Beast Bitter - Middle Ages Brewing Co., Ltd.

    Beast Bitter is an Extra Special Bitter (ESB) brewed by Middle Ages Brewing Co., Ltd. in Syracuse, New York. As you can tell from the picture, I apparently got a bad bottle (likely over-carbonated). When I opened and poured the beer it was all foam! As a result, I only get a little over half of the bottle to enjoy. The taste seems to be fine though, so I decided to continue on with the review.

    Beast Bitter pours a rusty orange color with a head that leaves lots of lacing, though I'm not sure if this is normal since I had a suds explosion.

    The beer smells of sweet caramel malts with a bit of an English Ale twist. The beer's hops shine through with a slight citrus twang. The hops also give the beer a slight metallic scent.

    The ESB is medium bodied, and mine has a low to medium level of carbonation. I suspect that the beer originally had a medium level of carbonation, before the bubbles all exploded out into my glass. This beast doesn't have much of a bite at 5.3% ABV.

Up for a game of Dungeons & Flagons?

    Beast Bitter is surprisingly hoppy for an ESB. Citrusy notes hit the palate first, followed by hoppy bitterness. The bitterness is quickly quelled by caramel and toasty malts, making the beer an interesting drinking experience. In my opinion, a good ESB shows some real bitterness, but also has a strong, sweet malt backbone to keep the bitterness from becoming all you taste. What results is a series of flavors in every drink. Beast bitter is a bit more watery than I would like, however. It would have been nice to see a fuller-flavored ale with these characteristics.

    While I can't really say that Beast Bitter is a monster of an ESB, it's still worth trying if you would like to experience an Extra Special Bitter brewed in the style of an English ESB. I'm pretty sad that I got a bad bottle, but at least I got a chance to try this one, even it was half-a-glass.

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