Extra Special Bitters.

It's quite common for beers originally brewed for cask to be beefed up when bottled or canned. Fuller's London Pride goes from 4.1% to 4.7% for example. Broadside does seem to take this a step further though .
A cask beer is expected to develop extra flavours and layers of tastes as it goes along.A bottled/canned beer when opened is as it left the brewery apart from perhaps some fading after a while.The extra strength is to compensate for this.

 

One of the benefits of going to the city (Philly) is getting Yards beer on cask. The ESA is frequently available on cask and Brawler (the dark Mild) is on cask from time to time.

Your next visit to the city I would recommend going to The Victoria Freehouse: “We offer 10 draught and 2 cask ales.”

I have never experienced a ‘bad’ beer there that was offered on cask.

http://www.victoriafreehouse.com/

Cheers!

P.S. You should not restrict your beer choices to cask delivery but you should seek out cask when it is available to you.

 

I have not eaten at The Victoria Freehouse but in general I do not recommend English Food. In London, the Londoners get ‘tanked up’ at the Pubs and then get ‘good food’ like curry afterwards.

I can certainly endorse the beer (especially cask beer) at The Victoria Freehouse based upon my visits there.

Cheers!

P.S. There are tons of other good restaurants in the Old City area!!

 

I love Bluebird, I would drink that if I could get it regularly. I'm a fan of hoppy/malt beer regardless of the ABV. Except my Stouts. No hop presence should be detected in my Stouts...

 

Broadside was actually brewed to be bottled, then it was popular so they brewed it to a different recipe for cask as they obviously felt that they couldn't sell it at it's original strength

Cask Broadside is brewed with marris otter and black patent and hopped with boadicea and first gold
Bottled broadside is brewed with maris otter and caramel and hopped with just first gold


looks like they may have changed it since I saw that
http://adnams.co.uk/about/news/beer...cask-and-bottle-whats-the-difference-and-why/

 

I like good ESBs when I can find them, but they're rather hard to find in good shape (if at all). If I were to walk into the store looking for one 9 times out of 10, I'd buy Fullers or Yards. But my real preference is on cask when I can get it. My go-to bar has one cask on at all times, and when it's an ESB (like it is now) it's often my first choice until it kicks.

 

I enjoy them more on tap than from the bottle or can but they go especially well with ribs or roast chicken.

 

I really like a semi-local one around here by French Broad called 13 rebels

 

Theakstons XB is a fine example too.

 

I bought Steel Wheels from the Blue Mountain brewery on a lark this year-
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16352/72847/?ba=TongoRad
and enjoyed it so much that it'll become a regular seasonal pickup for me.

There aren't too many ESBs on the shelf these days, so it was great to find another solid choice.

 

ESB is one of my favorite styles. Short's Autumn Ale when it is in season and Arcadia Thunder Trail all year long.

 

Fair enough, but it's extra special to me Now I gotta find this Fuller's ESB not sure if it's available here.

 

SweetWater Motor Boat was an awesome ESB, can't believe they stopped making it.

 

Not sure where in ILL you are, but the Fuller's is definitely around the Chicago area.

 

I'd forgotten that and of course you are right. It perhaps explains the large disparity of strengths. You aren't going to sell a lot of 6.3% ABV beer in a pub.At 4.7% it's frighteningly drinkable.

 

No doubt! The Anderson Valley ESB is amazing!