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

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
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

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a sampler shaker. Poured ruby red with a minimal brownish off-white head. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, sweet malt, and nutty. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, nutty, dark chocolate, subtle coffee, and citrus. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly good brew. I was really quite surprised by this one based on the flavor. There was really a lot going on in this one that I usually don’t find in this style that was a very welcomed change. The aroma on the other hand could have used a little work as it was quite simple. Nicely done brew that I wouldn’t mind having again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 15:37:11 | More by thagr81us

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at 775 Gastropub

Nice deep mahogany color, pretty good head retention and lacing.

Smell has some notes of coffee and other brown things.

Taste is very robust. Coffee, a little chocolate and nuttiness and a rush of malts and hops come at you hard. It's quite a mouthful, but it's all very smooth. The serving came in a 20oz. glass and I sat at the bar for a good hour with it, taking periodic sips and appreciating the depth. It's definitely not an anytime beer, though, especially not in the summer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one so I made it a point to grab a pack at the store when I got the chance. It's definitely better on tap, but I am enjoying the pack at a leisurely pace, especially since it came off the rotating tap at Gastropub.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2011 21:34:29 | More by TheRealBigC

DCon

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-keg(tap) @ Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, MO during the Alpine Shop Dirt Crit MTB Series. Tapped 4 times into Mt New Belgium 12oz cup throughout the whole day.

Aroma- bit of roast and losts of malt and caramel.

Appearance- received with a 2 finger, light brown head that has good retention. Dark amber colored body that is clear. Good lacing.

Flavor- high maltiness with a nice caramel flavor. Medium hops and perfect for an American Brown. Medium bitterness.

Mouthfeel- light-medium bodied, high carbonation, refreshing, and leaves bit of caramel on palate. Feels too light here for the style.

Overall Impression- great brown like always. Wish it wasn't called an Esb... But for those who drink this know what it really is.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 22:48:56 | More by DCon

sphmiel

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap @ Dressel's.
A- hazy, chestnut body, slowly fading tan head with great lacing.
A- toasty malts, but citrus hops quickly predominate
T- toasty, nutty malts up front, quickly balanced by citrus and resiny hops
M - medium mouthfeel, nicely carbonated
D - almost a sessionable beer - well balanced

paired well with a rich lamb burger

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 19:04:57 | More by sphmiel

JLeege

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- on tap, poured into a pint glass. Pours a lighter brown color with a soapy looking small head. A bit of lace is left behind.

Smell- malty, some earthy and pine hops. A tad metallic even.

Taste- A bit of toasted malts, some light pine hopping. Sweet and bready overall though. A slight nuttyness.

Mouthfeel- Low carbonation and a bit thin.

Overall- Maybe this was towards the bottom of the barrel, but it was a rather underwhelming brown ale, I have been pretty impressed by Grand Teton, but this did not do much for me. There are much better browns out there.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 23:50:19 | More by JLeege

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served with a nice, large, foamy, frothy, light tan head that lasts a while and lots of lace. Color is a clear amber brown. Aroma is malt n hops. Flavor is like american brown pushing the limits - in fact, maybe too far. Too me the hop is at least equal to the malt and dominates it in some ways. That crosses it over into some other beer style. Body is good and good carbonation, but the jacked up bitterness is more astringent and pucker in the mouth. Finish is a little on the sharp side, but still overall a great drinking beer. Just a little outside aba. Oh, and the ESB moniker needs to go, not witty or clever at all. Seems to me a cheesy attempt at humor or marketing guy's got to get canned.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2010 21:39:24 | More by drpimento

dan4th

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got on tap in a sampler at the Burger Bar in Vegas, and was impressed enough to come back for a pint. Advertised as a brown ale, but definitely has the feel of a bitter in several respects. Beautiful garnet brown color, surprisingly thick head sticks well to the glass. Maybe not the best pairing with their complex burgers (maybe an IPA?) but a strong showing

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2010 00:14:32 | More by dan4th

cbarrett4

Oregon

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - poured from tap, a good rusty reddish copper hue with a good level of head.

S - Very nice nose with some malt, spice, and a little hint of dry hops, very subtle and rewarding.

T - Subtle flavor with hints of malt and the spice with a touch of fruit to balance.

M - Medium + body though very balanced acids and tannins

D - The key to a good ESB is to have a seriousness to what is basically a Session style beer and this is a great example. Very rewarding and drinkable.

But seriously, this is what an ideal ESB made in the traditional English style should taste like.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 19:16:21 | More by cbarrett4

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My second beer at the Burger Bar (Las Vegas). I'm English, so I know all about ESB's right? Wrong, this doesn't look, feel or taste like any UK based ESB I've had (not that this is a bad beer).

Dark brown in colour, the head was an off-white tanned affair, half an inch to start with, but losing ground fairly swiftly.

The aroma was a good mix of both hops and malt molasses, these followed on into the taste, the two flavours blending nicely to give a strong and robust bitter/sweet intermix.

The flavours hung around for a pleasant aftertaste. My taste buds liked it, but I couldn't have another, my mission was only just starting!

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2010 07:42:06 | More by BlackHaddock

Redrover

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this one on tap at the Bitter Creek Ale House in Boise. What a great beer bar!

Served in a standard pint, the beer is brown with a tan head & fair lacing.

The aroma is of grains, a bit of citrus and brown sugar.

The beer is sweet with nice trailing bitterness. Brown sugar, bagel, floral and citrus hops. Very balanced with a great smooth mouth.

The 6.5% may make it hard to session, but I'm willing to try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2010 16:02:57 | More by Redrover

CPeterson

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A -- Big frothy head and a deep brownish/copper color. Almost no lacing.

S -- Smells of fresh floral hops and heavy malt.

T -- Sweet and malty only being halted by the hops, which make a very well balanced brew.

M -- Medium heavy, low carbonation.

D -- Very drinkable, especially in colder weather...a perfect compliment to MN. Overall, a very enjoyable beer with good character. Very much worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2009 01:59:38 | More by CPeterson

Wheelinb

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bitter indeed but there is a lot more going on here.

Poured a nice copper color with a creme colored foam that left nice lacing in concentric rings all the way down the glass. Can't say I got much in the way of distinct aroma from this.

My first sip was all bitter tasting. It grabbed my tongue and held tight, but as I sipped more, the more flavors came out. There is actually a lot of completxity and big flavors to be had here once you get past the initial bitter shock.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2009 00:22:35 | More by Wheelinb

beertunes

Washington

2.93/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a very dark brown with a 1/2 inch of deep tan head that had very good retention and left just slight lacing.

A very malty aroma has just a slight hop spicieness in the nose. The flavor was mostly biscuity type malts with a slightly bitter finish. The finish was also on the dry side and had a sharpness that made me wonder if they used Rye in this brew.

The body was good, typical for the style. The drinkability was good as well. Overall, a solidly decent beer that if it were more regularly available to me, I'd mix into my regular rotation.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2009 19:57:05 | More by beertunes

MisterClean

California

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the west coast beer festival

A - Poured mahogany with 2 fingers of cappuccino colored head. Dissipated slow and left nice lacing.

S/T - Caramel, grass, and light citrus.

M - Full-bodied and well-balanced. Could have been a bit creamier.

D - Good, but needs to be creamier. The color is a little dark and the alcohol content is high for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2009 19:06:39 | More by MisterClean

ralree

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried at the Brewer's Fest in Portland.

A: Dark tan, decent head, decent lacing. Pretty opaque.

S: Dark fruit dominant, caramel malt backing.

T: Dark fruit, good northwest hops, caramel malt, wheat in background and aftertaste. A bit of barley and brown sugar. Alcohol noticeable.

M: Medium-bodied, non-astringent, decent carbonation.

D: Drinks good. You must not crave extreme hops for hate dark fruit, though.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2008 18:34:06 | More by ralree

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A nice dark color; brown/black. Good head, foaming and lacing. Would have liked a bit more, though.
Smell of roasted malt, chocolate and citrus.
Taste was similar, nice balance. The citrus cuts the chocolate apart so that the thickness is clean. Remains a bit thin, however that adds to the drinkability. One of my favorites in the region.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2006 15:52:25 | More by Mebuzzard

jploving

South Carolina

4.24/5  rDev +12.2%
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

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
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

Sark

Montana

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- hazy red brown, no head, even with vigorous pour

Smell- carmel and light chocolate notes, minimal hop characteristics

Taste- light toffee and chocolate, malts impart a little sweetness, bitterness comes on the mid tongue from the hops

Mouthfeel- medium bodied, crisp bitterness finish

Overall- Interesting take on an ESB with a nod to a brown

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:04:41 | More by Sark

handlerb

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a beautiful deep ruby color; blood red when held up to the light. Dark for an ESB, light for a brown.

S - notes of caramel/toffee highlighted with some biscuity tones. Minimal noble hop presence.

T - the smell didn't lie: a strong malt presence with highlights of dark caramel and crystal malts, maybe even a hint of dried fruit. Finishes with a bittering that lingers just long enough for me to want the next sip.

M - Solid, a bit on the dry side, but as expected with this nod the the ESB style

O - Good beer, interesting take on the style. I'll have no problem finishing the 6-pack.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 23:30:22 | More by handlerb

spoony

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From a 12 oz bottle (brewed on January 16, 2013) into a globe glass.

A-A normal pour produces less than one finger of light, mocha-colored foam. A thick cap of foam persists and leaves some lacing on the glass. The brew is quite dark, nearly opaque, with a reddish tint.

S-The smell is relatively rich and malty with some caramel notes and hint of brown sugar. A couple of deep whiffs unveils a light, peppery bitterness from the hops. A pleasing and powerful smell.

T-The taste is not as concentrated as the smell and trends more to the hoppy end of the flavor spectrum. There is still the caramel and light roastiness in the malt flavor, but the sharp, slightly herbal hop notes move towards the front.

M-The feel is mild creaminess with low carbonation and medium weight. The brew gets slightly slick feeling after the foam cap has disappeared.

O-This was a drinkable and slightly different take on the brown style with decent flavor and a concentrated smell. I would have preferred more malt in the flavor profile, but nothing here was completely out of place. It paired nicely with the chili I was eating.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:35:09 | More by spoony

TheSixthRing

California

3.76/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a cloudy, almost muddy brown with a slight orange tinge. Lots of yeasty sediment float around and throughout the glass. The head is a yellowish tan, about a finger thick and shows fair retention. Lacing is spotty.

Smell - Sweet, slightly nutty aroma. Lesser notes of citrus hop rounds out the smell.

Taste - Starts with a lot of nutty character and a subtle caramel sweetness. This is quickly swept aside by a bullish, bitter hop attack that hits on orange rind, and rides this out into the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with soft, somewhat tingly carbonation. A touch creamy. Very smooth, finishing a bit on the dry side.

Overall - A good, fairly interesting brew. A lot more hop character than I expected. Definitely a beer I'd consider trying again, though it's not high on my priority list.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:01:42 | More by TheSixthRing

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic pint glass at fridge-cellar temperature.

L – Brown color with a 1.5-finger frothy, somewhat rocky, cream-colored head. Really great retention and some nice lacing. Clear with a decent amount of appreciable bubbles. This is a bit dark for a true ESB, but I guess that’s why they call it “Extra Special Brown.”

S – Caramel, toffee, and nutty malt aromas with an equal dose of grapefruit and maybe floral hops. There also may be a hint of raisins in the aroma, as well. There’s a good, balanced mix of brown ale-style malt and hops here.

T – It starts off with sweet caramel and brown sugar. Right afterward, dry toasted and nutty malts come in. At mid-taste toward the finish, bitter hops appear with much more earthy and piney flavors than the aroma suggested, along with the grapefruit that was apparent.

F – Medium-bodied with pretty good carbonation, a creamy and smooth mouthfeel, and a bittersweet, earthy, and dry finish. Some of the bitter and dry earthy and woody flavors linger at the back of the tongue for a bit.

O – This is a decent beer. I think it may fit better in the brown ale category, albeit with a few more hops than the usual example (picture a brown IPA). Because of this, its characteristics are kind of out of the ranges of good ESB characteristics. I’d like to see more sweet caramel and less toasted and nutty malts. This would also lighten the color into a more ESB-appropriate range. I’d also like to see more earthy and floral hops rather than citrus and pine. Some earthiness was definitely present in the taste but not so much in the aroma. Regardless of all of this, it’s not a bad tasting beer and it’s certainly drinkable. I just think that this beer would be better suited in a different category. I think Grand Teton could make a better beer that would be much better suited for the ESB style.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:00:52 | More by BlackBelt5112203

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.46/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A nice finger of head on a dark brown body.
The aroma has a smooth nuttiness coupled with a lemon. It works nicely.
The taste starts with a malty mild sweetness, then quickly turns to a grapefruit/lemon bitterness. It's a bit abrupt.
The texture is crisp and still smooth with moderate carbonation.
I like it. It's a nice mix of an ESB and a brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:39:57 | More by Fatehunter