Confluence Ash Tree ESB

Confluence Ash Tree ESB.
6.3 % ABV. 40 IBU.
Confluence Brewing, Des Moines, Iowa. "Where good things come together."

Clear, copper-toned, slim beige-ish head.

In the nose: herbal, earthy, slightly fruity, just a brief whiff of hops. Mostly malty.

In the mouth: A brief blast of bitter, then along comes the malt and the smooth. Sweetness takes over the palate, and bitter comes swinging back, for a brief cameo. A citrus twist resides among the bready/biscuity malt baseline. Medium bodied, and easy drinking.



This is a tasty little treat. There oughta be more beers like this.

The ash tree has long been a staple of the Iowa and England landscape. In fact, the tree’s common name comes from Old English aesc. Today Iowa loves its ash trees so much it’s waging war on the emerald ash bore, a beetle which has decimating ash populations elsewhere.

Don’t be misled by “bitter” in the name. Extra Special Bitters are not really all that bitter, but a good balance of hop and malt. The interplay between the crystal malts and the noble English hops delivers a sweet, yet slightly bitter tingly taste sensation. We used traditional base malts from Great Britain (Maris Otter and Golden Promise). The English yeast imparts a slight mineral character and some fruity notes, giving an overall flavor that reminds some of biscuits and marmalade.