Bitch Creek ESB (Extra Special Brown) - Grand Teton Brewing Co.

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Appearance is a great red-brown opaque color with limited off white to tan colored head. Exactly what a beer of this style should look like except with the excessive amount of yeast particle that comes with. I don't mind a good unfiltered beer but when there are a lot of chunks of yeast and other particles floating around that you wonder if you will need to chew it, that's too much. All in all, nice look but big turnoff on the unfiltered.

Smell is bready and sweet but balanced with a solid hop aroma. Overall, it smells like a well balanced beer just as you would expect based on the appearance.

Taste is significantly more hoppy than you would expect given the appearance and smell but all in all not bad. Taste is still balanced but does lean a touch towards hoppy which I prefer. Decent bitterness present beyond the various hop flavors. All in all an average version of style, not great but drinkable. Would not have more than one and would be looking to quickly pawn it off to move on to a more palatable brew.

Mouthfeel is probably the best thing this beer has going for it as it is crisp and light and has a very nice level of carbonation. It is the only redeeming quality of this beer.

Overall, a decent/average example of style that maybe tried to go a bit too far to be different and ended up hurting instead of helping the beer. I probably would not have another one, especially because of the appearance.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:23:31 | More by ElderPuma

Davit

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

06-16-2013 21:25:29 | More by Davit

beercatbrew

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

06-14-2013 02:43:29 | More by beercatbrew

Rihup

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

06-04-2013 01:00:59 | More by Rihup

Polarslag

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

06-03-2013 01:37:51 | More by Polarslag

speedvagen

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

06-01-2013 11:09:43 | More by speedvagen

Lawl3ss

Texas

1.75/5  rDev -53.6%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Lightly chilled 12 oz bottle into a 33cl snifter. Bottling date 12.11.12.

Look- Pours ruby brown with a pretty ridiculous four-finger head that falls slowly - takes six pours and ten minutes waiting to empty the bottle. Minimal lacing. Significant particulate, and a cake of sludge in the bottom of the bottle. Very unappealing.

Smell- Floral, citrusy, sharp, astringent. Very American- unexpected. Mild burnt toffee in the background, but overall very hop-forward.

Taste- Maltier than anticipated after the aroma, but that's not saying this is a malty beer. Fruity/skunky/sweet flavor that makes me think Galena and Warrior hops, doesn't really mesh well with the mellow toasted shortbread malt, diacetyl definitely present but low. Finishes with a lingering lemon black tea bitterness. Mild sweetness throughout.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, light-medium carbonation. Grainy, sandy feel. Well, after typing that I took a second look and go figure there's about a half inch of hop and yeast residue in the bottom of the glass. Good one on me, Grand Teton. I'm done with this beer.

Overall- Well, this beer's just a hot mess- reminds me of bad generic hoppy American amber homebrew. Sharp, poor balance, and well... gross. Bottle conditioning gone wrong, I hope. The amount of sediment in the beer is actually pretty shocking, and it's definitely trub and hop particulate. Very bad- I feel no regrets about pouring this out other than the $1.75 I spent on the bottle. All that and it wasn't even the dark English-style ESB it was advertised as- two shades more caramel and this would definitely be classified as an American IPA. Off for the style and completely undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 01:42:23 | More by Lawl3ss

ADTaber

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-29-2013 00:02:57 | More by ADTaber

Damian74Shensky

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-28-2013 20:31:14 | More by Damian74Shensky

timontheroad

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-26-2013 02:09:39 | More by timontheroad

OMPH

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

05-23-2013 05:26:54 | More by OMPH

jploving

South Carolina

4.24/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I was very fortunate yesterday....An old friend and I had a few beers together on his front porch in rocking chairs and he supplied the beer....nice....free beer.
What makes it even better is that he let me have 2 VERY GOOD beers....Founders Dirty Bastard and Bitch Creek ESB.
I will focus on the ESB today....as in Extra Special Brown...I did not realize that when I took the first sip...I was excpecting a slightly bitter bouquet of fruit...not a malty, caramel toffee...I reread the bottle and BOOM...."Extra Special BROWN"-THIS IS AWESOME!
This reminds me of a first class homebrew (which I pride myself as a 2nd class homebrewer).
It is bottled conditioned so when I poured it up it was cloudy and thick and beautiful. Almost chewy...wonderful mouthfill and great head retention.
The heavy caramel, hint of chocolate and toffee flavors are balanced extremely well by the up front bitterness which only lingers enough until the next sip....
This was a wonderful surprise. I suggest that any Brown Ale lover sniff this beer out and give it a try...great experience.
I rate it 4.25...

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 16:29:31 | More by jploving

JSouth

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-21-2013 20:42:42 | More by JSouth

atone315

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-17-2013 03:58:18 | More by atone315

sevenshubby

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-12-2013 03:00:42 | More by sevenshubby

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA.

Pours a very pleasant ruby-tinged amber-brown colour, with a rather bright yellow crest of foam. This settles down to a loose ring. Body has a pleasant heft to it, and holds its fine carbonation very well. Overall, it's a really good-looking beer. I like it.

Nose is a pleasant melange of toasty, sweet rich malts and bright, fresh hop characters. There's orange citrus and some blossom tones, with a richness like treacle and cinnamon. They work in concert almost perfectly, providing a balanced and complex combination. It's really quite lovely.

Taste takes a step back from this, but still maintains a very pleasant balance: the malt is less prominent here, and it's less rich and full than I thought it might be. Instead, the hops are thrust forward, giving a rounded, supple fruitiness and a pronounced, but not sharp bitterness. Still, it is rounded and balanced with some toasty malt characters and a suggestion of vegemite. It is, in fact, very pleasant.

Feel is smooth and supple, providing another layer of balance against the hop character.

Overall, this is a damn fine beer. It's very delicately balanced, while maintaining a very full and forthright flavour profile. What's more, it's remarkably easy to drink, and oddly moreish. I'm a big fan.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 22:52:53 | More by lacqueredmouse

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-08-2013 00:17:13 | More by cadaugherty

elglueckert

Montana

4/5  rDev +6.1%

05-05-2013 00:08:58 | More by elglueckert

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

05-04-2013 23:20:05 | More by Kelp

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bitch Creek pours a dark reddish color, with a nice long lasting head. Their is a malty aroma, with hints of a harsh sweetness. The taste has a malty flavor, and a bit harsh, with a slightly hoppiness that comes through at the end. Full flavor, but a strange harsh sweetness to it. Overall not a bad beer, worth another go.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 23:18:50 | More by vette2006c5r

bigbeers84

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-29-2013 00:48:27 | More by bigbeers84

LuceScrew

Idaho

5/5  rDev +32.6%

04-27-2013 22:24:01 | More by LuceScrew

gir02021

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

04-16-2013 00:38:37 | More by gir02021

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

04-15-2013 17:45:38 | More by Whiskeydeez

zonker17

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-15-2013 03:15:15 | More by zonker17