of caramel malt meets lightly musty grains. There is a fruity aspect that evolves across the tongue before the bitter herbal quality of the hops come into play. There is quite a deep layering of hop flavors ranging from an initial floral sweet and fruity aspect that is mildly rind-like with hints of orange zest to a light catty aftertaste that is very herbal. There is also a dank aspect included in the flavor imparted by the hops which creates an interesting flavor combination with the light musty grain quality. The aftertaste is a mix of herbal quality that is very enjoyable. As this brew warms, a fusel tingle of alcohol becomes evident as well as more oil character of the hops emerge creating new, previously hidden flavors of resinous pine and a touch of a lemony aspect.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is easy drinking and super enjoyable. The alcohol is well integrated in this brew and it is very well balanced. Only after the beer starts pushing room temperature does the alcohol finally become evident with a fusel flavor and a warmth down the back of the throat. I am not an ESB connoisseur by any stretch, but I do enjoy them when given the opportunity. This one very well might be the best one I have tried to date. I keep thinking to myself that this seemingly over-hopped or super fresh example is along the same lines as Troegs and their Nugget Nectar. A beer in a style other than IPA that is hopped to such a degree that it has the aroma and taste of an IPA but not necessarily with the bitterness typical of the IPA style. This is an ESB for the hop lovers, well done.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 02:20:35 | More by stakem

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bomber poured into tulip april17 2011

A glowing copperish amber with just a few bubbles feeding a thumbs width of beige head that falls rather quickly and leaves a few patches of lace

S citric hops with some biscuit and toffee

T what I smell but the hops are a little spicy, there's some faint nuttiness, faint pine, orange rind and the flavors are much stronger then the smell.

M medium bodied with much more carbonation then I could see in the glass, this bitter is just that and it leaves a little grit behind and the aftertaste just keeps going

O could pass for an IPA but this works well for a bitter bitter, there's some balance to this one but it is a little lop sided towards the hops and that doesn't bother me one bit

I'd like to say this would make a great session beer but the 6.5% would catch up to you pretty quick when I think of how fast I emptied my glass. thanks chickenm for sending me a want before I even had it on my want list.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 03:29:11 | More by wordemupg

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rich amber colour with a good sized, but not out of control head.

Rich, fresh bread and toffee malt scent with a noticeably spicy hop nose. Slightly floral, and sweet.

Pronounced bitterness, almost pushing this to an IPA level of hoppiness. MAlts are too big for an IPA, and their rich, slightly sweet character solidly ground this in ESB territory.

A bit heavy handed on the carbonation; this could be a bit smoother but that's really the only down point.

Great ESB - one of my favourite Canadian ones.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 03:37:40 | More by BDTyre

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A beautiful clear dark amber with a cream coloured foamy thich head. The aroma is suble roasted malt with a bit of clover honey and pine. The taste is sweet heavy roasted malts, carmelized brown sugar and a medium/ high level of bitterness. Fresh tasting with a touch of leafy earthyness. The mouthfell is bold with a big body feel and nice contrast between bitterness and rasted malt. A bit of a burnt flavour comes though. A bit heavy maybe, but a nice, interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 03:04:51 | More by LazyL

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Naughty Hildegard pours an orange copper with a nice offwhite head that lingers. Earthy, herbal and spicy hops are prominent in the aroma, with a nice caramel maltiness. Hops are featured in the flavor as well, with more spicy and slightly citrusy hops. There is a nice malt backbone that isn't completely in the background, with more nice caramel and toffee notes. The finish is bitter and slightly resiny. Overall I'd say this is a hoppy take on the ESB, but a delicious beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 03:37:37 | More by ericj551

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Cask just tapped at Kingfishers for CAMRA Fraser Valley's first cask event. Love this label!!!

Appearance. Awesome. Deep golden amber with just a little haze. Three fingers of thick off white head that leaves some pretty bands of lace.

Smell. Sweet caramel and citrus, spicy hops.

Taste. Nice grassy, floral hops and citrus fruits, just enough dry caramel malt. A little lingering bitterness. Real good stuff.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with smooth medium carbonation.

Overall. Awesome stuff that was just made better by enjoying it with a bunch of cool local craft beer fans

Serving type: cask

03-27-2011 19:51:27 | More by Rutager

pugdogbeer

British Columbia (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amazing bitter from Driftwood with lower carbonation and loads of hops. Drinks extremely smooth.

Colour is a wonderous light orange when raised to the light with a nice white head.

Exceptionally smooth with a bitter hoppiness that comes off with a spicey, sweet taste. Nice mild aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 21:08:13 | More by pugdogbeer

Grunewald

British Columbia (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - poured from a 650ml bottle into a pilsner glass. It pours clear ruddy amber with a tan head that does not subside and laces in thick rings.

S - bready malt, fresh pitted fruit, light caramel, rich piny hops and spice

T - sweet fruity malt, piny and herbal hops and a spicy hop finish. There is no funky taste at all here which is different from other brews with such pronounced hop flavors.

M - medium carbonation, medium body, benign viscosity, and semi dry finish that warms the stomach and the throat.

D - all around great beer

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 02:33:36 | More by Grunewald

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is like a 3 Floyd's take on the style.

A: Clear, copper-bronze with a huge, off-white head; good retention & lacing.

S: Tangerine, nectarine, pine & grass with hints of sweet toffee.

T: Tangerine, nectarine, grapefruit rind, grass, pine, floral, hints of toffee & cotton-candy fruity esters, balanced bitterness.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body has a slightly drying finish.

D: A good drinker.

Over-the-top for the style, but the hop-heads will love it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 02:25:09 | More by Derek

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Damn this is good. Tons of hops but balanced to the dime this is why Driftwood is among the top tier of BC's brewers. A west coast ESB that is big and beautiful with excellent drinkability make this a new favourite. Now to put in cans and sell it in 6 packs

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 16:39:05 | More by canucklehead

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color with a big white head that leaves plenty of lacing. Really nice aroma of piney hops. Balanced flavor with hops and caramel malt. Light-medium body with a fairly dry finish. Quite drinkable, this is an enjoyable beer from Driftwood.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 03:18:20 | More by chickenm

EskimoDave

British Columbia (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I popped it open. The bottle made an alluring hiss at me. It was like a siren song. "Drink me Dave" it called out. I succumbed to it. As I was pouring it, the beautiful smell of earthy hops, with whispers of spiciness, filled the room. Oh Ms. Hildegard! You smell divine. Hildegard's red-copper body makes the perfect palate of maltiness. When you go in for that first taste Her Hoppiness just explodes in your mouth. The spiciness of them really picks up. This beer is sexy. This beer makes me feel sexy.

quick facts:

a) red to copper body. off-white head, good retention, good lacing
s)huge earthy, piney, some citrus, some spicy hops
t) earthy and piney hops, much more spicy hops, some citrus hops, nice sweet caramel maltness
m) good presence
d) a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 00:34:23 | More by EskimoDave