Dark fruit character bitter

[duckmanco]

I'm looking to brew an AG English style bitter with that dark fruit/raisin-y sweetness found in something like cains best bitter and also found in Lagunitas hairy eyeball (much more profound in the latter naturally). I want however to use Summit as the single hop for this beer. I plan on using the 1968 esb yeast and probably some sugar (turbinado or corn) to dry the beer slightly as the 1968 isn't a crazy attenuator and I don't want too much cloying sweetness. I'm thinking something within these parameters:


1.045-1.050 OG
45 IBU with mostly late additions.

WYeast 1968

So, pretty wide open idea here, feel free to comment on recipe (what grains and what ratios) and whether or not this will just be a mess. Thanks

 

[bierhaus15]

As for raisiny flavor, you cant go wrong with special b. I wouldn't normally use it in a bitter, but it will give you what you are looking for. Also, simpsons extra dark crystal (160L i think) is pretty similar, though a bit more toffee sweetness than the wine-y, fruit flavor that you can get with special b. Lastly, you could be super awesome and get that dark raisin flavor and dryness your looking for from making and using homemade invert syrup, like a 120L one. That would be pretty cool...