The Old Guy ESB has spent some quality time in the cellar since we last checked in on it in October.
A little over two weeks ago I bottled this beer in one liter bottles with Grolsch style tops. The EZ-cap brand bottles are a favorite of mine because they always provide a satisfying "pop" when you open them if the beer has carbonated well.
My first thought is that this beer is over carbonated as it put on quite a show when I popped the lid, but I was happy that the beer did not foam out of the bottle. Served at a cellar temperature of 55 - 58 degrees, a slow pour produced a rocky and long lasting head that actually climbed several inches out of the glass before cresting and running down the side of my pint.
This bottle conditioned and unfiltered ale had little evidence of haze or residue thanks to the addition of roasted barley. This grain added a stout-like color that would make it hard to see any perceived imperfections in the beer to drinkers who are used to filtered mass marketed products.
The toasted flavors of roasted and crystal barley played nicely with the nutty overtones contributed by an addition of Munich and pale malts. Hidden in the background was some bitterness contributed by a very small addition of rye to the grist. I will look to add more the next time I make this recipe, perhaps doubling the addition to half a pound.
A fantastic balance of East Kent Goldings and Williamette hops complemented the malty character of this beer. This ESB could benefit from dry hopping in a second fermentation, but that extra step would be a nice to have, not a must have.
Suggested pairings include braised beef short ribs, whole roasted chicken with root vegetables, sharp cheddar cheese or dark chocolate.
Breakdown by the numbers:
Original Gravity (OG) - 1.061 - 1.065
Final Gravity (FG)- 1.011 - 1.013
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) - 5.5 - 6.0
International Bitterness Units - (IBU) - 65
Standard Reference Method (SRM) - 25 Lovebond
