Category: extra special bitter

cask

managed to make it out to the railway club for the cask again last night
central city’s oaked esb
which for the most part i really enjoyed
but there was an odd flavour that came out as it warmed up
not unpleasant per se, but definitely odd

anyway, the camra cask meet ups seem to be going well
some of the usual suspects were there
and a couple of unusual suspects joined in too
i hope it continues, it is nice to socialize with other beer geeks at a relaxed drop in event

and the railway club has a new menu
not a whole lot of veggie options
(and a couple of spelling errors/typos – yes, i am THAT guy)
but people were saying they liked what they tried last night
(which were the thai coconut rice bowl and the flank “stake” tacos)

 

the main

i had never been to the main before
but a friend was performing there so i dutifully traipsed on over and checked out their beer list
and i was not disappointed
its not bad!
there’s something for everyone:

i’m not gonna lie to you
we had pitchers of the red racer esb
what a tasty way to spend an evening!

cask night at the railway

deliciousness abounded at the railway club last night!
holy crap, did i ever enjoy the central city sartori dry-hopped esb cask beer
i must have had four pints of that ambrosia before i stumbled my way to the alibi room for more casky hoppy goodness…
that ambrosia must have been a good 9%…
bitter, full of flavour
with hop particles suspended in the glass, sparkling in the light
making the beer look as good as it tasted
everyone went back for more
(but probably not quite as much as we did…)

see how it sparkles in the glass

hoppy hallowe’en

Propeller’s Extra Special Bitter

and for my next trick, drinking a six pack of Propeller‘s ESB!
okay, not all in one go… not all today… not that i couldn’t do it – don’t you doubt my abilities!  i just don’t NEED to drink it all today, okay?

pours with an incredible head, lovely coppery brown colour, some hop aroma.

a good canadian beer, this one is brewed by the John Allen Brewing Company in nova scotia.  5% and preservative free.

they say:  “Brewed with carefully selected malts and hops, this copper coloured, English-style ale is our best seller.  Smooth, full-bodied, and non-pasteurized, like all our beers.  Drink fresh.”

i find it delicious, but a bit on the subtle side.  i think i’m getting far too used to the big, brash, hoppy ipas and esbs that i’ve been drinking.  this one almost falls flat in comparison.  but, if i spend a little time with it (thank dog for that six pack), i can see its allure.  and i’m getting assimilated.  tasty stuff, my friends, tasty stuff.

their website says:  “Our fine craft ales are always best enjoyed in the company of friends and family over a sumptuous dinner or light lunch. It’s all about being together and sharing the good times.”

Accolades
Gold Medal World Beer Championships (Chicago) 2006, 2007, 2008
  Bitter was originally a draught ale served very fresh under no pressure (gravity or hand pump dispensing only) at cellar temperatures. Lucky for you today its available everywhere!

Our most popular brew is not really a bitter beer, it’s a better Bitter!

For Beer Geeks
IBU’s- 30
Hops- Willamatte, Warrior.
Malts- Pale, Crystal and Chocolate.
Water- Soft
Colour- 15.9°L

Glass Type Glass Type: Pint Glass, American Shaker, or Mug (Seidel)
Temperature Temperature: Cellar at 40-45 F; Serve at 45-50 F

i may be in love with their website!  it not only caters to beer geeks with full information on each beer, they also have a facts / trivia section that makes a cap popping noise when you scroll over it and it jumps to the next factoid!  and… they offer 2 litre growlers at their shop – your party to go bottle!  i am feeling an east coast road trip coming on…

thumbs up!

Driftwood Brewery’s Naughty Hildegard

Driftwood Brewery‘s Naughty Hildegard is an extra special bitter.  as such it has a more than healthy dose of hops and therefore fits very nicely into my hops obsession.

immense head on the pour, with a lovely hoppy aroma, nicely balanced with the malt.  fabulously naughty label featuring a radiant nun in fishnets and red heels!  but wait, who is this naughty hildegard?  why does she deserve such a fabulously hoppy beer named after her?

the bottle says:  “Brewed to honour Hildegard Von Bingen, a 12th century Benedictine nun who allegedly was the first to record the use of hops as an ingredient in beer.  While this is open to debate, we like Hildegard’s style and we can’t imagine beer without hops.  This Extra Special Bitter has lots of hops – Hildegard would be proud.  We are!  Cheers Hildy!

weighing in at 650 ml of 6.5%, this lives up to both its naughty moniker, and the “strong beer” claim on the label.  craft brewed in lovely victoria british columbia, i would like to personally thank this bottle for making the trek across the strait and my helpful beer consultant at firefly for suggesting it be included in my ipa tasting odyssey.

hildegard isn’t a regular feature of driftwood’s beer stable, but they did have this to say about it on their website:  “This Extra Special Bitter (ESB) marries a pallet of floor malted Golden Promise malt with about 55 pounds of Northwest hops. The result: a hop head’s delight. Get it while you can…”

must run, not walk, back to firefly and see if there are any more bottles there to be had.  i’m a fan!  cheers hildy indeed!