Red Hook ESB

Brewery: Red Hook

Type: ESB

Alcohol: 5.8%

Country: USA

An ESB huh? I don't think I have ever reviewed one for the site. Pours a copper color with a big head of off white foam that falls back into the beer leaving some decent traces behind. Very malty nose, no hop aroma, it smells like a normal english style bitter would smell right off the tap in London (my only touchstone with bitters). Nice malty flavor with a soft hop bitterness in the background. Little bit of toffee and a good deal of grassy tastes.  This beer has an oily and pretty carbed mouthfeel but it is pretty easy drinking. It reminds me of all the beers I had with my friend Grahm in London. (as it should I guess) We went to...possibly ALL the pubs in London. Oh and when we ran out of those we took the tube to the very last stop and went to pubs in Londons stabbier areas. This beer reminds me of what I would get on draft. This is not a bad beer, and actually relatively flavorful for this style, in my opinion anyway. But of course it is nothing really special and not really up my alley. At least it gave me a bit of nastolgia.