Like many things to do with the English language, the naming of beer styles, especially in the UK, was always a jumble of local colloquialisms, confusing logic and local one-upmanship leading to modern terms that make little sense. A "Mild" that can blow your head off... a "Bitter" with nary a hint of hops in it. It's enough to drive you to drink! Ooh, there's an idea!
A bitter is in most respects just a type of pale ale, but that really doesn't paint a full picture of this most confusing of beer styles. A bitter could be a perfect session drink at 2.8%, or it might be brazenly strong at 7%. It could be dark and malty or, as the name suggests, bitter and hoppy. Colour, taste and aroma can vary wildly and over the years local whims have made it even more baffling.
One brewery might have a Mild Bitter, Ordinary Bitter, Best Bitter and Special Bitter in their lineup. In many cases this is an indication of strength, but it could also point to increased hop or malt in the the ingredients.
For some brewers the weaker session bitters have fallen out of favour, leaving their "Best Bitter" as the weakest they offer. This despite that their Pale Ales or Session IPAs aren't adorned with the superlative "Best".
One brewery might have a Mild Bitter, Ordinary Bitter, Best Bitter and Special Bitter in their lineup. In many cases this is an indication of strength, but it could also point to increased hop or malt in the the ingredients.
For some brewers the weaker session bitters have fallen out of favour, leaving their "Best Bitter" as the weakest they offer. This despite that their Pale Ales or Session IPAs aren't adorned with the superlative "Best".
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In other cases, a brewer in years past might have brewed an ordinary bitter only to find a nearby competitior had produced their own version. With no specific guidelines to work from they then rename theirs as Best Bitter, so creating a new style. So a premium bitter might really be just that, the best that brewery has created... or it could just be a way of getting one over on the rival down the road.
Such naming chaos is generally a thing of the past (though it has crept back in via the IPA wars to a lesser degree). But it has left behind a landscape of confusion for the novice drinker. To a greater or lesser extent, Bitters, Milds, Pale Ales, Golden Ales and Light Ales are all variations of the same theme. Strength, colour, taste, aroma, hoppiness and maltiness may all vary and at the extremes some will seem miles away from another, but the only real way to find out which you like is to take note of the abv and then dive in.
Such naming chaos is generally a thing of the past (though it has crept back in via the IPA wars to a lesser degree). But it has left behind a landscape of confusion for the novice drinker. To a greater or lesser extent, Bitters, Milds, Pale Ales, Golden Ales and Light Ales are all variations of the same theme. Strength, colour, taste, aroma, hoppiness and maltiness may all vary and at the extremes some will seem miles away from another, but the only real way to find out which you like is to take note of the abv and then dive in.
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Into this bizarre mix confidently strides Fuller's ESB, or Extra Special Bitter. It is in many ways as far away from an ordinary bitter as a good IPA is, yet there is the word bitter right in the name.
Originally launched as a seasonal, warming winter beer in 1969, it was renamed ESB when it was changed to a year-round brew two years later after proving very popular. Having gained a lot of attention, other brewers looked to cash in by creating their own variation of an ESB, but they proved short lived and in the UK the term is now a copyright of Fuller's; a brand as well as a style.
Nowadays the beer's renown and fame is such that in the U.S. a number of craft breweries have picked up the term for their own version of what is essentially a Strong Ale, but even now, if you use the term ESB, it's assumed you are talking about Fuller's.
Fuller's ESB is strong at 5.9%, richly golden in hue with a deeper, creamier head than usual for a bitter. The robust malt flavour is slightly sweet but is well balanced by some British hops and well rounded by the Fuller's yeast blend which leaves a slight marmalade note. To be frank, this is one of my all-time favourites. An awesome beer. As the late great Michael Jackson said, it truly is a "world classic".
If you like ESB, also consider Fuller's 1845.
Originally launched as a seasonal, warming winter beer in 1969, it was renamed ESB when it was changed to a year-round brew two years later after proving very popular. Having gained a lot of attention, other brewers looked to cash in by creating their own variation of an ESB, but they proved short lived and in the UK the term is now a copyright of Fuller's; a brand as well as a style.
Nowadays the beer's renown and fame is such that in the U.S. a number of craft breweries have picked up the term for their own version of what is essentially a Strong Ale, but even now, if you use the term ESB, it's assumed you are talking about Fuller's.
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Fuller's ESB is strong at 5.9%, richly golden in hue with a deeper, creamier head than usual for a bitter. The robust malt flavour is slightly sweet but is well balanced by some British hops and well rounded by the Fuller's yeast blend which leaves a slight marmalade note. To be frank, this is one of my all-time favourites. An awesome beer. As the late great Michael Jackson said, it truly is a "world classic".
If you like ESB, also consider Fuller's 1845.
2021 UPDATE: As you are probably already aware, Fuller's beers are no longer available in Malaysia. Fuller's themselves have since split their brewery into a separate entity from their property portfolio (Pubs and Hotels) and sold the beer making side to Asahi of Japan. Fear not, however, as production remains in its old location at the Griffin Brewery by the Thames and by all accounts nothing has changed in terms of the beer. And, as Asahi already have a growing presence in Malaysia, there is hope that Fuller's may one day return.
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