An old English style, the ESB was the bitterest beer around during its heyday. It is colored gold, with a moderate maltiness and a medium body. The hop flavor is distinctly British, with a medium hop aroma and medium bitterness, and it interplays nicely with the body and the light, delicate carbonation. With its middle-of-the-road finish and its moderate strength, this is the perfect session beer. The overall impression is of a golden, moderately malty ale with medium hop flavor and bitterness. Expect to see it whenever the QCers’ begging and pleading finally gets to me.