Extra Special
Kieran Haslett-Moore
MY favourite beers tend to have rich malt flavours balanced by tangy earthy hops and fruity yeast characters, and most of them tend to be brewed in England or in the English tradition. Like many home brewers I have often day dreamed about what beers I would brew commercially if I had the chance. When the opportunity came up for me to brew a commercial batch of beer at Emerson’s in Dunedin, it took all of 30 seconds for me to decide what I would brew.
Extra Special Bitter is an amber style of English Ale that combines a rich toffee and caramel malt profile with a fruity, earthy aroma and a firm bitter finish. Extra Special refers to the fact that the style is stronger and often somewhat more robust in flavour than the bitters that are usually served in English pubs. In the UK only Fullers interpretation can call itself E.S.B. as they own the copyright to the name, while in the States many new generation brewpubs have taken up the style brewing American hopped interpretations. I think E.S.B’s make for great winter drinking. They combine warm rich malt and marmalady hop and yeast characters with enough body to stand up to hearty winter fare.
Last month I travelled to Dunedin to brew my beer with Richard Emerson, the experience was fantastic and the brew has definitely come out how I wanted it to. Regional Special Beer or R.S.B for short clocks in at 5.3%abv, and is definitely a New Zealand take on the E.S.B. style. We brewed it using New Zealand, Belgian and English malt, New Zealand Hops and an American yeast strain. It’s not for me to review my own beer so make your own mind up, I will be launching it with a free tasting at Regional Wines and Spirits on Friday the 23rd of July and it will also be featuring at this years Beervana Festival at the end of August.
Extra Special Bitter is an amber style of English Ale that combines a rich toffee and caramel malt profile with a fruity, earthy aroma and a firm bitter finish. Extra Special refers to the fact that the style is stronger and often somewhat more robust in flavour than the bitters that are usually served in English pubs. In the UK only Fullers interpretation can call itself E.S.B. as they own the copyright to the name, while in the States many new generation brewpubs have taken up the style brewing American hopped interpretations. I think E.S.B’s make for great winter drinking. They combine warm rich malt and marmalady hop and yeast characters with enough body to stand up to hearty winter fare.
Last month I travelled to Dunedin to brew my beer with Richard Emerson, the experience was fantastic and the brew has definitely come out how I wanted it to. Regional Special Beer or R.S.B for short clocks in at 5.3%abv, and is definitely a New Zealand take on the E.S.B. style. We brewed it using New Zealand, Belgian and English malt, New Zealand Hops and an American yeast strain. It’s not for me to review my own beer so make your own mind up, I will be launching it with a free tasting at Regional Wines and Spirits on Friday the 23rd of July and it will also be featuring at this years Beervana Festival at the end of August.
Have Your Say
0 Comments
No comments.