About this time last year, I saw a sponsored message on Facebook of a brand new craft beer shop in the eastern part of Krakow: Świat Kraftu (The world of craft). Many times I had told myself to go and check it out, but as a former Beatle allegedly used to say: “Life is what happens to you, when you’re busy making other plans.” I went to have a look, and given the pandemic times we’re still in, this was without a doubt the most exciting trip I had done in a long time. I enjoyed scanning the many colourful bottles, and with some advice of the helpful staff picked a few very interesting beers for upcoming balcony sessions. So stay tuned!
Last weekend was cloudier and wetter than what we had gotten used to here in southern Poland, so I took a beer that gently feels like a warm blanket on a chilly and rainy autumn night. I opened another bottle of the guys of Browar Pinta who had raised my interest with their take on a traditional English style: the Extra Special Bitter (or in short ESB). This style is the strongest in alcohol of the English family of ales that are known as Bitters. And strong is relative, because an ESB should contain at least 4.8% ABV. So still very manageable indeed.
Bitters are a type of English pale ales, a style that is inextricably linked to the town of Burton upon Trent. The water from the hills surrounding this town in Central England was used to make the very first pale ales in the 17th century, and is known to contain a lot of calcium and sulfates. These features give the beer a nice clarity and also accentuate the hop bitterness. As you can see on the picture, this beer is not really what we would nowadays call ‘pale’. They are only light of colour compared to the other existing beers back in the 17th century, such as dark porters and brown beer.
Originally, the serving style made the difference between a ‘pale ale’ (bottled) and a ‘bitter’ (draft). But in the course of the years, things got mixed up. Nowadays bitters are often the copper-coloured varieties of pale ales with a more malty flavour, whereas pale ales will have a more aromatic hop profile. The bitterness is still nicely present in both though.
Enough history, let’s dig in. The ESB variety of Browar Pinta is called Angielskie śniadanie (English breakfast) and has a beautiful dark amber colour with a small white head. The aroma is on the sweet side with slight hints of caramel and a subtle whiff of the herbal hops. The beer is quite light to drink and is only gently carbonated. The flavour is a mix between malty sweetness with some earthy and toasty notes.The English East Kent Golding hops add a slightly herbal touch and a rather firm lingering bitter finish. It was a perfect fit for a slightly chilly afternoon on my balcony.
The only thing that was missing, was the cosy atmosphere of an English pub and the beer served from the pump of a cask. As soon as this lockdown thing is over, the pub will be my destination. But in the meantime, Browar Pinta has got you covered!
