Modeled after traditional ESB's you can expect notes of caramel malts, brown sugar, hazelnut, and earthy English hops. Our interpretation of an Extra Special Bitter carries light bitterness and a gentle earthy noble hop character from Fuggles hops. The hops are balanced by an airy fruitiness and a rich base of flavors evoking caramel malts, brown sugar, and hazelnut.
Today's tour of the British Isles begins with a cornerstone of our lineup: Old Man. Our ESB is smooth as a pub-poured pint and carries lovely notes of toffee, brown bread, toasted nuts, and caramel. Somehow, with all that flavor, it's a decidedly crushable ale meant to be enjoyed liberally. Extra Special Bitter is a bit quaint in name given our insatiable palate for hops these days. While ESBs are more bitter than the lower-weight class of milds, the bitterness balances the malts, and the slight increase in ABV is nearly imperceptible. It's a beer we drink year-round, but it's especially cozy in the fall. 🍂🍺
It was five years ago today, August 18th, 2021, that we first introduced our Classics Bar in Charlton with this photo. That energy now spreads to bars in eight locations across Tree House-land. Pursuing classic styles has a long history at Tree House. Beginning with Old Man, our Extra Special Bitter, and Cleona, our Irish Red Ale, over fifteen years ago, we've been chasing the perfect expression of these styles since our early days of homebrewing in the kitchen. The Classics Bar is home to some of our proudest work. Each beer is a passion project and an expression of our love for brewing and the never-ending search for a perfect pint. It's where you find staff when they punch out, and hopefully where we'll find you soon. See you out there.
Old Man is our ESB, a traditional English ale carrying notes of caramel malts, brown sugar, hazelnut, and earthy English hops. It’s effortlessly drinkable, smooth, and cozy in a way few other beers are; it feels like coming home after a long excursion. Caramel comes up a lot in relation to malt, even when it is playing a background role as a counterweight in hoppy styles. There is a particular expression of caramel that shines through in classic British ales that, once you develop a taste for it, gives you a whole new appreciation for balanced sweetness. Everything leans into caramel in an ESB. Crystal malts contribute caramelized sugars, Maris Otter malt adds a sweet nuttiness, and English ale yeast creates a soft, round profile that lets these flavors shine. The real star, however, is some pretty cool science, the Maillard reaction. This chemical process happens when amino acids from proteins in the malt interact with reducing sugars under heat. Alterations in the kilning process and the mash itself in our brewhouse can create a range of flavors, from bread crust and dark honey to caramel-soaked sticky toffee pudding and rich roasted coffee. Old Man hits the lighter end of these sweet notes, balanced by floral, earthy hops to create a feeling totally unique and nostalgically familiar.
One of the oldest Tree House beers and the most special that we make. Today, we're pleased to release a fresh batch of Old Man, our Extra Special Bitter. Enjoy it. 🍂 #productphotography #productphotodaily #photography #craftbeer #treehousebrewing #beergram #beerstagram #beersandcameras #beerlover #beerbeerbeer #beerme #beergeek #beertography #beernerd #fujifilm #gfx100II @fujifilmx_us@profoto
As always, even with our favorite beers, we're never satisfied. For that reason, we asked ourselves how could this great beer be even better. The answer for Old Man was nitrogenization. Reminiscent of cask beer, our nitro process creates a cascade of soft carbonation that results in a thick dollop of foam floating atop its sweet yet balanced profile. #productphotography #productphotodaily #photography #craftbeer #treehousebrewing #beergram #beerstagram #beersandcameras #beerlover #beerbeerbeer #beerme #beergeek #beertography #beernerd #fujifilm #gfx100II @fujifilmx_us@profoto
We're delighted to begin the day with a batch of Old Man, our ESB. We've never slept on this classic English style; we've been making and refining it for what feels like forever. Extra Special Bitter is somewhat misleading to modern palates, as it's undoubtedly extra special, but it's a balanced beer that's as approachable as it's interesting. This classic ESB has notes of caramel malts, brown sugar, hazelnuts, and earthy English hops. It drinks well on its own but pairs exceptionally well with a hearty meal. #productphotography #productphotodaily #photography #craftbeer #treehousebrewing #beergram #beerstagram #beersandcameras #beerlover #beerbeerbeer #beerme #beergeek #beertography #beernerd #fujifilm #gfx100II @fujifilmx_us@profoto
We love our Extra Special Bitter. Old Man is modeled after some of our favorite English pub ales. It is mild, nutty, effortlessly drinkable, and doesn't eschew flavor by any means. Stay tuned - we have an extensive and interesting day of releases ahead. #productphotography #productphotodaily #photography #craftbeer #treehousebrewing #beergram #beerstagram #beersandcameras #beerlover #beerbeerbeer #beerme #beergeek #beertography #beernerd #fujifilm #gfx100II @fujifilmx_us@profoto
Old Man is an important and delicious beer for us. This extra special bitter will be available in cans and on draft beginning today and working its way throughout the Tree House ecosystem this weekend. #productphotography #productphotodaily #photography #craftbeer #treehousebrewing #beergram #beerstagram #beersandcameras #beerlover #beerbeerbeer #beerme #beergeek #beertography #beernerd #fujifilm #gfx100II @fujifilmx_us@profoto
Old Man is a beer that could not possibly be more special to us. We are delighted to share a fresh batch with you today. We recently donated $4,700 from recent batches to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research. A portion of the proceeds from every batch is set aside for donation.
In this video, Nate shares the special meaning behind the beer Old Man. Tree House is a highly personal endeavor, where our own lives overlap with our work in profound and meaningful ways. Each beer has a unique history and story, and our histories and stories continue to be written each day. Thank you for watching and thank you for your consideration. Every little bit has the chance to help those fighting this disease.
Old Man - a treasured classic beer in our lineup that has been refined tirelessly with each successive batch for over a decade. It is available fresh today for your enjoyment.
1.16.23 Originally brewed all the way back in 2012, Old Man is a foundational example of our now robust classic beer program. It has been tirelessly refined and improved with each successive batch, with extended conditioning providing a brilliant texture to this gem.
