Alaskan ESB Review

Name: Alaskan ESB
Style: English Special Bitter
ABV: 5%

Today I've got a seasonal release from Alaskan Brewing but I'm not quite sure if it's a winter or spring seasonal release as I picked this up a couple of weeks ago. It's an ESB-style ale and I only started seeing this on the shelves fairly recently. Judging on the reviews I've seen on Beer Advocate, it's released once every 2-3 years for a limited time; Talk about cutting it close!

Alaskan ESB pours a fairly clear amber color with some moderate looking carbonation and a thin filmy head that leaves behind no lacing.

The aroma starts out with some nice floral hops, toffee, Munich & Pale Malts, biscuits and yeasts. For an ESB it's rather hoppy smelling.

The flavor profile is fairly similar to the nose with a couple of differences. Upfront are floral hops, biscuits, Munich Malts, light toffee sweetness and a mild encompassing bitter hop flavor. The aftertaste consists mainly of floral hops and some light pale maltiness. It tastes fairly similar in some ways to an English Pale Ale!

The overall palate is fairly light and the carbonation comes off as just a couple of notches above mild, giving it a fairly crisp quality.

I don't like throwing the term "Sessionable" around too often, but I would classify this beer as such. It's fairly low in terms of alcohol volume yet it's flavorful enough for one to enjoy. It also possesses something that many Sessionable Ales lack: an aftertaste, and a good one at that. I don't know how long Alaskan Brewing will keep this around so pick this up while you still can!

Alaskan ESB - 8.5/10

Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB Review

Name: Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB
Style: English Special Bitter
ABV: 6.4%

It would appear that many major breweries around the country right now are celebrating their 25th year in business and Goose Island Brewing is no exception to this. So to celebrate, they have released an ESB (English Special Bitter) to mark the occasion. Most beers in this category tend to be in the mid 5% ABV range; This one comes in at 6.4%. Also unlike Honker's Ale, which is now contract brewed out of Fort Collins, CO thanks to the purchase by AB-InBev, this one appears to be brewed right in The Windy City.

25th Anniversary pours a clear orange color with a foamy white head. The lacing initially appears to be somewhat lacking but it does leave behind a rather abundant amount. There's also some mild carbonation visible here as well.

The nose is fairly citra-hop forward with some caramelized malts, grapefruits, and some yeastiness. For an ESB, it's rather hoppy & fruity with all things considered.

It's got a mildly bitter piney hop taste upfront along with some citrus hops, roasted barley and grapefruit notes. There's also some mild malty & biscuit/yeasty flavor in here, but it's overshadowed by the hop and fruity notes.

The body has some weight to it and the carbonation is in the middle in terms of intensity, which allows you to take in those extra flavors.

For an ESB, it's very hoppy. As such, it does feel a bit imbalanced because of the sheer hoppiness which makes it a bit harder to recommend. Still it's a pretty good beer but not exactly one that I would go out of my way to try again.

Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB - 7.5/10