Boont ESB - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

barczar

Kentucky

3.61/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a hazy deep coppery brown with a foamy inch and a half cream head that dissipates at a moderate pace, leaving sticky, sparse lacing.

Earthy, minerally notes form the initial aroma. Floral hops surface next, with a slightly toasted, biscuity malt character. There's a touch of fruity sweetness.

Flavor definitely tends toward the bitter side. There's an initial fruity, honey sweetness that turns somewhat resiny, earthy, and bitter mid palate, finishing slightly peppery and minerally. Muted citrus notes emerge late.

Body is moderate and fairly silky, with carbonation a bit low, and slight alcohol warmth.

More bitter than my palate cares for, and the minerally character was overwhelming. Malt flavor was pretty understated.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 03:26:27 | More by barczar

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Amber in color with a light haze and an off white head around two fingers thick.

Aroma: Grapefruit, piney, tropical fruits, simple syrup. A light dryness from the citrusy hops.

Taste: Tropical fruits in the front with some light bready notes. Wisps of lemon zest, grapefruit with a smooth mouthfeel.

Notes: Very drinkable quite good for a warm day or even a cool night. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:15:24 | More by horshack7

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Now (for how long, I have no idea) called "Belk's ESB", at least as far as the label for this one is concerned, whose antlered-up brown bear depiction might seem more amusing after a few more of these, I'm sure.

This beer pours a clear medium copper amber colour, with two fingers of puffy, bubbly ecru head, which leaves a few swaths of upwardly mobile spectral lace around the glass as it slowly sinks away.

It smells of semi-sweet biscuity, bready malt, a mild drupe fruitiness, spicy, bitter, leafy hops, and a wisp of warming alcohol. The taste is sharply biscuity, grainy caramel malt, earthy yeast, bitter, zingy citrus and pine esters, a late-arriving bready pastry essence, and further spicy herbal hops.

The bubbles are a tad sassy, but agreeably par for the course, the body a decent medium weight, and mostly smooth - all that there biscuit and hop meddling does indeed take its toll. It finishes off-dry, the sweet bready caramel maintaining the chutzpah to deal with the still active old and new world hop phalanx.

A rather enjoyable little experiment, this forcing a West Coast idealism down a traditional English bitter's trusting throat. Anyways, the extra oomph here ensures that this particular ESB doesn't fall prey to the corner cutting prevalent in such offerings of late, from both sides of the Atlantic. Session worthy? Errrr, maybe, but by the third round or so, one might come to disagree, even if the robust flavour seems to indicate otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 01:16:47 | More by biboergosum

jkrich

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an undated 12 oz. bottle: slightly hazy, golden with a foamy white-head that slowly receded leaving thick lacing on the glass.

The aroma is soft and mild fruit with some spicy hops coming through. Overall, somewhat restrained but fresh.

The flavor begins with a satisfying, herbal bitterness before settling into a spicy and fruity finish. The faint hop bitterness coats and lingers on the tongue after every sip. It reminds me of some very good English bitters only with a good American hop kick.

The body is somewhat light with zesty carbonation with a soft, gentle and clean mouthfeel followed by noticeable hop bitterness.

This is a very good, somewhat robust example of the style. Overall, it quite quaffable despite the high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:38:27 | More by jkrich

mgironta

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The head poured a finger full of pure white head that dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy orange color with light carbonation. The brew looked a little more like a wheat beer to me than an ESB. The nose had a bit of malt and some orange notes as well. This definitely didn’t smell like a typical ESB to me. The taste had some bitter and grassy hops followed up with some biscuit and malty sweetness. The nose wasn’t my favorite of the style, but the taste was pretty good. The body was on the thicker side with low carbonation. The finish was relatively quick. This wasn’t the best ESB that I’ve ever had, but I’d have it again. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 02:49:56 | More by mgironta

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Dark Yellow and mildly hazy and has a decent of carbonation bubbles floating up. It also has lots of lacing along the sides of the glass

Smell - Strong Yeasts (Like freshly baked bread), barley, faint floral hops and a slight malty scent. The yeasts outpower the other scents here, but it is very pleasant to smell and take in.

Taste - Yeasts, faint floral and piney hops, barley and some faint malts. Again, the yeasts are the strongest element here, but man does it taste good!

Mouthfeel - Light bodied and some mild carbonation. This is also a very crisp and refreshing beer to drink, while at the same time you're able to savor it's flavors.

Overall - Complex, it is not. It is, however, a highly drinkable and very tasty beer. It's a beer for any occasion simply because of it's simple yet rich flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 03:50:30 | More by NuclearDolphin

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a nice copper hue with a froffy white head, about 2 fingers. Smells of grain and very light hops, not very pronounced. Tastes of nice grain and hop balance, with earth hop tones dominating in a very tasty combination. Light bodied beer is perfectly carbonated and goes down very smooth. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:40:00 | More by cyclonece09

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy amber color with a bright white head of a half-inch. Laces a bit.

Smells lightly toasted and laced with floral hops. A bit cakey in the malt, and that provides sweetness.

Spicy hops resonate on the tongue from the intro to the middle. It gets replaced with ample bitterness and yellow cake malts. The finish is a bit floral and almost cedary. Not as toasty as I'd like, but the pronounced hoppiness is a plus.

Medium-bodied and milky smooth. Appropriately soft carbonation for how lively the hops want to play on the tongue. Doesn't bitter too much. Burps back up pleasantly.

I expected a bit more. Not terribly complex, at the same time, not much wrong with it. A standardized ESB, for reference sake.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 04:16:24 | More by thecheapies

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Wow this seriously had the most impressive head I seen in a while. Thick and chewy with good lacing. Color of the beer was a kind of hazy amber brown.

S - Smell is mild yet has a good hop presence (not much herbal ESB notes) with bready bodied malts and touch of caramel.

T - Are you sure this is an ESB cuz this drinks great! Most ESB I have had are bitter and have an underlying herbal tea flavor yet this was clean and bready with a touch of citrus hops and a bit a caramel like sweetness. Tasty!

M - Medium and chewy it almost drinks like a brown ale.

Overall I would consider getting this again. Anderson valley has yet to disappoint me.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 05:10:44 | More by DrDemento456

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick but spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, nuts, a good amount of hops and a touch of citrus.

T: The taste starts out with a touch of caramel and citrus sweetness that quickly fades behind the incoming strength of a grassy hops presence. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer worth pounding for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 01:05:21 | More by TheManiacalOne

MadeInOregon

California

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

APPEARANCE: Orange-brown and dark gold color with a huge, thick foamy slightly off-white head.

SMELL: Vanilla, Cotton Candy, mild hops

TASTE: Cherry, Cotton Candy, Orange (a combination reminiscent of a winter warmer). There is a hoppy, pine finish in addition to these. It is less hoppy than I expected and quite a bit sweeter than other ESB's I've had.

FEEL: Smooth, malty and creamy with a dry, sticky finish

OVERALL: Excellent balance and execution. Definitely the best ESB I've had. Anderson Valley continues to impress me...

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 07:12:27 | More by MadeInOregon

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Pours hazy orange with a long lasting, foamy, white head. Aroma is of spicy hops, bready malt and ripe fruit. Medium, crisp body. Piney, spicy hops up front, followed by bready malt, caramel and hints of ripe fruit. Finish is long and bitter. Nice, flavorful brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 14:47:52 | More by mikeg67

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: cloudy amber liquid with slight cream coloured head.

S: yeast, caramel malts, grassy hops, orange citrus.

T: bitter orange upfront, gives way to a caramel malt with grassy hops and grapefruit.

M: medium viscosity and medium to high level of fine cardination, dry finish.

O: quite bitter, yet it doesn't stay true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 03:58:28 | More by DaftCaskBC

Doughbodyboy

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this one pours i golden orange hint with a creamy head. the smell is definatly hinting at what's to come. the taste is carmely malt and a smoothing out of hops. it is an extremely well balanced brew. is leaves a smooth mix of hops and malt. it is a sticky and bubbly brew. overall i like this one. it is very well balanced leaning towards the malty side. try it out if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 02:41:48 | More by Doughbodyboy

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Available in big supermarkets in South Korea now.

APPEARANCE: A cider like, dark gold colour. A few lazy strings of bubbles. Almost clear. Big white head.

SMELL: A small bouquet with caramel.

TASTE: Christ it's sharp. Very sweet but also very bitter. Lots of grapefruit but emphasis is on the bitterness rather than the bouquet. There's a bit of grapefruit skin in their too.

OVERALL: Pretty full on but unbalanced. Got acid reflux written all over it.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 13:28:14 | More by Hoppsbabo

WillCarrera

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a clear golden amber color topped with a couple fingers of super creamy off-white head, leaves very good lacing.

S- Light floral hops, lots of bready malt and light caramel.

T- More pronounced hops than in the nose, grassy and floral with mild citrus, backed up with a strong biscuity malt backbone, has a bit of caramel and honey sweetness.

M- Medium bodied, very very smooth and creamy feel.

O- A pretty nice beer, maybe not the best ESB but it's very enjoyable and fun to drink nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 01:58:01 | More by WillCarrera

samie85

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear orange color with three fingers of white head.

Smells of biscuity malt and light hints of peach and lime notes.

Bitter citrus notes with biscuity malt to back it up.

Very light body with medium carbonation and a light, prickly feel.

Very drinkable but a little lighter in body than I would like.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 01:48:24 | More by samie85

harrymel

Washington

2.45/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Bottle date: nunya!
Pours an amber with a finger of light cream foam. This falls in a couple minutes to a beer with moderate lace. Smells of malts (english tone) with a bit of a hit of bitter, burnt caramel. This is the nose I generally look for in an ESB, but this is a little too subdued. Flavor is of malts and a weird, over powering flavor I place akin to sushi wrap (seaweed). Really this flavor is overpowering anything else I am tasting, unfortunately. The body is a bit thin with high carb and a semi dry finish. I'm a bit disappointed by this and would not likely order again on my own buck.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 09:50:57 | More by harrymel

elNopalero

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours an enticing crystal-clear golden copper color with an amber hue and a nice layer of foam. There’s a pleasing biscuity malt aroma with a hoppy kick at the end. On the flavor I find a sharp hop bitterness up front with a pleasing toasted biscuit malt backbone that comes through on the finish. There’s an underlying honey biscuit flavor, but ultimately it feels more muddled than crisp for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 22:16:28 | More by elNopalero

Adam5150

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear medium amber orange golden color with a average, frothy - creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel - toffee notes, moderate hoppy, grapefruit, orange. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and bitter with a average duration. Body is medium

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:00:42 | More by Adam5150

farrago

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Creamy microfoam head of eggshell white, doesn’t dimple as much as form rolling hills across the surface, excellent retention with thick and sticky lacing as well. The liquid is hazy and opaque, a glowing orange to yellow color, a few trace loose bubbles discernible within. The nose features honey, bread, cocoa dust, malts with some peat moss, dried lemons, coal tar, matted meadow grasses, some peach to apricot fruit, it’s not really that funky but by the same token the word “clean” does not leap into your mind either. Full-bodied, creamy attack which segues into a bitter finish with a light metal to iodine ring to it. All the apricot, peach, yellow apple, pear fruit as well as white grapefruit to lemon citrus feels pressed, ripe but all the juice forced out. Honey, maple syrup and cocoa fill in some blank spots, buttered biscuit more burnt than undercooked. The carbonation is perhaps too fluffed up to keep the whole clear and linear. It’s interesting at times but not the sort of brew you really want to invest a lot of time or gullet space to.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:40:16 | More by farrago

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Pours a slightly hazy honey orange with a 1 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A thick curtain of lace forms on the glass during the drink down. Smell is of malt and herbal and citrus zest hop aromas. Taste is of malt and herbal and floral hops. There is an almost medicinal bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a crisp level of carbonation with a prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but not something I would probably get again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 16:35:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

LtCracker20

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours an absolutely cloudy pale orange body with a 1-finger head that falls to a nice cap that sticks around for a while. Some white lacing.

S- Some sweet caramel malts, lightly hopped, and also some funk mixed with some skunky aroma. A little buttery as well.

T- Biscuity, a little skunky, slight grassy hop flavors, and sweet caramel. Some cereal flavors to it.

MF- Moderate to full bodied beer. A little lower carbonation levels then expected.

O- Received for Christmas in a gift pack with a few good beers, but a 60 Min IPA that was a year old, so this beer is at least that. But considering the age, not too bad except for the slight skunkiness and the malt being so forward.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 23:08:23 | More by LtCracker20

hyprlt

Ohio

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

12 oz bottle poured into mason jar

A: yellow-golden, clear but not too clear. there was some condensation as I left the beer in the fridge.

S: straw, light hay/barnyard aroma. not offensive, not overpowering.

T: as it should. light carmel sweetness and a crisp hop bite. slight bitterness lingers for a while after.

M: in the beginning the carbonation seemed a bit much. seems a bit thick, but I could be wrong. definitely a british style ale.

O: I like it. it feels like I could drink quite a few of these. at 6.8%, I don't think there is enough flavor to enjoy responsibly.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 18:03:26 | More by hyprlt

timtwoface

British Columbia (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I first tried this beer last night, and I enjoyed it. Very easy to drink, nicely hopped (but not overly so), and a bit dry, too. Not my favourite ESB out there but definitely worth a shot. Check it out!

PS - I don't know if it's a joke, or a label misprint, but on the label it reads "Extra Special Beer" rather than "Extra Special Bitter". Interesting...

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 23:10:23 | More by timtwoface