Meyer ESB - Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

BubblesandFoam

California

2/5  rDev -42.9%

12-28-2012 02:07:06 | More by BubblesandFoam

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(had a pint early one morning after doing their sampler flight)

A: light, golden amber liquid, nice creme-colored head that laces in drapes

S: not much to it.... a bit of character from the malt - something about it stood out from the rest of their clean, inoffensive beers....mellow toasty cookie, light-med esters, very lite hop

T: much like the aroma, along with fresh bread, cookie/wafer, some caramel.... grassy hops in balance... some residual dry bitterness finishing it off

M: a little pull in the finish, but on the lighter side in body... neither smooth nor sharp, just clean.... could've had some more roundness

O: best of the ales i had there?... still tastes like it's from a brewpub... stood out as having hints of depth and complexity whereas their other offerings were nice, but all had an unmemorable homogenous clarity on the palate

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 21:41:17 | More by Bouleboubier

mc4z

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

05-08-2013 04:47:59 | More by mc4z

GaryMarkle84

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

03-06-2013 00:15:38 | More by GaryMarkle84

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

03-02-2013 23:51:08 | More by t0rin0

mactrail

California

3.71/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Dark amber in the pint nonic with a creamy head that lasts nicely. Watery body that is paired with a pleasant malty richness. Grainy flavors dominate. This tastes like rye for some reason, with the tast and bitter tang. The hops are more resiny and leave a moderate bitter aftertaste. A dark roasted flavor adds some interest.

Not a bad quaff that seems like a nice middle ground of hops and malt on the drier side. On tap at the Thirsty Bear in San Francisco [notes from 01/24/2013 visit].

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-22-2013 05:28:09 | More by mactrail

jda007

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

07-20-2012 01:55:16 | More by jda007

Arborescence

Finland

2.75/5  rDev -21.4%

05-27-2012 04:09:45 | More by Arborescence

moneyfunnel

California

4.5/5  rDev +28.6%

04-25-2012 02:36:46 | More by moneyfunnel

Hoppaholic

Florida

3/5  rDev -14.3%

01-12-2012 03:52:13 | More by Hoppaholic

mhaugo

California

3/5  rDev -14.3%

12-18-2011 17:27:02 | More by mhaugo

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -14.3%

12-11-2011 22:52:53 | More by jenray

litheum94

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Part of the sampler platter. Reviewed 7/15/10.

P: Caramel brown body. Dirty white head with a nice covering.

A: Somewhat subdued aromas of floral hops, jasmine and caramel malts.

T: Smooth and creamy. Floral and earthy hops impart a lite bitterness. Caramel malts balance the flavors.

A solid ESB. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-08-2011 03:58:25 | More by litheum94

dgilks

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear copper colour with a creamy, long lasted off-white head. Good lacing.

Nutty, sweet caramel aroma with very light citrussy hops. Good.

Crisp caramelised malt flavour with a nice hoppy edge. Well balanced and full of flavour.

Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. Very good.

A really solid American style ESB with a good balance between the malt and the hops. Easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 09:42:29 | More by dgilks

hiku7

California

3.28/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this on tap at Thirsty Bear in SF. Didn't have my notebook with me, so I'm doing this from memory.

A - Deep copper with a small to moderate head. The color looked on the darker-hued side for an ESB, but well within the style.

S - Malt malt malt. Caramelly sweetness coming through with only a touch of hops.

T - Same as the smell. This beer is mostly malt on the taste, too much so IMHO, and not enough hop balance.

M - Thick and creamy, almost syrupy. A bit on the heavy end of an ESB.

D - Not great. After one of these I was ready to move on.

Overall, I found it too malty and sweet and a bit off target for an ESB, though the maltiness tasted fine, and I took my time enjoying it while watching march madness. Just made me feel a bit fuller than I was expecting and without enough hop balance.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2011 02:00:20 | More by hiku7

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the brewpub in San Francisco. Pours a reddish-copper colour with a finger of white head. Nice enough head retention, mild lacing on the glass. Floral hops with a big toasted malt backbone. Very mild bitterness. This didn't quite live up to many other ESB's I've had, though it was pleasant.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 16:42:20 | More by kwjd

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from nitro-tap at the brewery.

Pours a smooth amber colour, with a small but creamy head of white foam, although the brewery lighting is rather dim. Looks pretty decent.

Smooth on the nose with a bit of malty sweetness, very round with a crispness that reminds me of raw potato. Quite sweet overall, certainly not a big ESB sharpness. But nice.

Sweet grain on the palate, a little dusty - certainly not a lot of hops. Very clean though on the palate, and the texture is very pleasant.

It's an extremely drinkable brew, let's give it that. Would make a great session beer - there's enough character to keep it interesting, not enough to wear out the palate, and it's extremely smooth.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-23-2010 03:24:48 | More by lacqueredmouse

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, reddish hue with a thick beige cap. Excellent head retention with lots of sticky lace. The aroma was malty and sweet with a hint of caramel and faint, earthy hops. Bitterness was on the low side, balanced towards malt and caramel. Hops were light and grassy. Medium bodied with lowish carbonation, smooth texture. I enjoyed my pint, though I thought it could have used a bit more bitterness to really round out the flavour.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2010 19:07:17 | More by DrJay

argock

Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from nitro-tap in a clear weizen glass.

A: Ruby-mahogany hue with steep sticky light tan head with above-average retention and solid rings of lace.

S: Mild aroma with a caramel malt, earthy hops, and faint nuttiness

T: Again not the most robust brew, even for and ESB, though there is nothing objectionable. Not overly sweet caramel maltiness with earthy, leafy hops in the finish. Tastes a bit undermalted.

M: Despite the nitro-tap which adds a bit of creaminess (and is a good service choice by the brewers), the body is still lighter than medium with a pleasant enough sweet nutty aftertaste.

D: A decent ESB but nothing to write home about.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-13-2008 02:25:49 | More by argock

jwolfie70

California

3.48/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Thirsty Bear from a nitro pour. Poured a dark amber. Smell was of roasted malt and nuts. Taste also had a roasted malt (almost nutty) flavor that was balanced by a dry hop bitterness. I would prefer more intense flavors, but a good beer. Not sure what the nitro added.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-13-2008 00:50:41 | More by jwolfie70

JDV

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours reddish amber with a light hop smell, taste and aftertaste. Some honey sweetness in the nose too. Somewhat refreshing, thin, and decent. I guess about what I expect for the style in terms of overall sessionability and ease of drinking, but not particularly special.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2008 22:15:55 | More by JDV

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Wife’s pint at the brewpub. Orange body and creamy white head. Dry, nutty aroma, with some roasted malts in there. Citric bitterness clings to a malty backbone, and is pleasingly refreshing, although a little forward at times. Fairly light bodied and dry finish. Overall a solid ESB.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2008 18:36:59 | More by bobsy

bboven

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Darkish gold color, spot on for color and a fantastic, fantastic head with great retention.

Great floral hop aroma, nice malty balance.

Very malty taste, a bit of a sour finish, but overall right there for style.

Mouthfeel is wonderfully creamy even though the body is a touch thin.

I could see myself having several pints of this on a night out. This is a beer I would seek out were I in an ESB mood.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2007 22:54:00 | More by bboven

kdoc8

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on nitro-tap at Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, CA. It is a deep reddish-brown color with golden hints in it. It had a thin, but long-lasting head and some lacing. It didn't have too much of an aroma, maybe a bit of flowers. It is not at all bitter or hopsy in taste and has more of a dark roast taste of malt to it, very similar to the taste in their Brown.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-13-2007 22:34:07 | More by kdoc8

klewis

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Thirsty Bear 6/8/06

A: Pours a nice copper color with a one-finger nitro head that lasted the duration of the drink. Tons of lacing left all over the glass.

S: Floral hops aroma with caramel notes.

T: Well-balanced with both malty and subtle hops flavors

M: Wonderfully smooth and silky with a medium body

D: Overall this is a great beer. The nitro was a great touch and allowed the complexities of the beer to come through. This is a beer that I wouldn't mind drinking all night.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-16-2006 20:44:43 | More by klewis