ESB Amber Ale
Slightly hazy amber with a lightly frothy off-white head that drops fairly quickly to a standard collar. It does, however, leave some thin and spotty lace throughout the glass. The aroma is mainly of yeasty fruitiness and a sweet and toasty malt with some very mild grassy hops in the background. The body is medium with an exceptionally fine and gentle carbonation that leaves it quite creamy in the mouth. Very nice! All of the Fish beers seem to have a similar maltiness and this is one of them, if not the finest example. It's fairly rich, lightly sweet, grainy, caramelish, and softly toasty - almost wort-like with some mild diacetyl thrown in. It's clearly balanced towards maltiness although some mild grassy/spicy hop character appears towards the finish. The bitterness is obviously toned down to allow the maltiness to take center stage. It finishes semi-dry with a short lingering sweet maltiness that's backed up by some light hop flavor and residual bitterness. Although it's not what I expect of an "ESB", it is a nicely malty ale that's quite unique and fairly enjoyable in its own way. Worth trying.