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Special Ale ESB
River Horse Brewing Co.
- 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:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 09, 2014
- Added:
- Jun 01, 2002
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thespaceman:
Reviewed by thespaceman from Connecticut
3.51/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
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, 2010Appearance: 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.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Omnium from Pennsylvania
3.12/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
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, 2013A - 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.
Reviewed by claspada from New Jersey
3.06/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
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, 2012Aromas 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.
Special Ale ESB from River Horse Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
74 out of
100 with
162 ratings
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