When I dug up information on Maris Otter malt, I found many references to Golden Promise malt. There seems to be some debate about which is a better base malt for English style beers.
At Brew Dudes, we believe that experimentation is the only way to figure out the answer. Now we don’t conduct as many experiments as we should but someday we’ll live up to the promise of our ambitions.
For now, let’s learn more about the history of Golden Promise malt.
Golden Promise is malted from a spring barley variety which was recommended for cultivation in Scotland in 1968. It was grown by Miln Masters throughout the 1970s through the 1990s. The malt was used largely by distilleries in Scotland but many UK brewers used it as base malt as well.
Unfortunately, the barley is very susceptible to disease so its large scale production is no longer. Commercially, it does not have wide use but it is still available to homebrewers.
Flavor: Sweet, clean flavor. Some say it is superior to Maris Otter.
Color: 1.7- 2.0°L
Body: N/A
Use: Certainly can be used in Scottish ales. It might be interesting to brew the same beer twice, one with Maris Otter – the other with Golden Promise and note the differences.
chris
My favourite best bitter is Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Not being able to get it in the US was what first made me take up home brewing. Instead of being British about my predicament and moaning constantly to anyone who would listen I decided to take the American approach and do something about it. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord is only made with Golden Promise barley. I know the barley used to be grown in cheshire but i don’t know if it still is. Anyway, if Landlord is anything to go by Golden Promise makes excellent Best Bitters.
Sean Franklin
Hi, Both Fawcetts and Simpsons export GPromise to the US. So there are a few wholesalers who supply the craft brewer market over there. Quite a few UK brewers use it. Maris otter usually has a maltier profile. GP is cleaner and an especially nice backdrop to good hops. TTaylor pay a premium (apart from the one you pay to get GP) to get a low nitrogen. All that cleans up the malt flavour.
Sean
Joe Knepper
Have you noticed the pairing of Mosaic hops with Golden Promise malt in Founder’s Mosaic Promise American Pale Ale? It is a fantastic marriage. I’m loving it.
John
Sound promising.
Sorry.
Sounds tasty!