Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. - "Redcoat" ESB

A few weeks ago I was back in Carlisle, PA, and I stayed at my usual digs -  a very fine B&B on South Hanover Street. It's right across the street from Molly Pitcher Brewing Company, now in its third year of operation. I reviewed the brewery about a year ago and interviewed Mike Moll, head of operations. I had a nice time there, and am glad that Carlisle finally has its own brewery!

So when I returned recently, I noticed a lot had changed. First of all, their operation has increased dramatically, with huge fermentation tanks replacing the chest-freezer setup they had last year. They also have expanded their bar area (which is good since this place can get busy) and adjusted somewhat their seating. But one of the biggest changes - and one of the most welcome changes, since I live about 90 miles away - is that they now sell bombers. Now I can take my Molly Pitcher beers to go! They were doing a rather generous promotion, so I grabbed 4 bottles on my way back to DC. Today's beer is one of them - in fact, two of them, since I bought two bottles. I believe this was $6.99 - not a bad deal at all!

It's their "Redcoat", a 5.5% ABV English ESB. ESB stands for Extra Special Bitter or Extra Strong Bitter; but don't let the name fool you - it's not bitter at all. The style, sometimes called an English pale ale, originated in England a few hundred years ago, as an alternative to the very mild beers of the time. While an ESB isn't necessarily bitter by American craft brewing standards, it stood out at the time as more flavorful and tangy than the usual ales. The archaic style has made a comeback recently, and as a fan of the style, I was pleased that Molly Pitcher took up the mantle to craft an ESB. Let's dive in.

The beer has a dark red color in the glass, and generates thick, tan foam. The nose is thin, but has some malty characters to it. When candled, it's a clear red.

What struck me immediately is the smooth, pleasantly malty character of the beer. It starts out very malty and flavorful with a slight metallic tang, and develops a mild hint of hops throughout. The beer is full flavored, with some hop profiles and a deep, sweet, bready malt character on the finish. It has an herbal aftertaste with an undercurrent of hops, which is also very nice.

This beer is also pretty light, at 5.5%, so it's easy drinking as well. This is also part of the historical style; bitters were always meant to be easy to drink. In fact, there was even a watered-down version called "boy's bitters" that was around 3% ABV. Luckily this isn't watered-down at all!

Overall, I liked the flavor profile of this a lot, and I think Molly Pitcher has another winner in the "Redcoat". It's tasty, easy-drinking, and a nice throwback to an old English style of beer. It's worth a try! I am also very interested in reviewing their Espresso Stout, which I had on draft at the brewery and was delicious. I grabbed a bottle of that too, so a review will be forthcoming in the fall.