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

Alaskan Pilot Series Barleywine Review

Name: Alaskan Pilot Series Barleywine
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 10.7%

For this review, I've got a little something that I have been sitting on for a couple months now and that's Alaskan Brewing's Barleywine, which is part of their Pilot Series: The brewery's lineup of seasonal beers which come in bombers. I've had a couple Pilot Series beers before but both times they have been the Smoked Porter, which is quite good if you haven't tried it out yet!

The beer pours a hazy crimson color with a semi-foamy head. The visible carbonation is mild and the lacing is pretty good.

The aroma starts out with a rather piney hop scent with notes of grapefruit and orange peel. On the backend is a nice malty backbone which consists of caramel malts and toffee.

On the flipside, the flavor starts out quite malty with notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruit notes before settling to a piney & citrus hop finish. The overall flavor is surprisingly smooth and mellow, yet at the same time, not subdued.

The palate has a moderately weighted body and some very mild carbonation. It is quite easy to drink in my opinion and allows one to enjoy the flavors.

It's vibrant and flavorful, yet at the same time, not overwhelming. The flavor isn't subdued but mellow and enjoyable. In short, it's a very balanced barleywine that will please anyone who tries it out and definitely worth your time!

Alaskan Pilot Series Barleywine - 9/10

Alaskan Winter Ale Review

Name: Alaskan Winter Ale
Style: Old Ale
ABV: 6.4%

Alaskan Brewing Company is one of those breweries that I saw frequently in the form of LED signs outside of bars and restaurants before I got into craft beer. Since getting into it, I have had quite a few of their offerings, my favorite being their draft-only Hopothermia Imperial IPA. However today is the first time I'm doing an actual in depth review.

Tonight we're having their Winter Ale which is classified as an Old Ale. The last time I had an Old Ale was Founders Curmudgeon way back in May, so it'll be interesting to see how this compares. It they also use spruce tips to make this beer, making this the second time I've had a spruced beer; The first being Olvalde's Ode to a Russian Shipwright.

Winter Ale pours a pretty clear orange color with a soapy head and no lacing. The carbonation visible is also somewhat moderate.

The nose has some molasses notes, along with caramel, grains, mild hops and mild spruce. It's all there but it all feels somewhat muted.

The flavor is a bit more malt forward with a distinct buttery caramel taste along with cereal grains, mild spruce and what I can only describe as a bubblegum-like sweetness. Despite all the interesting flavors, it still feels underwhelming in terms of taste.

The carbonation here is very mild and the body is pretty light, so you shouldn't have any problems drinking this.

It's got some pretty interesting flavors, particularly with the spruce but none of these flavors are fully realized or used to their full potential. The end result is a mild tasting beer that, while still good, leaves something more to be desired.

Alaskan Winter Ale - 7/10