Extra Special Ale (ESA)
Yards Brewing Co.

Extra Special Ale (ESA)Extra Special Ale (ESA)
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From:
Yards Brewing Co.
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #68
ABV:
6%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,699
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 12.1%
Reviews:
276
Ratings:
651
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Dec 01, 2001
Wants:
  15
Gots:
  101
Our first ever and most beloved brew, ESA helped establish a following for cask-conditioned beer in the United States back in the ‘90s. East Kent Golding hops give this English style ale a subtle spiciness, which compliments its strong malt backbone. Hints of chocolate and caramel round out this deep chestnut colored ale. Floral, earthy, smooth.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Wattie83
Reviewed by Wattie83 from Pennsylvania

4.17/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12oz can poured into a nonic pint glass. Look is clear deep amber color with a nice tan head that leaves you with some lacing as you drink. Smell is bready malt, earthy hops, caramel candy. Taste starts sweet and malty, toffee, caramel, dark bread in the middle. The finish is short with earthy, spicy hops rounding things out. A bit of bitterness in the end too. Feel is the lighter side of medium bodied. Light carbonation keeps it moving. Overall, this is the first beer I tried from Yards many, many years ago. I really enjoyed it then, and I'm still liking it now. Wish I had had a chance to try this from a cask back when.
Mar 10, 2024
Photo of Spade
Reviewed by Spade from Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12 oz. can. Wonderful malt base with a hint of caramel and minimal hop presence. Tons of foam which lingered. This is a modern classic and I was glad to see it packaged again.
Nov 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.52 by sbradley41 from Pennsylvania

Nov 03, 2023
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Beer pours a nice head. Beer is a nice brown color. Good strong malty note in the smell. Caramel with a light toffee roast comes upfront. Hops are florals but dominated by the malt. Taste is a bit more balanced but still malt heavy. Caramel notes upfront and a floral yet earthy hop note to keep it from being too sweet. Good medium body with nice thickness to it and a biting carbonation. Delicious and a great ESB.
Aug 17, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Apr 27, 2019
Photo of JA_26
Reviewed by JA_26 from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
One of the first local craft brews I had starting many years ago, so it holds a fond spot in my heart, but I've noticed some batch inconsistency with ESA. When it's on, it's really on - superb balance of malt and hops. But sometimes I've gotten an off batch - not just a bottle or two, but the entire six pack or case. Fortunately that's only happened twice so far in many years of drinking ESA. But when it happened it was really disappointing.
Feb 08, 2019
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.27/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is basically an older-school ESB only slightly Americanized. That is extremely something I enjoy.

Pour is brown and medium hazy with a nice head. They give you full imperial pints at the Yard's brewery.

Aroma is malt-heavy: toasty and nicely ashen. Not biscuity to toffee-sweet, like most English ESB's, although that works here because it compliments the dry, spicy goldings hops.

Tastes like it smells: malt-forward but with a lovely hop balance. It's a milder ale, and not particularly bitter even by the standards of the late 1990s when it was introduced, but it's still a fantastically brewed beer that's a delight to drink.
Jan 14, 2019
 
Rated: 4.27 by SeymourDunn from Wisconsin

Dec 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by Stofko1992 from Pennsylvania

Nov 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.1 by BigMustyElbows from Pennsylvania

Nov 10, 2018
Photo of Skywave
Reviewed by Skywave from Oklahoma

2.82/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Appearance
Pours to lacey buff head and clear red amber
Aroma
Sweet crystal malts and...bubblegum?
Flavor
Starts sweets ends tangy
Mouthfeel
Somewhat sugary and astringent. CO2 high for style.
Overall
Drinkable but heavily stylized. Not a true ESB.
Oct 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by kcc from Pennsylvania

Aug 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.48 by Jbalintjr from Pennsylvania

Mar 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.2 by Smilsteen from Pennsylvania

Jan 04, 2018
Photo of nick_perry
Reviewed by nick_perry from North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Orange color, rising bubbles, and a lingering ½ finger head. No noticeable aromas. A little bitter at first, transitioning to an interesting dank earthiness.
Dec 31, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by rcwilliamsjr from New Jersey

Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Urk1127 from New Jersey

Sep 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Furley80 from Pennsylvania

Sep 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.15 by wmcgar01 from Pennsylvania

Sep 03, 2017
Photo of HoppingMadMonk
Rated by HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Crisp,well carbonated ale.great balance between the malt and hops which made it an excellent easy beer to drink
Aug 19, 2017
Extra Special Ale (ESA) from Yards Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 651 ratings