Classic Beer I – Fullers ESB

Posted by on Jun 30, 2011 in Classic Beers, English Beer | No Comments

Here at the BeerCast we’re always on the lookout for new and interesting things, partly to keep the readership happy – and partly to appease our flirtatious tastebuds. CAMRA Chair Colin Valentine recently criticised bloggers for having such an outlook – and it got us thinking. Maybe we are guilty of bypassing the timeless to concentrate on the next big thing. What about the classics? So, starting today, we have a new regular feature – rediscovering these “lost” beers. We begin with a British institution.

Fullers first brewed their Extra Special Bitter in 1971, as a winter seasonal to replace an older brand – Old Burton Extra. At that time, the beer scene here was at a nadir thanks to the despicable keg revolution – and it really took off. ESB quickly became a permanent fixture, partly thanks to the competition, and probably also in part due to the 5.5% abv – making it then one of the strongest beers in regular production.

Described as ‘perilously drinkable’ by BeerHunter Michael Jackson, it won Champion Beer of Britain in 1978, and never looked back. Since then, it won that award on two further occasions – not to mention CAMRA Best Strong Ale for seven different years. It became the industry standard for Extra Special Bitters – the premium (read: stronger) end of the brown beer spectrum (they generally top out at 6% abv). One of the first British ales exported to America, it cemented itself so much over there that beers of the style are commonly referred to by Fuller’s brand name – ESB’s.

Today sales remain strong – Fullers ESB is something I regularly walk past at my local supermarket on the search for something new and unusual. Bumped to 5.9% in the bottle, it remains 5.5% on cask – although those rarely make it this far north (Fuller’s flagship London Pride occasionally makes it to Scotland as a guest). It pours a walnut brown with a decent white head, which dissipates fairly quickly. On the nose – sweet toffee malt and mellow fruit, highly inviting.

Taste-wise, it’s pretty rich on the palate – but not too much, the caramel toffee nuttiness doesn’t veer into the overly sweet or cloying at any point. There’s a great balance of that malt with the fruity hops that come on the aftertaste – the citrus is there for a moment before the bitter finish arrives. Unsurprisingly, it’s lovely. Classics should be re-discovered from time to time, even if it means taking time out from the new and spectacular…



Stay tuned for the next part of this series, as we get to grips with a beer that created a style. What would your classic beer lineup not be complete without?

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