Dragonmead Sir William's ESB - Dragonmead Microbrewery

chrisbokmuller

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -10.2%

05-10-2012 02:28:30 | More by chrisbokmuller

Chimneyman

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%

03-24-2013 01:55:46 | More by Chimneyman

BlissJunkie

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%

01-14-2013 17:27:53 | More by BlissJunkie

superspak

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Loud crack upon opening yields insanely high carbonation into the glass, this took a while to pour. Pours hazy dark reddish copper color with a huge 2 finger fluffy off white head with insane retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass, with a ton of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, raisin, toffee, toast, bread, floral, and herbal hops. Pretty nice aromas with solid strength and balance. Taste of caramel, toast, toffee, raisin, bread, light pine, floral, herbal, and earthy spiciness. Decent amount of earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, raisin, toffee, bread, light pine, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a short bit. Solid balance of flavors and fairly robust feeling for 4.8%; zero cloying flavors on the finish. Quite dry on the finish as expected from the high carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a lightly creamy and very crisp mouthfeel that is ok. I swirled a lot of the carbonation out of this one on purpose. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a solid ESB. This was probably infected, but the taste didn’t seem to be affected that badly. In the end it was pretty tasty, I had no problems finishing the glass.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:40:17 | More by superspak

tectactoe

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -24%

09-16-2012 15:12:59 | More by tectactoe

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one looks a bit too dark to me, and the nose strikes me as straight up apple juice. The flavor is decent, I suppose. A bit too tangy sweet with a higher grain tone than I would be expecting. There is a creamy aspect to it, which makes it a bit more pleasant. Kolsch seems a style that not many American breweries can really pull together. This one is, okay. A bit too heavy, but a decently drinkable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 18:04:53 | More by RblWthACoz

BellsFan

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -30.9%

04-13-2012 00:14:31 | More by BellsFan

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3/5  rDev -17.1%

12-22-2011 04:09:12 | More by TurdFurgison

Goldfoot

Michigan

5/5  rDev +38.1%

12-16-2011 16:47:13 | More by Goldfoot

adamant1912

Michigan

4/5  rDev +10.5%

11-17-2011 07:52:06 | More by adamant1912

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 6/19/2010. On tap at the brewery. Pours a slightly hazy brown with a small white head. Aroma of light fruits, caramel malt, and bready, sweet malt. Flavor of sweet fruits, jam, nutty malt, and toasted malt. Palate is a little weak, almost juice-like. Rather sweet by the end of the glass. This one was ok.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 23:14:52 | More by LilBeerDoctor

bierenutz

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Pours a clear brown color with a finger thick head and nice lacing on the glass.
S-Roasted malts and a grassy/earthy hop aroma.
T-Burnt malt taste with a bitter hoppy finish and smokey afternotes.
M-Medium bodied and moderate carbonation. There was a dry feel left in the mouth.
D-Fair overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 01:49:09 | More by bierenutz

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazed deep tea color of brown and red. Zero head to speak of. Slightly malty smell but other than that not a whole lot going on. Very clean aroma. The taste is slightly matly with a nice hops taste at the end that lingers. Overall a very clean semi full bodied esb that is decent. Medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 18:54:38 | More by kbutler1

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Has a nice, fruity, slightly malty aroma that is not strong but invites a taste. It pours an attractive clear mahogany with a thick and fairly persistent white head. Flavor is malty and a little fruity with a little hop bitterness and a cider-like undertone. Texture is lively and quite fizzy, leaving behind a nice tingle and a hoppy, woody finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 21:44:18 | More by Cyberkedi

brentk56

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a magnificent head that sticks and curtains the pint glass

Smell: Fruity, almost "Juicy Fruity" character; not picking up too much hoppiness in the nose

Taste: Sweet toffee flavor at the outset, with a growing fruity character; some earthy hops kick in by mid-palate, but the finish is dominated by the sweeter aspects

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body; way overcarbonated

Drinkability: Marred by overcarbonation and a lack of balancing bitterness, this is a disappointing effort

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2010 22:33:40 | More by brentk56

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another gem I received as an extra recently. I was thrilled to get a hold of a good portion of the lineup here and decided to start with this one. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 06/02/2009.



The pour was very nice. Rich amber in color with a light brown, mineral like look to it. Smooth, even head of creamy white capped off the top quite nicely at a height of an inch and a half before settling down into a nice firm layer that stayed throughout. Light aroma of citrus and green tea. Hints of a mineral like quality wash across the tongue at first before a chewy tea like flavor takes over from there on out. Smooth, sweet caramel note in the finish wraps it up nicely while overall the light feel and nice light carbonation made for a very session able addition.



Not bad at all here. It was more in the traditional vein of the style for me, but I have to admit it came across quite well. I would have no issue at all with trying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2009 00:23:28 | More by mikesgroove

paco1029384756

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark copper color with a short white head.

Scent of caramel, fresh tobacco, and a bit of earth. A nice malty scent, surprisingly full considering the ABV.

Taste is quite malty as well, there is a very faint hop presence with some caramel and a hint of tobacco. While not my favorite style, this is pretty good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 00:13:00 | More by paco1029384756

emerge077

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Single from Siciliano's.

Poofy head that billowed up to the lip of the Duvel tulip, leaving random lace all around. Very dark brown, nearly opaque.

Toasted malt aroma with some vegetal notes.

Rough but sweet malt, mild green apple, earthy plant matter, with an astringent feel that tends to distract from the overall experience. Medium bodied, dry roasty aftertaste. Drinks ok, but it lacks a certain something to make it unique. I'd try it again on tap before fully passing on it.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2008 01:27:08 | More by emerge077

alexgash

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle.

Dark, cola brown body. Thick, frothy, lacy, dirty khaki brown head. Maybe the darkest ESB I've seen. Caramel malts on the nose, with hints of fruit. Decent floral, herbal hop aroma. Toasted malt flavor up front. Herbal bitterness as well. Becomes more roasted and chocolatey with hints of plum and a minerally twang. Herbal bitterness returns for the finish. Not bad. Moderate body with a lively feel. Nice session beer (although the price is a little steep...$2.50 per 12 oz.).

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2008 23:19:44 | More by alexgash

Reneejane

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I just loved this beer. It poured a rich brown color with a great fluffy head that retained quite well over time. It had a definite hop flavor, which was predominated by English hops. The malts balanced out the hops nicely. The malt flavor was not sweet but rather distinctly smokey. It wasn't a very strong smoke flavor, just a slight nuance that created a satisfying character in the ESB. The beer finished with a refreshing bitter final note.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2008 03:44:59 | More by Reneejane

zdk9

Texas

2.68/5  rDev -26%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a rich mahagony color with just a faint whisper of foam on top, no lacing.

S- Sweet malt, carmely, with noticable diactyl. Not much hops

T- Same as the smell put slightly more powerful. Sweet carmel malt with diactyl. Where's the hops? Can't seem to get much bitterness out of this one even with some forceful tasting over the back of my tongue.

M- Good thick syrupyness, I do enjoy this aspect of this beer.

D- Not a great taste of smell. The really only redeeming quality is the good mouthfeel. I'm left unimpressed.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2007 04:05:31 | More by zdk9

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Darkest bronze with an infusion of rustic orange. I've seen brown ales that were lighter than Sir William's. The head is malted milk beige in color and develops into a slope-shouldered mesa of creaminess as it melts. An abundant amount of abstract-patterned lace puts the capper on an attractive appearance.

There isn't much going on with the nose. I can appreciate the toffee-like aromas of the crystal malt, but the Galena and Fuggles hops are in the background. Way in the background. If they manage to creep into the foreground with warming, I'll bump the score accordingly. Edit: they do and I have.

This Dragonmead offering tastes like it looks. That is, it tastes like a generously hopped brown ale rather than the stated style. I can't think of too many ESBs that count heavily toasted bread (maybe even brown bread) sprinkled with cocoa as a member of the flavor profile. I'm not saying that I don't like it, I'm just saying that it's different.

After an initial flash of sweetness, the bitterness comes rolling across the tongue and lingers through the finish. More hop flavor would be nice and would probably be present were it not for the light roastiness of the malts. An ale yeast esteriness (which comes across as a tangy fruitiness) adds yet another dimension.

The mouthfeel has no real weaknesses and no real strengths. In other words, I didn't notice it until I went looking for it. More heft would be good, but it isn't essential given the ABV and the style.

Sir William's is a different sort of ESB. It's probably the darkest one that I've ever had and takes some getting used to as a result. Balance and drinkability are highlights. There aren't really any lowlights. Dragonmead can't compete with Michigan's best breweries, but from what I've seen so far, they're more than capable.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 14:10:14 | More by BuckeyeNation

Lexx

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this one up at Goodrich's in East Lansing.
Pours a clear, coppery amber color with a light tan foamy head. Light, spotty lacing.
The first thing I thought of when I smelled this one was muffins. It has a scent reminiscent baking bran muffins. A bit of grassiness and caramel.
The taste is grainy, almost resembling hay, with a bit of caramel, with just a slight bitterness in the finish. This was alright, quite easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 22:29:48 | More by Lexx

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Lexx for picking this up in Michigan!

Pours a slightly hazed red/brown, quite dark, bit of protein floating around, thick tan head forms, nice lacing, solid layer. Smell is sweet, caramalized and grainy, grass, citrus, bit of floral, very banana bready, pretty nice. Taste is sweet, malty, bit of grain, light roast and floral, watery flavour, bit of grassy bitterness in the finish, although quite weak. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low carbonation, smooth and easy to drink. Flavour is too thin, but otherwise pretty decent to drink. Thanks Alexa!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 22:24:21 | More by Viggo

enfield249

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark brown, head towards black. Darker then I have seen a lot of ESBs. Not much head to speak of, but some lacing.

S - Can't get much off this, might be the temp. might be my nose.

T - Really good malty flavor, roastyness, and some bitterness that sticks around after you finish. Might be a mix of the roast and the hops. Not much creamyness.

M - On the full side for a ESB, but I like it.

D - A nice halfway point between a mild ale and a stout. A light stout, summer stout? Something like that.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2007 01:44:34 | More by enfield249