Savoring Saturday #6, Dragonmead Sir William ESB

Dragonmead Brewery is a gem in the rough. Situated in an awkward service drive in Warren, the brewery distributes little compared to their dozens (usually over three) of beers on tap. In fact, Dragonmead Brewery boasts the most home made beer on tap in the world. They create everything from light lagers to chipotle beer. What is distributed in exceptional, and this week we are going to sample Sir William ESB.

ESB stands for extra special bitter. Grown out of English pale ales, arguments exist if there are any differences at all between the two, as the two styles share far more similarities than differences. Traditionally, ESB's are slightly darker in color, have less hop bitterness (due in part to its slightly higher ABV), and have more malt characteristics than traditional English Pale Ales. As mentioned, they also tend to be on the door step of higher ABV percentages, usually 5% or higher. Sir William comes in at 4.8%, which is acceptable for the style.

Dragonmead has this quick description about Sir Wiliam ESB "Another fine example of the English style. This Bitter is more robust than the best bitter but still with an excellent balance between hops and malt. Pale Ale Malt along with Aromatic and Crystal malts combine with the Galena and Fuggles hops to create a sure-fire favorite."

There are two great options to try this beer in south eastern Michigan. First, the brewery itself. Located on the south west service drive of Groesbeck and 696, the brewery has existed in this location since the late 90's, expanding along the way. They have nearly 30 beers, meads, and wine on tap regularly, is smoke free (or always was well before the May 1st ban), has live entertainment, and allows outside food to be brought or delivered. Ta boot, if you enjoy a dungeons and dragons themed atmosphere, the brewery is decked out with swords, arms, and artwork expressing the time period. Your second option to try Sir William is through distribution. All of Dragonmead's beers comes in four packs (with the exception of Armageddon Grand Cru), and are available at dedicated craft beer stores.