Craft ESBs

CBC and Notch both do bitters. Notch has their best bitter, English Dream, on draft right now. CBC does not have their bitter on right now. I am not sure how often they brew it.

 

Devil's Purse from Dennis?

 

Not sure which ESBs are not craft to you but Fullers is the go to for me.

 

+1 on Fullers.

RedHook ESB started my craft beer journey in the early 90’s & I’ve always liked the style. In the brewpub boom of the late 90s seemingly every place had an ESB.

Sadly the modern-day beergeek has no taste for it, so that’s why the pickings are slim. Maybe the style will make a comeback some day.

 

Don't think you ever see them on shelves anymore but damn was McNeill's ESB amazing. It's been a very long time since I've had it, and as SDB said, back in the earlier brewpub days in New England most brewers like McNeill's made a good ESB. Basically any brewery that hasn't quite gotten on board the haze train and still survives might make an ESB. Gritty's in Portland makes one, but again, doubtful if you'll find it on shelves. In terms of imports, I used to be able to get the Bluebird Bitter from Coniston relatively easily, and that was delicious. Not sure where you're looking, but I would just see if you have any small-ish non-buzz breweries around you that fill growlers -- they may still brew a bitter.

 

Turtle Swamp in JP almost always has their bitter available on draft and crowler at their brewery.

 

When fresh, Devil's Purse Surfman's Check ESB is pretty decent.

Another +1 for Fullers ESB. I also came across Ruddles County once...that was extremely good.

 

Most beers are meant to be drank fresh, especially anything not imperial in strength, and I've never seen an imperial ESB. That said an ESB at, say 3 months, is totally fine, where as your typical modern day IPA loses its precious dry hop character. So it depends on your definition of shelf life. Years?...It'll oxidize. Half a year?... it's fine.

 

I wanna say that Heavy Seas did an Imperial ESB... it may have been barrel aged too?

 

Riverwalk Uncle Bob's is the best one.

 

The Peoples Pint , Hope Street Amber is their ESB and a fine one
Packaged still in 22 oz bottles, best on cask at the restaurant.
Agreed, the Devils Purse offering is very good.
Cheers

 

I've enjoyed the Devil's Purse and LampLighter's Looking Glass in cans. Bone Up has a nice ESB called Pullover and they do mini-crowlers now. I've had an ESB at Dorchester Brewing in the past also. One of Martha's Vineyard Brewing's core beers is an ESB in six-pack bottles, but I can't say that I love it.

 

Good stuff. For a brief spell a packy near me had that in cans but now I haven't seen it canned or bottled in months. If it were consistently available to me I'd probably always have some on hand.

 

Ordinary Bitter =/= ESB.

 

(For those keeping score at home, Riverwalk's Uncle Bob's is an ordinary bitter from Newburyport.)

 

We can like both, right?

 

Yes we can.

Though given my druthers I'd probably rather have access to ordinary bitters than to ESBs (and I'd like them on cask, please, and conscientiously attended to by well-trained cellarpersons who also happen to think I'm a real cool guy who deserves to be comp'd for every third pint).

 

Red Hook ESB started me on my journey as well. ESB is a wonderful style, and it's a shame that the modern-day beer geek can't appreciate it.