Beau’s + Tooth & Nail Brewing Collab “Lock Monster” ESB available now

The team of employee-owners at Beau’s Brewery isn’t bitter that one of their former brewers, Matt Tweedy, started up his own brewery, Tooth and Nail Brewing in Ottawa. If anything they are Extra-Special Bitter – a.k.a. ESB, the beer style that Beau’s and Tooth and Nail have brewed collaboratively for the third in the Ottawa 2017 Beer Series.

Lock Monster ESB is an English-style pale ale. Despite having “bitter” in the name, the style is actually renowned for achieving great balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness. “It’s a style that, although very flavourful and approachable, still requires a great deal of detail in the brewing process. Which is something that I thought both breweries would get excited about,” says Matt Tweedy, co-founder and Head Brewer of Tooth and Nail.
Lock Monster ESB pours copper with a light haze and white foam. The aroma offers apricot and light citrus. The flavour is a mellow harmony of biscuity malt, fruit with supporting notes of caramel and treacle. A contrasting balanced hop bitterness asserts itself towards the finish. Delicate wood tannins are present in the aftertaste. Lock Monster ESB is made with pale ale malt from the UK, as well as Fuggles and Goldings hops. Fruity ale esters and an oak-infused fermentation add enjoyable complexity.

Lock Monster ESB is third in a series of beers Beau’s will brew with friends across the nation to honour Ottawa 2017, a year-long celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. A portion of proceeds from sales of Lock Monster ESB will go to support the CHEO Foundation (www.cheofoundation.com).

Lock Monster ESB will be available at the Vankleek Hill brewery tap room beginning March 2, and a keg will also be tapped at Tooth and Nail in Ottawa as well as select restaurants and pubs in Ontario. It will be also flowing from the taps in two weeks at Beau’s St. Patrick’s Party March 11 in Ottawa (www.stpatricksparty.ca), along with a special dry-hopped cask conditioned version.