Bitter is not always better - Redhook ESB

As I discussed in the previous post, "It is not always about the beer," http://thebishopscollar.blogspot.com/2012/06/it-is-not-always-about-beer.html Margaret and I took a trip to England in March. As long as I can remember, I have been a fan of the UK and this trip was the trip of a lifetime. While we were there, we were graciously hosted by Margaret's cousin, Betsy and her husband Ryan, who are living in a town about an hour train ride north of London.

They were both very hospitable hosts, but for my money, Ryan takes the cake. He has a thoughtfulness and innate ability to make sure everyone is having a good time. We have taken to dubbing him "the mvp of life" because everything the guy does turns into fun. I am quite jealous of this characteristic, even more so because he makes it look effortless.

Prior to our arrival I had requested for him to pick up some local beers for enjoying while we were there. He picked up some Fuller's London Pride and ESB (Extra Special Bitter). http://www.fullers.co.uk I know these are both massed produced beers, but they are brewed in England and I had never had them before.

As luck would have it, all of our beer consumption while were in the UK took place in proper pubs. I can drink beer at home anytime, but never before had I drank beer in some real English pubs. The Fuller's beers never made it out of the refrigerator. It was only after I got home that I picked up a 6 pack of both the London Pride and the ESB at Rouse's and was able to try them. Of course, I liked them both. Even across the pond Ryan is still the MVP.

The reason I bring all this up is that the Fuller's was the first ESB that I had ever tried. Also, they originated the ESB style. I enjoyed it and wanted to try other breweries' take on the style. I picked up a couple of the Redhook Brewery's ESBs at the Fresh Market store.

Appearance: Beer had a clear orange and golden color, with lots of carbonation as you can see from the picture. Very minimal white head and patchy lacing were present. 

Smell: Picked up a floral hoppy smell at the start. The aroma reminded me of more hopped beers like an IPA. 

Taste/Mouthfeel: Contrary to the name, this beer had very little bitterness. I noted some piney flavor from the hops and some caramel malt flavors. It had a light to medium mouthfeel with the carbonation noticeable. The beer was very smooth and drinkable, but had a rather weak finish. The flavor started out good, but left midway through the sip. 

Overall: Although this beer was smooth and very drinkable, I think I will stick with the originator of the style, the Fullers ESB. 

For more info on this beer, please see http://redhook.com/beers/esb/

Here are a couple of pictures of our proper pub experiences in England. 

Cheers!

Margaret, Betsy and me at the Pickerel Inn, Cambridge

Ryan, me, Margaret, Betsy and Philip at the Pie Shoppe, London