Beer of the Week! 04/12/22

Basic City Uncle Jim’s Tavern Style ESB

Regularly $11.99 / Now on Sale for $10.96
English ESB Style Ale

An ESB is a classic English style of pale ale that American brewers — as they are wont to do — have taken up and made a staple of our craft brew world. Craft Brewing — one of the few places where cultural appropriation can be a good thing. :)

During the 1800s in England, changes in heating technology and the growth of brewing in the Midlands led to the development of more bitter beers … or “the Bitter.” However, it wasn’t until the late 20th Century that we see our little friend come fully on the scene. In 1969, famous London brewers Fuller, Smith & Turner, LLC released a beer that they called their “Extra Special Bitter.”

Here’s the thing … with both the words “Extra” and “Bitter” in the name, you would think ESBs were … well … extra bittery. In truth, they are not, due to the fact that English hops give less of a bitter kick than American hops. Hops like Challenger, Northdown, Target, and the classic East Kent Golding are just different beasts from your Cascades, Centennials, Chinooks, Simcoes, etc. So, an ESB made with English ingredients is a far cry from an American IPA (or even an English IPA for that matter). That’s what we see in Basic City’s Uncle Jim’s Tavern Style ESB.

Basic City uses all English malts and hops in making Uncle Jim’s, and the result is an ale with a lovely balance between its light caramel, slightly fruity malt and its mild hops. Just a little richer than the Fuller’s, Uncle Jim’s sits right in the pocket of what an archetypal ale should taste like. At 5.5% ABV, this is a beer to have to take the edge off of a day, keeping you company while you prepare dinner.

Bonus Beer of the Week (‘Cause if you snooze on the twos, you lose with the brews!)

Väsen Goldenbear Tripel

Regularly $19.99 / Now on Sale for $18.96
Abbey Tripel

The Goldenbear Tripel from Richmond’s Väsen Brewing Company doesn’t always make it over to us, so we’re always excited when it does.

This Tripel is such a treat! It’s all up front, with a burst of various fruit flavors exploding onto your tongue on the first sip only to meld into the spicy hops and esters you’d expect with the style. While most American Tripels distinguish themselves from their Belgian parents by being just a bit sweeter, the Goldenbear stands out with its complexity. It reminds us why we like Tripels.

Remember!

You can see our entire beer inventory on Untappd.com!