The lineup of beers released for Holgate's 25th year of brewing has flitted between recipes pulled from the vault, new creations, and collabs. For beer number 17 of 25, it's very much one from the vaults, yet also one that's never really been away.
When I first moved here from the UK, under the belief that the only vaguely interesting beers on offer from local brewers were those from Coopers, Holgate were already closing in on their first decade. They were one of the Victorian breweries looking to change the landscape – led by Mountain Goat but with the likes of Red Hill, Bridge Road, Hargreaves Hill, Red Duck and Prickly Moses on the rise too. As someone who'd grown up on real ale, their ESB was one of the first Aussie beers to which I gravitated, and it's stuck around in one form or another – often on hand pump when you can find it – ever since.
It's been a while since their straight ESB – a more refined affair than those I was hunting down in 2008 – appeared in pack, and here it looks quite resplendent in 500ml cans (not quite an imperial pint but close enough) that have the feel of the members' dining area at a long-established cricket club about them.
While you can never replicate the experience of a cask ale in pack (although the hand-pumped version pouring at their Woodend brewery as I type this is a smooth textural approximation), everything else is in place. From the rich toffee malts and dried raisin-esque esters to the twiggy, earthy hop character and broad, gentle, marmalade-like bitterness, it's the sort of traditional English pub recreation you’d expect from a brewer who’s been doing it for so long.
James Smith
NB If you're reading this in time, you could enter a competition to win a case of ESB. We're running a competition for members of our beer club, The Crafty Cabal. Details here.
Published September 11, 2024 2024-09-11 00:00:00
