Old Thumper ESA? I thought it was an ESB. I don’t have ESP, so I’m going with RateBeer’s answer. ESB.
That was corny. So the Extra Special Bitter? Let’s learn a little about the style.
Well, Wikipedia is useless for this task. The page contradicts itself; it says that Strong/Special Bitter starts at 7% and 4.8% ABV. Thanks for that. Why don’t we just average those and say it starts at 5.9%. The BJCP style guidelines say that it starts at 4.6%, so that would work for the Old Thumper.
Does it have to be brewed in England or with English Yeast or in the English style to be called Bitter? This site says Bitters were traditionally less hoppy than pale ales. That doesn’t seem to make sense since the word pale came from the malt used and “Bitter” is an adjective, also a characteristic added to beer by intensified hops.
It’s really hard to be the authority on something when there are such fragmented opinions out there. I need to start reading some more beer books!
Just The Facts
Appearance: Light red-orange
Smell: Butterscotch, bready sweetness
Taste: Sweet, tartness from the mild hop finish
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, med carbonation
Drinkability: Tastes a bit boozy for a session at 5.9%, but two or three – possible
If you like this, you might like:
Scotch Ale, Other ESBs, IPAs
Where to find them online
