I trust the sight of the ESB refreshes you: Grainne's Special Bitter by Parched Eagle Brewpub

With Covid still on the loose, the Frau and I are forced to push any plans for a trip to London back further. I may be trying to make up for this by drinking more Extra Special Bitter, a.k.a. – ESB. Last time it was Working Draft's take on the style and this time we have Grainne's Special Bitter from Parched Eagle here in Madison.

The Grainne in Grainne's Special Bitter is a friend of Parched Eagle proprietor Jim Goronson. Both of them have a fondness for the ur-ESB, Fuller's, and the beer was named after her. There is a bit more to this story and, in an act of blatant synergizing, I will direct you to the episode of the podcast I do with my pal Old Man Schuck, Time Enough At Last, which features Goronson as our guest where you can hear the man himself give you all of the details.

When I bought my bottle of GSB, it was the last one they had, tucked away in the back of the cooler forcing the bartender to move bottles around and really dig for it. If it's not on tap, you may have to wait for the next batch to be brewed in order to taste it. But do so. I really enjoy the Parched Eagle taproom. It's got koselig, hygge, and coziness in spades. There's no brewing equipment visible so it lacks that sterile industrial chic that is prevalent today and is all the better for it. The room is fairly small and has a warm, welcoming feel to it that many taprooms lack.

The ESB is a bigger, stronger bitter beer. The strength of a bitter seems to vary widely – from 3.X% to 5.0% A.B.V. The ESB is naturally a headier brew but nothing outrageous – think 5.5% - 6.5% A.B.V. With Grainne's Special Bitter at 6.6%, it's on the upper end of the scale.

On my first pour of GSB, my glass had no head. A second pour produced a small off-white head that went away quickly. This seemed in line with my expectation that the ESB should have only a little fizz to it. While the first two pours were clear, the beer at the bottom of the bottle was hazy.

I was surprised at the beer's smell which was kind of meager. Maybe it was my nose but I could only smell a berry-like fruitiness and a little floral hoppiness. While I loved both scents, I simply expected more smells to be smelled.

On the first sip, my fizz detector discerned just a hint of the stuff and GSB lacked the astringent quality of Working Draft's ESB, Elbow Patches. There was some leather flavor, a bit of honeyed malt sweetness, and a touch of that berry from the nose. Everything was nicely balanced.

That leather taste remained after I swallowed and was joined by a nice woody flavor and moderate herbal hoppy bitterness.

Exactly how closely Grainne's Special Bitter adheres to the Fuller's ESB template remains to be tasted and awaits a trip to London for confirmation. But I found GSB to be excellent. Having had Working Draft's ESB recently, I cannot help but compare and contrast.

Going easy on the fizz gave Parched Eagle's take on the style a gentle mellowness that Elbow Patched lacked. They have similar flavors in their respective mixes, though Elbow Patches is a bit nuttier, while GSB is more balanced. Both beers finished with a tasty herbal hop bitterness. GSB is boozier but it doesn't taste like a big, strong brew. Instead, it is a gentle giant.

Personally, I prefer Grainne's Special Bitter but I hold out hope that Working Draft can forego some fizz in the next batch of Elbow Patches. The more ESBs, the merrier.

Junk food pairing: Pair your Grainne's Special Bitter with a fine English cheddar like Extra Cheesy Cheez-Its.

While I am on the subject of English beer styles, WorkingDraft recently brewed a British style lager – no idea what that entails – and there may still be some on shelves around town. Also, Karben4's mild, ChampagneTortoise, is listed as a spring seasonal on their website so it will theoretically be available soon.