For the record, I didn't drink this beer - my husband did. I mistakenly bought it for him thinking it was an IPA. Left Hand Brewing's Sawtooth Ale is an ESB. I had to go look that up - "Extra-special beer?"
Nope, ESB stands for Extra Special/Strong Bitter. It's an ale (and, incidentally, ESB is an actual brand name is England). It's like a pale ale, but--despite the "bitter" in its name--it's not as hop-driven as an American IPA, which is why my husband was a little disappointed with it. I asked him to compare it to his standard - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
"It's not as complex as Sierra Nevada. It's very smooth; it's not bad." We also both noted the lack of hoppy aroma that a typical American IPA will smack you with. I took a sip, and he was right - it was smoother than an American pale ale, and definitely didn't have as much going on in a mouthful that Sierra Nevada does. But I suppose it's not fair to compare it to an IPA if that's not what it is, right? I'll have to ask him to compare it to Red Hook ESB, another beer he likes. I think it will compare more favorably with another ESB. The Alstrom Bros like it, after all.
I bought myself a big 'ol bottle of Southern Tier Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout. Since we were leaving soon after I arrived with our bounty from Dorn's, I haven't opened it yet - at 22 ounces (and 9.6% ABV, yikes!), I want to be able to enjoy the whole thing, not swig it down and rush out the door. So I'll be back with my thoughts on that one.
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