Mixed Bag

Fuller’s ESB

Fuller Smith & Turner PLC, London

Style: Extra-Special Bitter

ABV: 5.9 percent

Cost: $12 per 6-pack, 12-ounce bottles

Rating: 4.5/5

Extra-special bitters are a more intense version of standard bitters. English bitters, created in the United Kingdom, embody a light ale with low carbonation and ABV, as well as pale malts and a mild hop presence. ESBs have higher alcohol content but are balanced by a hop bitterness matched against malt sweetness. They are meant to hide the alcohol content so that it’s still drinkable. This way, one can enjoy several and still stand up straight afterward. By combining the sweetness and bitterness with a higher alcohol content, Fuller’s ESB is balanced with mild flavor and reasonable carbonation. Fuller exemplifies the ESB style and is a good preview for anyone going to London next semester.

Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, Md.

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5 percent

Cost: $11 per 6-pack, 12-ounce bottles

Rating: 3.5/5

Doggie Style pours an extremely light amber color, and the little head produced when poured dissipates rather quickly. The pale ale smells of oranges and flowers, due to its intense hop presence. While not overly bitter, the malt flavor is masked by citrusy hops, which pours well with a relatively mild carbonation. The beer also has traces of pine and nut that quickly dissipate under the hop finish. Hops always tend to be the finishing flavor in any beer that isn’t perfectly balanced.

Pranqster

North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, Calif.

Style: Belgian-Style Golden Ale

ABV: 7.6 percent

Cost: $10.50 per 4-pack, 12-ounce bottles

Rating: 4/5

Many American breweries often create their own takes on traditional Belgian ales, and Pranqster takes a decent stab at the genre. Pouring a light, golden color with a medium head, it smells like a cross between apples, mild chamomile spices, malty sweetness and yeast. Most American Belgian-style ales are not the best smelling beers, but this one is fairly pleasant to the senses. The taste is initially masked by surprisingly high carbonation found when the ale is served cold. With a transitional taste, it starts off yeasty with mild citrus up front. This is followed by malt sweetness that ends with slightly bitter hops. Hardly a balanced beer, it is an excellent take on traditional Belgian ales and stands out among all of the other imitators.

— Compiled by Lucas Sacks, staff writer, ldsacks@syr.edu

Published on November 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm