“Anvil ESB is our interpretation of a traditional British-style pub ale. Deep amber in color, a toasty character from British malts and a touch of kettle caramelization blend seamlessly with a mild English hop profile. Its delicate balance of flavors will keep you coming back pint after pint, making it a complex creation we’re proud to call our flagship beer.”
Served in an English pint. The appearance offers a deep amber that reveals a candy red hue when held to the light. A short pancake head is generated but it reduces to a halo with minimal lace.
The nose provides that perfect balance of caramel sweetness against the biscuity malt backing. Loads of chewy butterscotch, toffee, spice and apricot give it that firm bottom end for the light floral hops and savoury nutty characters to work off of. They’ve certainly nailed the traditional component while simultaneously handing it a bit of that American flare. Brilliant way to start off.
The mouth feel is super smooth, almost silky with a mild bitterness forming at the back end. The body is nice and plump with a moderate Co2 level. The 5.5% ABV is obviously higher than your traditional ESB but it’s well masked and again reflects the American temperament in this beer.
We get a really swift progression of flavour starting off with that gorgeous caramel sweetness that transitions in to the kind of buttery/biscuity mid palate. Flashes of herbal hops annex as the bitterness is introduced, leading to a mildly dry, nutty and somewhat earthy finish that endures well on the rear.
Excellent drop. Trust the master brewers of Alesmith to do it again. The succinct precision on show here is world class, its tough to imagine any one not loving this. Solid offering.