Can we be done with the ridiculously hoppy West Coast IPAs now? Seriously, the beer man's equivalent of Rombauer Chardonnay (lovingly known in bartender circles as “cougar juice”) is some hoppy 60-, 90- or even 120-minute IPA that blows your taste buds apart. There are some great ones, but most just taste like nothing and cause the sides of my tongue to curl under.
]
Fortunately, a couple of places are starting to make ESB. ESB stands for Extra Special (or Strong) Bitter, which is still a hoppy beer, but nicely balanced with malt; at Noble Ale Works, though, it stands for Evan's Special Bitter, named after Evan Price, the TAPS brewer who escaped to industrial southeast Anaheim.
Evan's Special Bitter is a beautiful red-brown color, beautifully balanced, easy to drink, and not too strong at 5.8% ABV. It's got a residual sweetness and the trademark bitter cast (though the “bitter” in its name refers to the British term for pale ale). The head dissipates quickly (as you can see in the picture), but the beer is refreshing, especially with the recent hot temperatures.
Stop in at Noble Ale Works; quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe and forget the Angels season.
Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook! And don't forget to download our free Best Of App here!
