Fuller's ESB (Back to the Basics)

Back to the basics

From time to time I like to write about the beer staples.  World class beers that are not over the top.

In this era of craft brewing where we can get carried away with spices, extreme alcohol, 100 IBU citrus bombs, imperial oak-aged beers fermented with wild yeast and bacteria, it never hurts to step back and remember what got us here.  (By the way, I'm currently drinking a delicious Firestone Double Jack Imperial IPA - 9.5%/100IBUs, so yes, I do love these beers too.)

When you visit the countries that taught us how to brew and ask for "ein Bier bitte," or "I'll have a pint," you are sure to end up with a local session beer.  Depending upon where you are this could be a Helles, Bitter, Kölsch, Alt, or possibly a Pils.  (you get the picture)  These offerings are refreshing and drinkable, and yes, many of them are also widely recognized as world class beers!

In this blog, I'll cover one of my favorite English staples from Fuller's Brewery.

 Fuller's ESB

When traveling in Europe I tend to prefer smaller towns to large metropolises.  One exception to this tendency is London.  I love London.  And one of my favorite local breweries is Fuller's.

Fuller's Brewery is headquartered in the west London suburb of Chiswick and has been around for over 150 years.  Arguably their most famous beer is Fuller's ESB - Extra Special Bitter.  In the US it is now common to see ESB's on tap and sold in stores.  But this is a relatively new style.  In fact the style did not exist until 1971 when Fuller's first put this name on a beer.  Up until that time in England there were Bitters and Special Bitters.  Extra Special did not exist.  Fuller's is the ESB.

Fuller's Brewery has won numerous awards over the yeas, and their ESB has been especially successful.  This beer has taken CAMRA's Best Strong Ale award a record seven times!  Now a bit about the fine Ale.

Tasting Notes

Beer: Fuller's ESB
Style: ESB/Strong Bitter
Alcohol: 5.9% abv
ratebeer.com: 96/100 (overall/style)
Suggested glass: traditional English pint
Website: http://www.fullers.co.uk

This beer pours a rich red copper color with a light cream head.  It is beautifully clear and appetizing.  ESB's aroma is a pleasant blend of earthy/grassy English hops and toasty Pale Ale malt.  The Northdown, Challenger, and Goldings hops used are quintessentially British and have the typical spicy, earthy character of the hops grown over there.  This is decidedly different from the citrus and pine characteristics found in most US hops that end up in the Bitters and Pale Ales on this side of the Atlantic.

Cody's Fuller's ESB Flavor Wheel

The body is light and refreshing as to be expected.  Its flavor is a well-balanced combination of malt and a sturdy, but never overwhelming bitterness.  There is a slight caramel malt sweetness and a touch of toffee to counter balance the bittering hops.  A wonderful fruity yeast character is present throughout.

Fuller's ESB has a well rounded, long and smooth finish with more fresh late-addition hops (Goldings?), clean malt, and the typical English mineral-character.  There is just a slight touch of diacetyl left over from fermentation. As the beer warms, the "butterscotch" will become more noticeable.  This adds yet another dimension of complexity to this fine ale.

These tasting notes come from an evening session last month.  The 12-ounce bottle was purchased here in Colorado.  Of course in London you'll experience a fresher version.  If you get the chance drink this beer on cask at a pub it will be served "warm and flat" and have a bit less alcohol.  (by design) 

Another great beer by Fuller's is their London Pride, which is a touch lighter yet.  It weighs in at 4.7% abv.  London Pride is very typical of the Special Bitter style.  I also love the other major brewery in London - Young's.  Their beers are getting more difficult to find in Colorado, but their Bitter and Special London Ale are classics.  Young's yeast happens to be one of my favorite - being very lively and fruity.

I hope you enjoyed the review.  And the next time you are at the liquor store, don't forget about those wonderful "session" beers out there.  Many of which, by the way, happen to be world class - just like Fuller's ESB!

Congratulations Warren Monteiro - 2013 Beerdrinker of the Year

Some of the greatest beer minds in the country gathered at the Wynkoop Mercantile Room on Saturday for the National Finals of the 2013 Beerdrinker of the Year competition.  I had the honor of being a judge (for the fourth straight year) along with outgoing champion J. Wilson, Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown, Ginger Johnson – Women Enjoying Beer, and Kyle Clark - beer lover and anchor of Denver's 9-News.   After more than two hours of questioning, presentations, and being asked to identify three different blind beer samples (Hoegaarden Wit, Fuller's ESB, and Odell Woodcut #5), Warren Monteiro a New York freelance writer, beer traveler, homebrewer, and beer columnist took home the top honors.   Warren edged out Jen Schwertman, also from New York, and Kevin Cox of Muncie, Indiana to become the 17th Beerdrinker of the Year.  All three finalists proved that they were more than worthy to be on the national stage with their deep knowledge of all things related to beer.   

What it takes


Winning the Beerdrinker of the Year has nothing to do with quantity or speed - it has everything to do with passion, wit, and knowledge.  And Warren proved that he is the type of person that any beer-lover would enjoy sitting down with for a few pints.

Being a homebrewer helped Warren stay sharp on sensory perception and on top of the technical aspects of the brewing process.  He also has a great deal of practice traveling the world gaining new beer-related experiences.  He has sampled beers throughout the United States, Europe, Central America, India, Sri Lanka, and numerous other nations.  In 2012 he visited breweries and beer festivals in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the US.  As a matter of fact, Warren lives part of the year in London.  He samples an average of 350 beers each year.

It was a long trip, but Warren actually drove out to Denver from New York for the competition.  I suspect he did this so he could tap a homebrewed cask-conditioned Firkin version of Pliney The Elder (a Double/Imperial IPA) during the event.  (Warren drove, the Firkin rode shotgun...)  If you love hops and missed it, I feel sorry for you.  It was an excellent, well-balanced explosion of pine, citrus and malt.  I loved it.  The Mercantile Room crowd drained Warren's keg in less than one hour!

This year's judging was extremely difficult due to the quality of the finalists, but in the end Warren squeaked ahead of the competition.  All those at the event, judges and observers, hope to see Jen and Kevin back next year.

It is good to be the winner!

As the winner Warren will receive, among other things, $250 to spend at his home pub (Blind Tiger Ale House in New York), a beer brewed in his honor by the Wynkoop for next year’s competition, free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewery, and worldwide recognition.

It is always tough to not win, but Jen and Kevin should be very proud of their performances. I am sure both will be back in the finals in the future.  Finally, I want to thank those of you that came downtown to take part in the event.  I know I had a great time, as always, and I hope you all did also!

Previous Winners:

1997: Jack McDougall of Cranford, New Jersey
1998: Bobby Bush Jr. of Hickory, North Carolina
1999: James Robertson of Pomona, California
2000: Steve Pawlowski of Roselle Park, New Jersey
2001: Cornelia Corey of Clemmons, North Carolina
2002: Gary Steinel of White Plains, New York
2003: Ray McCoy of Clemmons, North Carolina
2004: John Marioni of Bothell, Washington
2005: Tom Ciccateri of Alexandria, Virginia
2006: Tom Schmidlin of Seattle, Washington
2007: Daine Catanzaro of Norfolk, Virginia
2008: Matt Venzke of Hampton, Virginia
2009: Cody Christman of Golden, Colorado
2010: Bill Howell of Sterling, Alaska
2011: Phil Farrell of Cumming, Georgia
2012: J. Wilson of Prescott, Iowa
2013: Warren Monteiro of New York, New York
2014: Are you next?  Start working on your resume!

2013 Beerdrinker of the Year Finalists Announced

The three finalists for the 2013 Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals have just been announced.  This year’s lucky but deserving trio is Warren Monteiro from New York City (a return finalist from last year), Kevin Cox from Muncie, Indiana, and Jen Schwertman, also from New York City.  If you are in the Denver area, or have the means to travel, don’t miss this event – it is the most prestigious title in the country for beer aficionados.  Being involved in the selection process, and having reviewed numerous resumes, I can guarantee you that these three are on a different level when it comes to beer knowledge and appreciation. Warren, Kevin, and Jen will be flown in for the long weekend and pampered at the Brown Palace Hotel at the Wynkoop's expense.

The competition is open to the public and will be held in the Wynkoop Mercantile Room on Saturday, February 23th starting at 2 pm MT. Get there early to nab a seat and have time to enjoy happy-hour priced beers, including a barrel-aged Belgian specialty brewed to honor last year’s champion J. Wilson.

More information about the event can be found at:

http://www.wynkoop.com/beer-blog/item/175-wynkoop-brewing-announces-2013-beerdrinker-of-the-year-finalists


Here is a bit of background on the three finalists:

Kevin Cox, a Muncie, Indiana beer hunter, homebrewer and beer advocate. Cox has visited over 400 breweries, tasted over 6000 different beers and “stalked the perfect pint” on 4 continents and in 12 countries. In 2012 he drank beer at numerous beer festivals in the US, Belgium, England and Germany. He’s been a member of the American Homebrewers Association since 1983 and a member of Britain’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) since 1985.

His philosophy of beer drinking: “Beer is my passion, it’s a religion. I like to think of it as my beer ministry, teaching the virtues of good beer and safe drinking.”

Warren Monteiro, a New York City freelance writer, beer traveler, homebrewer and beer columnist. Monteiro has sampled beers throughout the United States, Europe, Central American, India, Sri Lanka and other nations. In 2012 he visited breweries and beer festivals in England, Belgium, the Netherlands and the US. He samples an average of 350 beers each year.

His philosophy of beer drinking: “It’s not a habit, it’s a lifestyle. This is why I constantly travel – to get a taste of a new brew or one I’ve been missing, and to find a way to share it whenever possible. I consider creative beer drinking to be an essential part of the tapestry of art and fellowship contributing to a full life.”

Jen Schwertman, a New York City bartender and beer evangelist who got her start in beer in 1992 at Wynkoop Brewing Company. An NYC resident since 1999, Schwertman has worked at the city’s famed Ginger Man and now works at the equally famed Blind Tiger Ale House. She has a consulting business for beer servers, co-hosts an Internet radio show about beer, and in 2012 drank and brewed beer at festivals and breweries across the US and Belgium.

Her philosophy of beer drinking: “The volume of incredible beer I’ve been lucky enough to consume is immeasurable. The number of people I’ve helped to educate is significant. But the greatest gift of my beer career has been the phenomenal people I’ve been able to meet, learn from and claim as friends. They hold an infinitely valuable place in my heart.”

Homebrew Recipe - New Year's Porter

2013 Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals

Before I provide my latest Porter recipe to the homebrewers out there, I want to remind everyone that this year's BDOTY Finals are on Saturday, February 23rd at 2 pm.  The competition will be held in the Wynkoop's Mercantile Room.  Get there early to nab a seat and have time to enjoy happy-hour priced beers.  More information can be found on the Wynkoop's website.

New Year's Porter

Every year Joycelyn and I host a New Year's party for friends.  It is one of those parties that lends itself to brewing a cask ale since there are plenty of people over to make prepping the handpump worthwhile.  Beer engines are great, but they are not practical for onesie-twosie beer evenings.  There is a bit of waste priming the handpump, and more waste flushing out the device after using.  One tip if you decide to purchase a beer engine for your pub, get the quarter pint sized cylinder.  (like an engine, they house a piston and a cylinder...)  They also come in half and full pint sizes, but for a home system, the larger sizes will waste more beer on the front and back end of your evening.

Now back to beer...  Winter is a great time for dark beers, so to help usher in this New Year I decided to brew a Porter.  "Midnight Silk Porter" is its moniker.  Midnight since it was a New Year's party, and silk, because that is how I wanted it to taste - smooth.

In formulating this recipe, I practiced my own philosophy - keep it simple.  Sometimes simpler is better.  (For background reference my June, 2011 blog - Single Malt/Hop Beers.)  Now a Porter is not a single malt beer, but I still attempted to minimize the variety of grains used.  My goal was to brew a fine, smooth ale - something similar Fuller's London Porter.  The type of dark beer that invites you to have more than one. 

Many brewers view the Porter style as an "everything but the kitchen sink" beer.  The same could be said for stouts.  This often leads to over the top, and overly dark beers in my opinion.  Many American Porters and Stouts pour jet-black.  This is not the case with traditional dark beers.

Guinness is not opaque, rather a dark ruby red.  Though many simply consider it "black."  Does a beer really need to be darker than Guinness?  As a matter of example, a good friend returned from spending Christmas in Ireland with family.  He and his cousin were drinking pints in a pub that happened to have an under-lit tabletop.  Half way through their Guinness they looked down and thought someone had replaced their stouts with Smithwicks!  Next time you are drinking an Irish stout shine a flashlight through it.  My point is, beers don't need to be over the top, or so packed with dark malts that they pour like used motor oil to be world class.

Midnight Silk Porter Recipe

88% Weyermann Pils Malt
5% Special B (140-155 deg L)
5% Weyermann dehusked Carafa II (413-450 deg L)
1% Pale Chocolate (220 deg L)
1% Chocolate (630 deg L)


1st hop addition (60 minutes) enough Willamette to yield 13 IBU
2nd hop addition (20 minutes) enough Willamette to yield 8 IBU

Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

O.G. 1.050
F.G.  1.014
ABV 4.8%

Mash for 30 minutes at 122 deg F, 40 minutes at 154 deg F, and 10 minutes at 168 deg F.  Ferment at 68 degrees.  I also secondary my beer for one week after the completion of primary fermentation.  Carbonate to 1.2 volumes of CO2. 

Note that this beer has a relatively low bitterness of 21 IBUs.  Though not always the case today in American breweries, traditionally dark beers are lightly hopped.  The darker grains provide the bitterness to balance the sweetness of the malt, therefore high hop rates are not needed.

I use dehusked Carafa to derive most of the color instead of more Chocolate, Roasted Barley or Black Patent.  Carafa is an excellent coloring malt, and contributes little roast character.  The burnt/roasted husk of many malts lead to roasty "coffee" flavors.

Finally, I fermented this Porter with Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale.  This strain ferments a bit slower and is less attenuative than other British strains, but it has excellent character and has always made superb beers for me.


I can't think of anything I would change in this beer.  It pours dark oxblood with a very creamy off-white head.  It tastes very pleasant and smooth with a light, clean body - though with rich ale character.  It finishes earthy and fruity, with a mild roast character. 

This ale is pretty simple for a Porter.  Simplicity does not mean lack of complexity.  I love this beer, and everyone at the party seemed to agree.