Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Drink Beer pick of the week: Sierra Nevada Extra Special Bitter
Posted by Jeff Holland on Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 5:20 PM
Sierra Nevada Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA
5.9% ABV
As usual, Sierra Nevada is spot on with this early spring seasonal that adds a bit of hop assertiveness to the classic English ESB. The aroma of fresh, floral hops hits the nose right away from this amber-gold beer. Spicy, citrusy hops are up front in the taste, giving way to a light malt base of traditional Maris-Otter malts. A bit of fruitiness is manifested in a hint of strawberry and a green apple tartness that befits the style. The mouthfeel is crisp and tingly, with a pleasant lingering bitterness.
(photo by Jeff Holland)
Comments (2)
Showing 1-2 of 2
The problem I have with most of the mega-hops ales that are very popular now is that the bold hops flavor can be so blunt. The beers end up have flavor profiles that are strong but one dimensional. This ESB is better than many in that regard because of the nice citrus element you mentioned - it provides a nice balance to the bitter hops. Like the others in this category, though, the overwhelming nature of the heavy hoppyness (hoppyness? I think I just made that up) makes the beer difficult to pair with food.
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Don't get me wrong, the Sierra Nevada ESB is by no means a mega-hop ale, though it is hoppier (we go with the "i" rather than "y" but we made that up, too) than a typical English ESB. I think this would pair well with most simple meat-and-potatoes type meals, stews, chili, etc.
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