English Ale Spices

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JVD_X

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Hi Folks,

Any suggestions on spices/herbs that would go well in an english beer? I am not looking to make a spiced beer - just something that you can't quite identify but enhances the flavor.
 
Grains of Paradise, Ginger, Licorice, and Coriander have all been used widely in English ales, particularly in the 18th and 19th century. Personally I think that coriander is best if you're looking for subtlety, either toasted or not, lightly crushed and added to the end of the boil. Nethergate has a commercial ale brewed with coriander, Umbel -- although I'm fairly certain that their Augustinian ale sold in the US uses coriander as well, though their website doesn't mention it.
It's vital however not to use grocery store coriander -- that stuff tastes like celery in a beer. If you have any Indian markets near you, the coriander they sell is fantastic. I think that I've used the Brewer's Garden coriander before and it was pretty good as well.
 
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