Carrying on with the theme of seasonal beers intended for the summer, I’m pleased to report that the LCBO is once again stocking another of my favourite summer beers – the Scotch Irish Brewing Company’s Stuart’s Natural Session Ale.
Brewed in the style of the classic British ordinary bitter, this is a versatile, light and pleasant beer which manages an interesting and unusual feat – like the Scottish Terrier that provides its namesake, Stuart’s offers an impressive amount of personality in a very small package. But, more on that soon – for a moment, let’s take a look at that deceptive and frequently misunderstood stylistic label: the ordinary bitter.
Though the name “bitter” doesn’t sound especially appealing, and rarely draws enthusiastic responses from North American beer drinkers, the bitter is actually the most popular beer style in the UK, and, if it were to be known by its other synonymous name, the pale ale, it would probably be amongst the most popular styles here too. Named primarily to differentiate it from the stouts and porters that had held sway in the Britain until the mid-19th Century, the “bitterness” of a bitter really just indicates the presence of a hoppy counterbalancing note that is generally absent from the sweetish and full-bodied porters. This balancing bitterness, to offset beer’s natural sweetness, simply means that you taste both the rich caramelly qualities of the malted barley and the sharp, tangy, fruity and herbal characteristics of the hops without having either one predominate in the balance.
The “ordinary” aspect of the ordinary bitter probably deserves a few words as well, since it’s certainly not intended to convey any lack of care or attention on the part of the brewer – quite the contrary, a good ordinary bitter is amongst the hardest of all beers to brew. Historical beer nomenclature clearly predates the metric era, as it’s full of quirks and potentially confusing idiosyncrasies, and bitter beers are no exception. The three most common members of the bitter family: the ordinary (or session) bitter, the best (or regular) bitter, and the extra special (or strong) bitter aren’t indications of quality, but strictly a reflection of the relative strengths of each beer. Ordinary bitters are typically no stronger than 4.1% alcohol, and are intended as a beer that one can drink over the course of many hours of enjoying friends and fine company, without over-indulging. (Hence the use of “session bitter” as a synonym.) Best bitters range between 4.2%-4.7% alcohol, and are correspondingly stronger in flavour and deeper in colour, as they are made by simply adding quite a lot more malt and hops. Similarly, extra special bitters (often shortened to ESBs) are beers at or above 4.8% alcohol, and typically are much more assertive and rich in flavour. Also, accordingly, while they are often excellent drinks in their own right, they are not as well suited to being enjoyed over the course of long periods of time, as they are quite a lot stronger in flavour and alcohol content, and can become overwhelming much more quickly than their “ordinary” cousins.
Brewing a good ordinary bitter is tricky undertaking, because the brewer must draw upon considerable skill and judgement to produce a good tasting beer that one wants to drink over the course of a long period of time, while working with the extremely limited means useable to produce a beer with such low alcohol content. In this sense, it is a very unforgiving style, as making an appealing and distinctive beer with only a small quantity of ingredients, means they must all be carefully chosen and employed. In a world full of bland and undistinguished 5% beers, it’s a rare accomplishment to make a beer with depth and personality while staying in accordance with such restrictive guidelines.
So, having covered all that ground, let’s talk about Stuart’s Natural Session Ale. As the Ottawa-based, Scotch Irish Brewing Company specializes in brewing traditional British ales, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have taken care to observe and respect the best aspects of this style. It is light in body, it’s a pleasantly golden colour, and it tastes initially of toasty malts, before a mildly fruity hop flavour with subtle notes of apricot takes over. Also, it manages all of these things while preserving the traditionally low alcohol content – it weighs it at a mere 3.7% alcohol, but, where flavour is concerned, it punches well above its weight.
It’s not a strident or overpowering beer by any standard, and it will likely not appeal to fans of big, brawny IPAs or imperial stouts, but it was also never intended to. What it is, is a pleasantly balanced and extremely agreeable beer that goes well with just about anything – it could equally be a refreshing drink after a run, something to sip beside the BBQ, or the social lubricant of a long night of catching up with friends. Also, as a notable bonus for those who count their calories, it’s worth considering that generally about 80% of the calories in beer come from the alcohol itself, since the yeast eat up all the sugar during the fermentation process. This inescapably means that low calorie beer is low alcohol beer, but, as a good ordinary bitter demonstrates, low calorie doesn’t have to be low in flavour. If you’re a light beer fan, rather than going for one of those watery mainstream light beers which can offer little more than simply being low calorie, why not try a fresh, organic and tasty Ontario beer with personality and deep roots?
