Strathcona Beer Co. – Rye ESB

Rating

4.2 out of 5

Appearance

3.8 out of 5

Aroma

4.2 out of 5

Flavour

4 out of 5

Mouthfeel

Total

4.1

4.1 out of 5

Overview

• Brewery: Strathcona Beer Company
• Beer Style: Extra Special Bitter
• Pros:

  A hoppy and well crafted ESB

• Cons:

  A touch hoppy for an ESB

• Conclusion:

  A nice ESB with citrus and pine notes along with a solid malt base.

Strathcona Beer Co. – Rye Extra Special Bitter Review

Vancouver’s Strathcona Beer Co. has ventured into canned beer with the release of their Rye ESB. While Chris Hadfield may not have endorsed this brew there is a somewhat odd Canadian Space Program reference on the label. Cracking open this decaled 473ml can it is lightly clouded and amber in colour with two fingers of lacing head. The aroma is spicy with Rye Character along with a strong citrus-pine hop character. From the aroma this seems to be more of a Rye IPA than an ESB. Tasting the beer the hop character mellows slightly. A smooth malt character with light sweetness comes up front and builds with the Rye Notes into a citrus and Pine hop finish. While hoppier than your typical ESB this borders the IPA category but remains in ESB territory as well. This is a smooth, spicy and hop forward ESB that is a solid entrance into the canned market for Strathcona Brewing.

Alcohol – 6.2% ABV
Format – 4 x 473ml Cans
Size – 650mL