River Horse Special Ale ESB - River Horse Brewing Co.

tlinner

New York

4.1/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber that would be pretty clear if there wasn't so much sediment floating around. And seriously, there's a LOT of sediment. If I swirl the glass, it moves as if trapped in Jell-O. The head is big and frothy and leaves behind nice lacing. The smell is very sweet. Melon, caramel, and something that's indescribable; like that smell of "clean" when you walk into a Wal-Mart. The taste is, again, very sweet. There's caramel, honey, light fruits, and there's that "clean" feeling again. It's actually reminding me of a really crisp apple when you first bite into the skin. The mouthfeel is slightly acidic, but pretty smooth overall. I'm puzzled by the less-than-average reviews of this beer; I really liked it, even though it certainly doesn't taste like any ESB I've ever had. Maybe it's that mysterious crispness that makes me enjoy it so much...wait a minute, after a second glass, I figured it out. Apple crispness? Caramel malt? It tastes like a candy apple!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 22:29:57 | More by tlinner

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-27-2013 19:53:22 | More by BeerForMuscle

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +26.2%

05-17-2013 05:18:21 | More by Slatetank

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.11/5  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.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 01:23:26 | More by Omnium

cliff1066

Virginia

3/5  rDev -5.4%

12-24-2012 03:14:00 | More by cliff1066

IPAchris

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +2.5%

11-13-2012 00:30:52 | More by IPAchris

claspada

New Jersey

3.05/5  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.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 15:43:35 | More by claspada

cde1218

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -21.1%

09-17-2012 00:02:10 | More by cde1218

jurbanik

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -21.1%

09-07-2012 14:37:18 | More by jurbanik

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

2/5  rDev -36.9%

06-07-2012 14:43:50 | More by OriolesFan1008

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle from a variety pack. Pours hazy-amber with a thick, foamy, long lasting white head and some lacing. Aroma is of bready malt, caramel and some fruity notes. Body is medium and crisp. Bready, caramel malt is balanced on the palate by earthy hops. Finish is long and bitter. Good brew but not “special”.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:01:00 | More by mikeg67

DSlim71

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev +2.5%

03-12-2012 16:22:41 | More by DSlim71

mikerems

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -5.4%

03-07-2012 06:19:59 | More by mikerems

DreaminBeer

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +10.4%

02-19-2012 11:42:34 | More by DreaminBeer

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

Had this at TJ Smith's and it was okay. if they had a better tap selection last night we wouldn't be talking today. Pours a plain average, came to me clear amber but with nary any carbonation and utterly lacking off head.
Aroma was basically just caramel malts with hardly anything to speak of. Taste is plain and average tasting with malts. There is a sutle nutty finish. Drinks smooth but feels abrasive with a bitter or grain husk finish.
No I don't really much care for this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 16:13:11 | More by micromaniac129

AndrewMichael

Virginia

3/5  rDev -5.4%

02-03-2012 01:21:29 | More by AndrewMichael

bonbini26

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -21.1%

01-10-2012 17:45:35 | More by bonbini26

ROGUE16

Delaware

3/5  rDev -5.4%

12-07-2011 13:45:27 | More by ROGUE16

garuda

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -5.4%

12-05-2011 21:34:39 | More by garuda

djrn2

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -5.4%

11-30-2011 20:27:42 | More by djrn2

mdillon86

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -5.4%

11-26-2011 14:00:20 | More by mdillon86

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -5.4%

11-23-2011 14:52:07 | More by touchmeimsac

patm1986

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +26.2%

11-15-2011 06:20:04 | More by patm1986

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle from Total Wine, Cherry Hill, NJ

A very nice and smooth ESB. Nothing extraordinary here, but still a good simple selection. At least I thought so. Maybe I need to revisit with my somewhat updated palate.

Poured a murky, reddish-brown with a small whitish head. Toasted malts in the aroma, with a bit of sour fruit coming through. Caramel malts in the taste mostly, nutty, with some sweet fruitiness in the background--orange and apricot--and some hop bitterness for balance, but with the malts clearly taking control. Medium mouthfeel, leaves a bit of a film in the mouth, but still fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 18:32:43 | More by Rifugium

generallee

New York

3.93/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: It has an orange amber colored body with lots of yeast fine sediment floating around inside. This is cap off by a tall, light and foamy head. It is light tan in color and slowly fades to thin filmy covering which leaves behind a little slick lacing on the glass.

Smell: I get some really nice sweet bready and doughy maltiness with a faint hint of English hops.

Taste/Palate: There is a nice base of bready maltiness and yeast with pleasant sweetness. I get some mellow notes of honey like sweetness, sugar cookies and even a touch of light caramel and vanilla. The hops come in at the finish and offer some pleasant herbal character and light bitterness for balance. The mouth feel has a firm medium feel with soft carbonation.

Notes: My overall thought is that it may not be the prettiest beer but it has some good flavor notes and nice balance. Also I could see myself drinking more then a few of these at 4.5% abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 22:47:01 | More by generallee