SKA Special ESB Ale

This English Special Bitter is our “Special Ale.” Special because it is one of only a handful of canned microbrews in the nation. Special because the Galena hops and pale ale malts create a crisp first sip, a hoppy tongue, and a malty sweet finish. Though “bitter” is part of the name, “better” would be a more accurate term.

Fresh and lively, this canned beer suits the needs of any outdoor enthusiast. Like it says on the can: Fish, Luau, Golf, Raft, Toboggan. Ska can!

3.1

310 reviews

Durango, United States

Community reviews

3.8 Poured from the can into a pint glass, nice foamy reddish look in the glass smells sweet. Very easy drinking to the tune of about 10 minutes a beer. I like that it tastes English with a hop aftertaste. The can gets the recycle points, well done then.

3.4 Medium amber body shows off soft caramel and toffee malts that pick up refreshing, bitter hops and light floral sweetness through the finish, which turns a bit watery on the back of the palate. Straightforward and drinkable, but nothing special.

3.0 "no longer one of onlt a handful of canned microbrews...a decent example of a bitter, but not one that separates itself from the crowd. very quaffable with a pleasant lite malty sweetness, caramel and toffee, and a slight floral hop kick."

3.4 Hoppy nose, touch of honey. Fruity hops, caramel, lemon peel, dry bitter finish. Quite bitter as expected, decent hoppiness even though a bit dry on the palate.

3.5 Pours mostly clear copper with a lacy white head that fades to a coating. Aroma is wet hay, bready malts, maybe some citrus. Taste is floral hops, grass, toasted bread and caramel malts with a slightly bitter hop finish. Very dry on the palate. I enjoy the style and this is a nice variation. Better poured in a glass!

3.6 Can at Cherry Bomb. Dark gold colour, little head. Malty aroma with some hops. Flavour has nice nutty and malty notes. Dry, hoppy finish. Best ESB I’ve had. (Subject to change)

3.3 Biscuity malt aroma, with some citrus notes. Pours a clear light amber with a thin white head. Biscuit malts to start with, finishes with a mild sweetness which slowly changes to bitter hops. There are some fruity notes coming from the yeast as well. Overall, I’ve had better ESB’s.

3.2 Can from Sugaya. Fat citrusy nose, moderate malt, spiced-up caramel. Hazy orange-amber, thin filmy head. Medium-strength citrus initial, light strokes of hopping throughout, sweetish hard candy, thinly sweet finish. Thin-medium body. A bit more hopped up than typical; sweeter base, too. Okay.

3.2 Can out of the 12 pack. Not bad with a fairly hoppy nose and flavor. Mildly bitter with some grapefruit and citrus flavors.

3.3 Can. Pours an amber color with a fair head and spotty lacing. Aroma of malt, some citrus, nuts and caramel. Taste of malt, bit of caramel sweetness, citrus and nuts. Malty bitterness and a dry finish. Moderate body, with a metallic tinge. Decent beer for the style but not quite what I expected.

2.3 Pours orange clear. SMell is fruity malt and cardboard and band aids. Taste is malty and fruity but not too sweet. Slight bitterness to balance but not the most appealing flavor. Kind of tart maltiness. Decent, but not really good.

3.5 Can from Ezo Beer. Served in a half-pint glass. A deep copper gold pour with a thin foamy beige head. Fruity ale yeast notes that are a bit plum like, decent maltiness & a slight lemon/citrus hop aroma. Medium bodied, a crackery biscuit malt profile, a dash of caramel & bitter citrusy hops in the finish make for an exceptionally balanced ESB & probably one of my favorite examples of the style as I typically find them too sweet due to a cloyingly caramel flavor. Nice stuff.

2.9 Aroma: cereal, floral, earthy, alcohol. Appearance: amber, dull, minimal head. Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness. Palate: medium body, oily feel, soft carbonation, bitter. Overall: Good to Mid-Land.

2.9 Pours hazy golden slightly cloudy, hoppy on the nose, tangy fruits, its ok nothing great.

2.8 12oz can from peterhazelton! Pours a clear golden copper color with 2 fingers of foamy off white head. Aroma of grain, caramel, hay, and old citrus. Taste of slightly sour citrus fruit, sweet grain, grass, and a hint of booze.

3.1 12oz can thanks to Ed5388, when Ed fave me this he confessed to me he loves cates, I mean he confessed he "loves" cates....it’s cool though he swears they we’re all of legal age and not on their 9th life. Poured a crisp clear slight burnt orange brown body under a foamy way off white head. Aroma was a bit weak with some notes of dough, wet bread, nut shell, bad citrus. Medium body overall with softer carbonation and a slightly syrupy finish. Flavor of old grains, some tea, hintof nut shell and bad citrus. Meh ok.

2.9 Poured from a can it is a hazy golden color with a slight head. The aroma is of cherry with some citrus. The taste is bitter and is hard to put a finger on the flavors. There is a metal after taste

3.1 From a 12 oz can shared in Avon NC. Pours clear deep copper with an off white head. Light malty nose. Flavor of malt and floral hops. Smooth mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Moderately bitter finish. Quite quaffable.

2.9 4th April 2013 Bright clear amber beer, good pale cream coloured head. Palate is light and semi dry. Fine minerally carbonation. Starts with a little floral sweetness. Milky sweetness follows. A touch of papery caramel. Light citrus before the semi dry finish. Pleasantly sweet. Okay!

3.9 Decent beer. I thought it was better than its ratings. Pours amber with a light head. Malty and caramel. Some floral notes. Nice beer.

3.0 12oz can from Total Beverage in CO Pours clear golden/copper with a small white head, no lacing. Mild aroma of toasted malts, caramel and metallic. Flavors of toasted malts, caramel, lemon and herbal bitterness OK, nothing to write home about.

3.8 Can from Great Grog, Edinburgh. This is a hazy amber beer with red fruit, caramel and currant flavours, spicy hoppy and candi sugar with a smooth creamy finish.

2.6 Average esb. A little metallic. Got the bitters on par. Not a huge esb fan here. Ska does good beer normally.

3.8 Can courtesy of Casey, cheers mate! Consumed in a field at Truck Festival, Steventon, Oxon 19.07.13 watching The Family Rain (new band for me) Pours hazy mud brown with off white head. Nose is hoppy but my factor 50 suntan spray is rather clouding matters a little. Very soft carbonation, oodles of fresh hop juiciness, leaving a dry tanginess, however the spliff that Gary has just thrust my way is also affecting my taste buds a little. Decent hoppy beer that slips down well whilst watching The Family Rain do their stuff in wonderful blisteringly hot sunshine. Beer & Music festivals, marvellous... A8 A4 T7 P4 Ov15 3.8

3.4 12oz can served in a Sam Adams perfect pint A - Pours a clear amber body with fleeting head. S - Grainy biscuit, cereal malt, red wheat, clean bread, slightly toasted. T - Follows the nose with cereal grains, lightly toasted caramel, moderate citrus hops wrap around providing a solid bitterness. The grainy malt holds strong against the semi-aggresive hops. Some floral hops and vanilla come out when warmed up. Finishes dry. M - Creamy carbonation, grainy, wet the dry on the finish. Light to medium body. A solid all around ESB. Hops are more pronounced than it’s English counterparts. The citrus plays off the malt well and makes for a hopped up bready ESB. Serving type: can 04-07-2013

2.6 Poured from a can into a glass. Mrehhh not the best ESB ever, has metallic qualities that don’t help the beer’s flavor. A malty beer with a bitterness that isn’t from hops or finish, just bitter because it’s lacking some... flavorful... OOPMH. Ya’know?

3.1 Can. Pours clear copper with fine off-white head, settles quickly with thin lacing. Aroma is bitter, hoppy, fruity, apple/pear, mild and soapy. Flavor is mildly hoppy, sweet and mildly fruity, with a mildly malty, nutty finish. Flavor has some balance between hop and malt but is slightly underwhelming. Soft to moderate carbonation, light body, and crisp texture.

3.5 [355ml can, Trembling Madness bottle shop, York] Hazy opaque amber pour, with a thin white lacing. Aroma is sweetly caramel-led, but with some grassy herbal hop in there as well. Tastewise, more of the caramel at first, then the slight citrus hop comes in, before more toffee sweetness on the finish [19052013]

2.8 12 oz can from a friend. Amber and clear with an off-white head and patchy lacing. Toasty caramel malts, earthy bitter hops and floral/herbs hit the nose. Similar flavor, bitter and lightly sweet. Medium body with a dry finish. Meh.

3.0 Poured from can into snifter, clear deep orange, light head, peculiar aroma. Quite chuggable, not bad...but not anything great either. I will finish this in the shower and likely not bother buying any more.