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Sierra Nevada ESB Early Spring Beer

Sierra Nevada ESB Early Spring Beer

Rated 3.495 by BeerPals
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Brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, CA, United States

Style:  Extra Special Bitter

5.9% Alcohol by Volume

45 International Bittering Units

Availability of this beer is unknown


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Our ESB combines the best of English tradition with West Coast style. A blend of malts featuring British-grown Maris Otter is balanced with the earthy spiciness of hand-selected English and US hops. The ale is left unfiltered, which enhances mouthfeel and hop aroma creating a slightly reddish-copper hue.

ID: 29961 Last updated 16 years ago Added to database 16 years ago

Key Stats

94
percentile

0

Drunk

35

Reviews

0

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Statistics

Overall Rank3356
Overall Percentile93.7
Style Rank33 of 735
Style Percentile95.5
Lowest Score2.8
Highest Score5.0
Average Score3.537
Weighted Score3.495
Standard Deviation0.370

Rating Distribution

Beer vs Style

35 Member Reviews

Recent | Card View | Table View
  • FARGINGBASTIGE6 1476 reviews
    rated 3.6 14 years ago

    Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

    Very nice... pours medium coppery color with a medium slightly off-white head that laces nicely to the end. Aromas and flavors of citrus and hops abound nicely balanced with the malt. Refreshing.

  • BIGMANNE 156 reviews
    rated 3.4 14 years ago

    Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

    pours a murky amber with huge off white head. aroma is nice with citric hops being the main smell. also a slight sweet malt. taste is ver sweet at the beginning with a smooth but not harsh bitter end . over all a refreshing bitter.

  • THIRSTYONE 563 reviews
    rated 5.0 14 years ago

    Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

    This was probably the best ESB i have ever had. I could not find any faults with it. I was expecting much less, and was greatly surprised by the taste, and aroma.This beer comes highly recomended by me .

  • FUNK 898 reviews
    rated 3.6 14 years ago

    Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

    Pours a nice copper with a foamy tan head. Aroma of floral and citrusy hops and some sweetness. Taste is much the same--floral, citrusy hops with a strong malt backbone. Slightly bitter finish but overall, very well balanced and highly drinkable.

  • FRETWALKER 88 reviews
    rated 4.1 14 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

    12oz bottle into a shaker pint, clear copper color, generous tan head and persistent lacing. Sweet malt leads the nose, then citrusy hops with a subtle floral note. Taste is mildly hop-biased, as might be expected from SN (and California in general) but very well-balanced. Mouthfeel is smooth, with a medium body, very drinkable, and a pleasant slightly sweet finish. Somewhere near the middle of my 3rd 6-pack, I started calling it "Littlefoot" reminds me of Bigfoot barleywine, at about 2/3 scale. I'd love to try this on draught! Until then, I'll say it's my favorite bottled ESB; Fullers ESB draught still holds the overall crown.

  • CITYBOY1986 112 reviews
    rated 3.8 14 years ago

    Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

    Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz. bottle. The pour is a hazy golden-copper with a finger's white head. Retention and lacing are decent. The nose yields mild aromas of fruits and some flowers. It seems to say that spring is here, full of new things. The taste has the same fruits and flowers, but added are some piney flavours toward the end of the sip and during the aftertaste. A nice bitterness is present throughout, but it is balanced with sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a low amount of carbonation. It lingers on the tongue. Drinkability is decent; I could have a couple. Any more than that might have me getting tired of the lingering aftertaste. This is a nice mild beer. I wouldn't want it every day, but it fits with the season nicely.

  • JTODD5DOT1 134 reviews
    rated 3.5 15 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

    Poured a yellowish copper with a mildly thick off white head that lasted only briefly. The aroma was all hops. The flavor was bitter like you would expect, but not so much so that it kills. Overall very good.

  • BEERHUNTER 667 reviews
    rated 3.3 15 years ago

    Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

    This beer poured a slightly cloudy amber color with a creamy beige head. It had a sweet malty aroma with the scent of fresh cut grass and hints of hops. The flavor was very balanced and had a smooth finish.

  • STOUTLOVER72 2327 reviews
    rated 3.9 15 years ago

    Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

    Probably THE best ESB I've tated to date (although I'd have to go thru my ratings to verify this hypothesis). The first whiff from the bottle greets your nose with fresh citrusy hops. The beer pours out a stunning rusty red hue with a nice 3-finger thick head with great lacing. Citrusy hops aroma with a nice sweet/peppery malt 1-2 punch. The flavors are easy to enjoy and no need to delve into anything other than what's on your palate...sweet bready malts and a nice dose of fresh hops. Incredibly easy to consume...I thought the hop/malt combo was spot on. I know it's not really quite how the style should be, but damned if SN didn't do this one right.

  • PORTERHOUSE 544 reviews
    rated 3.4 15 years ago

    Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

    ESB. Early Spring Beer. Extra Special Bitter. Ha! This beer is close to an ESB but not quite. Maybe that was the idea. It pours remarkably clear for an “unfiltered” beer. Maybe those folks at Sierra know a thing or two about brewing! The appearance is almost spot on for an ESB. Maybe it’s a little transparent. It has an amber body with a tight white head. The nose is of warming alcohol, but the mouthfeel is a little off for the style. The taste is grainy with some spicy hops and the finish is bitter carmel and toffee. Pretty good, mate. Pretty damn good!

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