Special Ale ESB
River Horse Brewing Co.

Special Ale ESBSpecial Ale ESB
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From:
River Horse Brewing Co.
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
74
Avg:
3.18 | pDev: 14.47%
Reviews:
134
Ratings:
162
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 09, 2014
Added:
Jun 01, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by thespaceman:
Photo of thespaceman
Reviewed by thespaceman from Connecticut

3.51/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass:

Appearance: Pours a light amber in color, a small head emerges and quickly dissipates into thin wisps of lacing. Bubbles stream up the glass from the carbonation. This beer shows nice and clear with minimal haze.

Smell: Up front is a plethora of fruit, a touch of butterscotch and some caramel malt shows off a nicely balanced backbone. I get bits of light esters, almost apple like. Not a boring nose just not enough to write home about.

Taste: The maltiness shows off nicely in the taste, as in the taste, I get a lot of caramel properties, it's sweet yet well reserved. Bits of apple, and lighter side of fruit florals show a well balanced beer here. Finish consists of a drop of honey and some sweetness from the malt.

Mouthfeel: Slightly bitter, good carbonation all around. Medium bodied mouthfeel with a slight bit of slickness on the tongue.

Drinkability: Overall, a very drinkable ESB. I like the notes of honey like sweetness and caramel in here, they really smooth things out. At 4.5%, it's very drinkable and east to throw back a few. A good offering from a very solid brewery.
Jan 15, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of bluehende
Rated by bluehende from Delaware

2.5/5  rDev -21.4%
Way over carbonated....gushers
Dec 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by wrightst from Maryland

Nov 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by harpus from Alabama

Mar 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by buzzy from Pennsylvania

Mar 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by cmq103 from New Jersey

Feb 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by rorjets from Connecticut

Jan 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by BillRoth from Maryland

Dec 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Varkias41 from New Jersey

Aug 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by NYR_Rob from Pennsylvania

Aug 17, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by EBeckett3 from New Jersey

Aug 15, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

May 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

May 17, 2013
Photo of Omnium
Reviewed by Omnium from Pennsylvania

3.12/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a reddish brown color nice 1 finger head of an off white tint, no real lacing though.
S - Caramel and toffee malts, an odd alcohol scent, but there's not much alcohol in this beer? Some sour candies and stale bread as well.
T - Tastes like a bad brown ale, all malt flavors with barely any hops or even bitterness. Very bland, and mildly tart
M - Thin fizzy, no good flavors resonating (not that there were any to begin with)
O - Horrid example of an ESB, River Horse needs to go back to the books on this one.
Apr 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Dec 24, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Nov 13, 2012
Photo of claspada
Reviewed by claspada from New Jersey

3.06/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a deep orange with a very large off white head with good retention.

Aromas begin with sweet pale malt and some light honey/caramel. As it warms you get some slight doughy, roasted maltiness with a bit of earthy hoppiness.

The tastes follow the nose with light caramel, toasted bready maltiness with some light toffee flavors as well. Light and clean earthy hoppiness emerges more as it warms.

The mouthfeel is light bodied with medium to high carbonation. Finish is lightly dry and earthy but mainly clean and crisp.

Overall this is a decent, flavorful and balanced ESB. Nothing to mind-blowing but quite satifying considering the ABV, but nothing close to the traditional quality English examples or even as good as many American interpretations.
Sep 24, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by cde1218 from Rhode Island

Sep 17, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by jurbanik from New Jersey

Sep 07, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by OriolesFan1008 from Maryland

Jun 07, 2012
Special Ale ESB from River Horse Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 162 ratings