spinnakers

next up for a taste test is spinnaker's mitchell's esb

now i love me an extra special bitter

so i have high hopes!

crazy creamy head on the vigourous pour

expected more sediment in the bottle and in the glass from this live yeast product, but there really wasn't much at all

dark caramel colour

not much of a hop nose

5.2%

not as hoppy as i tend to like my esbs

but the live yeast is not giving it a yeasty flavour, so i'm a fan

it won't replace any of my favourite esbs in my regular rotation, but i'd certainly have it again (and again)

the bottle says:  "Brewed in honour of John Mitchell, first brewer & Publican of Spinnakers Brew Pub, Victoria, this beer is a classic English style Extra Special Bitter, brewed with English two row pale and crystal malts, balanced with English Northern Brewer and East Kent Golding hops.

Spinnakers beers are live real ales, are not filtered or pasteurized and contain no additives or preservatives.  Natural sedimentation may occur.  Pour carefully, in a single motion, leaving the last centimeter."

the website says:

"Founding partner and brewer for the first six months. John's name is still carried on an original beer, Mitchell's ESB. The other beers bearing John's distinctive mark include Mt. Tolmie Dark, and Empress Stout. In his 1988 New World Guide to Beer, British author Michael Jackson describes John's ESB as "beautifully balanced, the Mt. Tolmie Dark as a classic strong mild, of which Britain should be envious and the Empress Stout as a model of the style.""