Beer of the Weekend #125: Fuller’s ESB
No fanfare this weekend. I’m leaving it for tomorrow night.
The beer this weekend is Fuller’s ESB, brewed by Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. of London, England.
Serving type: Six 11.2-ounce (330 ml) Euro style bottles. The BEST BEFORE date is 06/JUL/10.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a solid copper. Two fingers of off-white head developed and dissipated slowly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Sweet caramel and honey malt aromas. It has a buttery, nutty quality to it as well, and there’s also toffee and vanilla.
Taste: At first there’s the sweet honey and caramel notes from the smell, then a little hop bite enters, nicely balancing the brew. The alcohol is noticeable at the end, but it’s not overpowering, and fades after warming.
Drinkability: Without the label, it would be hard to tell if I was drinking ESB or London Pride. ESB is just a tiny bit hoppier and a tiny bit bitterer, but other than that the experience is much the same. No doubt it’s the original ESB, but Fuller’s gave birth to a watered down little brother. Boo.
Fun facts about ESB:
-Style: ESB is the epitome of its own style. Beers of the World and Great Beer Guide agree on calling ESB a strong bitter, but BA classifies it as an Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB):
-Price: $11.99/sixer at BevMo!. Someday I’ll write a “Beerfly” review of the Beach Boulevard store on BA. It would sure boost my Beer Karma since I don’t do anything but review brew.
-Serving temperature: Both beer books agree on 50-55ºF, which is highly unusual. BA recommends the usual 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Beers of the World recommends “meat pies.” BA suggests barbecue, buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, and Swiss), nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby, and Parmesan), and meat (pork and “game”).
-ESB obviously stands for Extra Special Bitter, and Fuller’s ESB originated the term. Though it’s a brand name in England, breweries in the US, most famously Red Hook, have adopted the name to designate their bitter ales.
-ESB was launched in 1969 as a winter seasonal beer, Winter Bitter. The name was changed when Fuller’s started brewing it year-round in 1971.
-ESB has a tasting notes page on the Fuller’s website, summarizing the drinking experience. One of the lines describing the flavor (actually spelled “flavor,” which, I think, is odd for a British website; the British English spelling is “flavour”) is this:
Whoa. What the hell is “treacle”? I fired up the ol’ dictionary on my iMac and looked it up. “Treacle” is the British term for molasses. It can also be used figuratively to mean “cloying sentimentality or flattery.”
-You know what I just realized? There are two Fuller’s websites: one for the UK and one for the US. That explains the different site design and lack of British spelling on the US version. Duh.
-According to Fuller’s British site, ESB is supposedly served in specially made glasses, and recommends those enjoying ESB at home to visit the website’s store and buy one. Inconveniently, the store page is under construction. However, I’m curious to know what this special glass looks like. A Fuller’s nonick pint is available at Dirty John’s, but I highly doubt it’s the glass Fuller’s is talking about.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The beer this weekend is Fuller’s ESB, brewed by Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. of London, England.
Serving type: Six 11.2-ounce (330 ml) Euro style bottles. The BEST BEFORE date is 06/JUL/10.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a solid copper. Two fingers of off-white head developed and dissipated slowly to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Sweet caramel and honey malt aromas. It has a buttery, nutty quality to it as well, and there’s also toffee and vanilla.
Taste: At first there’s the sweet honey and caramel notes from the smell, then a little hop bite enters, nicely balancing the brew. The alcohol is noticeable at the end, but it’s not overpowering, and fades after warming.
Drinkability: Without the label, it would be hard to tell if I was drinking ESB or London Pride. ESB is just a tiny bit hoppier and a tiny bit bitterer, but other than that the experience is much the same. No doubt it’s the original ESB, but Fuller’s gave birth to a watered down little brother. Boo.
Fun facts about ESB:
-Style: ESB is the epitome of its own style. Beers of the World and Great Beer Guide agree on calling ESB a strong bitter, but BA classifies it as an Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB):
ESBs are essentially more aggressive and more balanced Bitters, both in alcohol and hop character, but nothing overpowering. Color range will be similar, though leaning towards the darker end of the scale; dark golds to copper. Low carbonation. Malts tend to be more pronounced, often toasty and fruity, with maybe some notes diacetyl. And despite "bitter" being in its name, ESBs are not really all that bitter. They key to an ESB is balance.
-Price: $11.99/sixer at BevMo!. Someday I’ll write a “Beerfly” review of the Beach Boulevard store on BA. It would sure boost my Beer Karma since I don’t do anything but review brew.
-Serving temperature: Both beer books agree on 50-55ºF, which is highly unusual. BA recommends the usual 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Beers of the World recommends “meat pies.” BA suggests barbecue, buttery cheeses (Brie, Gouda, Havarti, and Swiss), nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby, and Parmesan), and meat (pork and “game”).
-ESB obviously stands for Extra Special Bitter, and Fuller’s ESB originated the term. Though it’s a brand name in England, breweries in the US, most famously Red Hook, have adopted the name to designate their bitter ales.
-ESB was launched in 1969 as a winter seasonal beer, Winter Bitter. The name was changed when Fuller’s started brewing it year-round in 1971.
-ESB has a tasting notes page on the Fuller’s website, summarizing the drinking experience. One of the lines describing the flavor (actually spelled “flavor,” which, I think, is odd for a British website; the British English spelling is “flavour”) is this:
The hops provide distinct cooked fruit flavors while the malt adds treacle, nut and vanilla flavors.
Whoa. What the hell is “treacle”? I fired up the ol’ dictionary on my iMac and looked it up. “Treacle” is the British term for molasses. It can also be used figuratively to mean “cloying sentimentality or flattery.”
-You know what I just realized? There are two Fuller’s websites: one for the UK and one for the US. That explains the different site design and lack of British spelling on the US version. Duh.
-According to Fuller’s British site, ESB is supposedly served in specially made glasses, and recommends those enjoying ESB at home to visit the website’s store and buy one. Inconveniently, the store page is under construction. However, I’m curious to know what this special glass looks like. A Fuller’s nonick pint is available at Dirty John’s, but I highly doubt it’s the glass Fuller’s is talking about.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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