An English Pale Ale—also referred to as an ESB, which stands for “extra special bitter”—is a golden-colored beer that strikes a nice balance between maltiness and hoppy bitterness. The malt gives the brew nutty, caramel notes, while the hops provide herbal overtones. Yeast also imparts a bit of fruitiness to the aromatics and taste for an overall medium-bodied beer with juuuust the right amount of bitter and sweet.

The biggest and perhaps most important distinction between an English Pale Ale and an American IPA is that the latter tends to be significantly hoppier. And within said hoppiness, they are bitter hops rather than aromatic ones. They can often be very full-bodied and flavor-packed, whereas an English Pale Ale tends to be more balanced and medium-bodied.

Bass makes a very aromatic English Pale Ale, and one of their 6-packs would make an excellent addition inside any fridge.

Indeed. Find the English Pale Ale that you’re hankering for and we’ll bring it to your doorstep in a matter of minutes.