Malt
Maris Otter
A named British barley variety kept in production for flavour rather than yield — the classic base malt for bitter and English IPA.
Maris Otter is unusual in this catalogue because it is a barley *variety* rather than a malting style. Modern varieties out-yield it substantially, and it survives commercially because British brewers will pay a premium for the depth it gives.
What it does
Base malt. Fully modified, gently kilned malt with enough enzyme activity to convert itself and some adjunct. Forms the bulk of a grist.
A specific barley variety released in 1966 and maintained despite low agricultural yield, because brewers value its flavour. Traditionally floor-malted, though most modern production is not.
Specification
| Colour | 3–4°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | barley |
| Enzyme activity | high |
| Fermentability | high |
| Typical share of grist | 50–100% |
| Flavour | rich biscuit, bread crust, nutty depth |
Commercial examples
Crisp Maris Otter, Simpsons Maris Otter, Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter.
Listed as examples rather than equivalents. Colour, kilning regime and flavour differ measurably between maltsters, and two products sold under the same name can be several degrees apart.
Substitutes
- Pale ale malt — The generic equivalent; cleaner and less characterful.
Used in
- Ordinary bitter
The everyday British cask ale: low in strength, gently bitter, and built to be drunk in pints over a whole evening.
- Best bitter
A step up from ordinary bitter in strength and depth, with more malt body while staying firmly sessionable.
- Strong bitter
The strongest of the bitters, with pronounced malt richness, firm bitterness and noticeable fruit from warm fermentation.
- British golden ale
A modern British cask style: pale, crisp and citrus-hopped, developed to win drinkers back from lager.
- English pale ale
The bottled British pale ale tradition: biscuity malt, earthy and floral English hops, and a firm, dry, mineral finish.
- English IPA
The original IPA: a strong, firmly bitter English pale ale with earthy, floral hop character and a dry, mineral finish.
- English brown ale
A malt-led brown ale with hazelnut and caramel character, moderate strength and a dry, clean finish.
- Scottish ale
Malt-forward Scottish ales with caramel depth and very restrained hopping, traditionally graded by shilling price.
- Wee heavy
A strong, intensely malty Scottish ale with deep caramel and dried fruit and almost no hop presence.
- Old ale
A matured English strong ale with dried fruit, treacle and often a trace of oxidative or wild character from age.
- British strong ale
A broad category of strong English ales, malt-led and fruity, sitting between strong bitter and barley wine.
- English barley wine
The strongest traditional English ale: dense malt, dried fruit and marmalade, built to be kept for years.