Guilty Party ESB Amber Ale

On an unseasonably warm Sunday evening in late February, I was cooking up a mess of burritos and feeling thirsty, so while the onions caramelized, I reached for a 355mL can of Guilty Party ESB Amber Ale. Brewed in Greensboro, NC, Guilty Party comes from Gibb’s Hundred Brewing Company. It’s a 5.1% alcohol job balanced with a nice 37 IBUs. Its can features a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing and made me smile.

Hazy orange-amber in colour, Guilty Party poured with a modest covering of eggshell head. The beer had a classic ESB aroma—malty, slightly metallic, and rich in caramel and biscuit. The flavour was similarly inclined, although there was a more than faint dose of American-style hops as a reminder that this beer was born in the USA.

Well balanced and enjoyable, Guilty Party was not outstanding or unusual; rather, it was a well made example of an extra special bitter, executed very well. This beer wouldn’t stand out in a lineup, because it is just quietly well made, without gimmick or trick. A skillfully subtle brew with an English style and an American heart.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.