Serve in a nonic pint at 10-13 °C
What it tastes like
An ESB, or extra special bitter, is the strongest member of the bitter family. It pours amber to copper and leads with malt: toffee, toast, a little caramel and a nutty biscuit note. English hops answer with earthy, woody and slightly spicy character, and the bitterness is firm enough to keep all that malt in check. English ale yeast adds red apple, pear or a faint marmalade fruitiness.
The name comes from a London brewery that launched its own Extra Special Bitter in the early 1970s; the term later spread into a style category, and American brewers took it up as a name for any strong, malty English-type pale ale. Compared with an American pale ale, the hops here are quieter and earthier and the malt is richer, so the beer tastes rounder rather than sharper.
Brewers often aim for a sulphate-rich water profile like Burton upon Trent's, which gives the bitterness a dry, clean edge. Get the yeast and the water right and the beer tastes deeper than its strength suggests.
Style profile
- Look
- Deep gold to copper, clear, with an off-white head that sits a little lower than on an American ale.
- Aroma and flavour
- Toffee, toast and nutty biscuit malt, earthy and spicy English hops, orchard fruit and marmalade from the yeast.
- Mouthfeel
- Medium body, moderate carbonation, a dry finish with firm bitterness that lingers.
- Ingredients
- Maris Otter or similar British pale malt with crystal malt, Fuggle, Goldings or Target hops, a fruity English ale yeast and sulphate-rich water.
In India
ESB is not common in India, but it is a useful beer for anyone tired of hazy IPAs and cold lager. Malt-led beers like this hold up better in the Indian cold chain than hop-forward ones, as toffee and toast fade more slowly than citrus aroma. Serve it cool rather than icy. It is a beer for the monsoon or a December evening in Delhi, with something roasted or grilled on the table.
At the Indian table
Food pairings contributed by Anuradha Rao
- Mutton Rogan JoshThe toffee and toast in the malt match the browned onions and Kashmiri chilli, and the bitterness trims the fat.
- Rajma chawalThe nutty malt and earthy hops meet the slow-cooked kidney beans and the fruity yeast brightens the gravy.
- Amul cheddar with mango chutneyToffee malt against sharp cheese and sweet chutney is the classic ploughman's trick, done with Indian ingredients.
- GajakThe roasted sesame and jaggery echo the caramel in the malt.
Brewed in India
- English-not-so-bitter, Great State Aleworks source
Want the long read? English bitter