Keeping things traditional, the foundation of our ESB or Extra Special Bitter is an imported floor-malted Maris Otter Pale Malt from the UK. In Buoy fashion, we give a nod to the Pacific Northwest and the state of Oregon's hop growing region with the use of Willamette hops. Extra Special Bitter is an often misunderstood style, the use of the term bitter can often scare people away. Bitter mean pale ale in British brewing terminology and most ESBs are far less bitter than their American pale ale and IPA counterparts.