Belk's ESB

Pros: Good balance; Not too bitter
Cons: Needs more Distinction to be a Classic

Redhook is one of the best- known Craft Breweries in the United States. The company opened its doors for the first time in 1981 and it now produces a nice variety of crafted brew. Ales are the specialty of Redhook and the company's products are all brewed ...

Pros: Nice balance; Pleasant overall flavor and aftertaste
Cons: Not quite full bodied or rich enough to be a classic

ESB, which stands for Extra Special Bitter, is a beer style borrowed from the English. This type of beer has grown and matured since it was first brewed centuries ago and today it is common to find versions of it made by craft breweries here in the USA. ...

Pros: One of America's finest beers. One of my Top-25 favorites.
Cons: Hard to find. (But worth the effort.)

The Anderson Valley Brewing Company of Boonville, California, brews some exceptional beers. One of the finest beers I've tried in recent months is its Belk's Extra Special Bitter Ale.

I first learned about this beer after reading...

Pros: Hoppy
Cons: A bit too intense and unbalanced for my tastes...

Folks in Oregon like to talk about Bridgeport ESB being served as a cask-conditioned real ale. Those of us with the misfortune of having to live in one of the 49 "other" states (or God forbid, outside the U.S.) will just have to content ourselves with ...

Pros: Delicious Malt; Crisp hop finish
Cons: Cons? Can't find a single one!

Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a regional craft- brewing operation located in Boonville, California that produces eight different styles of beer that are sold in bottled form, along with some other specialty products that are available only on draft...

Pros: pretty good quaffing beer with some character
Cons: not the most distinctive beer

In many ways, I feel cheated when it comes to Red Hook beers. This Seattle micro had a reputation for great beers in the early 90s. In the mid 90s, they began to make a push for greater distribution. Long time fans insist that the beers have...

Pros: A hearty, filling ale
Cons: maybe a bit too filling at times

Belk's ESB is another outstanding brew from the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. This beer is named for Bell Valley, a scenic region near the brewery. (never been there myself; I'm taking their word for it). This one is loosely based on the classic...

Pros: Great Taste, no aftertaste
Cons: Not available everywhere

ESB Redhook is my first choice when I want to drink a special bottle of beer, plain and simple.

I first encountered it in Atlanta's Johnny's New York Pizza on Cheshire Bridge Road, where ESB Redhook was available on tap. I thought I'd try...

Pros: Well balanced malt and hop bite. Availability
Cons: 25% owned by Anheuser

Very often when I travel around the bars, diners and restaurants of Southern California, I’m disappointed by the lack of variety in beer selection. My local Denny’s for example carries nothing beyond Bud, Miller or Coors products. They used to carry...

Pros: Quaffable and characterful interpretation
Cons: N/A

The more studious of you may recall that I reviewed a Deschutes Brewery beer just a couple of days ago. For those who didn’t, I mentioned how I’d tried three Deschutes beers already, and was so impressed that I’m constantly on the look out...

Pros: Well balanced malt and hop, very versatile
Cons: For once I can't think of one

It’s late and I was about to go to bed. However, why leave a good memory pending when I could write about it now? Anderson Valley Belk’s ESB, just became the fourth beer I have tried from this brewery.

Before I start here’s a quick...

Pros: Hand crafted, natural beer, aromatic; full flavor.
Cons: Can be expensive - $8 - $9 for a six pack.

This is a 20-year old brewery, founded in 1981, by Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker. The brewery is based in the Ballard area of Seattle, and Red Hook ESB is (Extra Special Bitter) is its flagship product. Brewing operations were expanded when an East...

Pros: Very good bitter taste, quite balanced, amazing light
Cons: Well, I guess "cons" might like it, too, if they're not beer barbarians

This is another product I purchased upon the recommendations of "epinionaters." Wingdman and 4-1-1 are not the type for grade inflation. This turns out to be vastly better than buying something I don't like, just to be able to review it. I had this...

Pros: Excellent taste, nicely bitter, great price now
Cons: Well, it is bitter

BITTER IS BETTER

Well, by golly, here's my second brew review and it's another winner, Red Hook Extra Special Bitter (ESB). I really like this ale. It has a pleasant taste that doesn't make me have any kind of a bitter beer face. The ale is...

Pros: Widely available, respectable beer.
Cons: Lost something (not much) recently.

The first time I travelled west of the Great Lakes, about 1990, coincided with the beginning of the golden age of craft brews. My Seattle sister-and- brother-in-law made a point of stocking the fridge with what was, at the time, the cutting edge beers of...