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Styles · Strong Bitter

Beer style · BJCP 2021 11C

Strong Bitter

British Bitter

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.048–1.060
Final gravity
1.010–1.016
Bitterness
30–50 IBU
Color
8–18 SRM (16–35 EBC)
Alcohol
4.6–6.2 % ABV

What it is

The strongest bitter, often sold as ESB: richer malt, fuller body, more alcohol and correspondingly more hop flavor and bite. It stays a bitter rather than becoming an English barleywine or an IPA. Reward the examples that gain complexity without losing drinkability.

Flavor

What a Strong Bitter should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Floral and earthy/woody, with room for citrus, herbal or spice.

Malt

Grainy and caramel, with room for bready/biscuit, toasty, sweet/honey, dark fruit or nutty.

Fermentation

Clean and fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What Strong Bitter has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 30 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 49 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.