Sunday 31 July 2011

A-Z Of Beer Styles: ESB



What goes up must come down. But that doesn’t mean it stays down. Ales used to be brewed at higher alcoholic strengths before the 20th century. A combination of the temperance movement and wartime restrictions watered the beers down leaving bitter weighing in at around 4% abv rather than 6%. In 1971 the Fuller’s introduced their 5.5% abv Extra Special Bitter with great success, so much so that stronger “premium” bitters are often referred to as ESB after this London based beer. Fullers ESB is dark, woody and tangy with hints of nuts and fruit. It was originally just produced as a winter beer and Fullers have continued to make dark seasonal premium bitters such as Jack Frost, which contains blackberries.

These days premium bitters are many brewers’ answer to the continental style of premium lager that dominates drinking habits today, offering a more potent brew (and a chance to get drunk quicker). Wychwood’s Hobgoblin is one of the most successful – a full bodied mix of caramel and prune flavours that has more of a kick bottled than on draught. Jennings’ Sneck Lifter has such dominant coffee and chocolate flavours you could mistake it for a stout. Some premium bitters such as Ridgeway Ivanhoe have a pale amber colour and have very similar flavours to traditional bitters.

Most premium bitters are brewed in the UK but American microbrewers appear quite keen to play around with this style. Rogue’s Brutal Bitter is so hoppy that it is in danger of turning into an IPA. Australian microbrewers 4 Pines do a fine ESB that tastes of pine wood, cherry and caramel – it even stands up to being served ice cold. Norway’s Sma Vesen KvernKnurr could almost be mistaken for a Belgian Dubbel. In short, ESB has come a long way from its origins as a winter special in the early 1970s.

Five to Try -
1. Fullers ESB
2. Dorset Durdle Door
3. Wychwood Hobgoblin (bottle)
4. Jennings Sneck Lifter
5. Ridgeway Ivanhoe

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