Fuller's ESB (

Extra Special Bitter Bitter is an English style of pale ale that varies in colour from gold to dark amber, and in strength typically from 3% to 5.5% alcohol by volume. History The term "bitter" has been used in England to describe pale ale since the early 19th c ...

) is a beer brewed by Fuller's at the

Griffin Brewery Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick in the west of London was a family-run business from its foundation in 1845 until 2019. In that year, the brewing division of Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC was sold to the Japanese international beverage giant Asahi. ...

in Chiswick, London. It has twice been named World Champion Beer, and has won

CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is ...

Champion Beer of Britain The Champion Beer of Britain (also known as CBOB) is an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), at its annual Great British Beer Festival in early August. Qualification and judging Beers can qualify for the Champion Beer of Brit ...

Award on three occasions.

History

Fuller's ESB was first brewed in 1971 as a replacement for a beer called Old Burton Extra. At this time, breweries commonly produced both an "ordinary" bitter and a "special". Fuller's already had a "special", London Pride, and chose to add a third, extra special bitter, ESB.

Characteristics

ESB is a strong, full-bodied, mahogany-coloured ale. It is brewed with Pale Ale and

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

malts, bringing both biscuit flavours and soft malt toffee notes to the fore. It is sold in both 5.5% cask conditioned form as well as pasteurised at 5.9% in bottles and kegs.

Awards

Fuller's ESB was named CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain in 1978, 1981 and 1985. It has also been named CAMRA’s Strong Ale of the Year seven times – more than any other beer. ESB has also won the World Champion Beer award on two occasions, giving the brew the nickname "The Champion Ale". At the World Beer Awards 2011, ESB was awarded "Europe's Best Pale Ale - Strong".

References

{{Reflist Beer brands of the United Kingdom