Fullers Anniversary Ale / Special Edition ESB

Brewed by Fullers
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
London, England

Thanks to EddieG for this extra. Pours red with a white head. Smells very nutty with nice malty undertones. Taste is slightly bitter and metallic with a near perfect balance of malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness. Nice fruity elements pop up as the beer warms to room temperature. Mouthfeel is velvety and rich. Finish leaves you wanting more.

Cask conditioned at Twickenham beer festival 2004, day 2. The beer I was most eager to try. I travelled on the first day to Twickenham, meeting up with Chris_o and Duff. Despite promises of no beers being kept back and being told when we got there it would be on later that night, it did not materialise. So I returned with Duff the following day, to try a few more beers. This is the one I wanted to try the most.

Poured brown, with not too much in the way of a head. Aroma is typical Fuller’s and typical cask Fuller’s ESB, very nice. The beer itself is different to the regular ESB, still a strong, fruity and sweetish bitter, but this is hoppier & drier. The alcohol is more apparent also, but it’s not anywhere close to being overpowering.

Bottle 00396. Burnt amber color with a nice sized white head. More hoppy in the aroma than the regular ESB with some caramel. I found this version to be more drinkable. Perhaps a bit sweeter and maltier. Perhaps a different hop was used, I’m really not sure. I do know I could drink this shit all day long, no problem. Taste and mouthfeel are silky smooth without the usual taste I get in my mouth from regular Fullers ESB (like I want to brush my teeth). Thanks to Brenda (Beandip) for this beer.

Bottle conditioned. Very nice looking copper/amber colour with a slim off-white head. Sweet, fruity, malty and caramel aroma. Flavours are light roasted malty, hoppy, some raisin, caramel, light spiceyness, nice yeastiness with a long hoppy bitter finish. Medium to full bodied, low carbonation, smooth. Nicely complex - very good.

Bottle purchased at the Griffin Brewery. Bottle conditioned. Malty aroma. Deep amber color with a vigorous, frothy, lacing near-white head. Starts very malty. Lightly roasted malt impact. Passes to complex flavors, which seem to include chocolate. The chocolate stays, the malt goes, and the hop arrives. This is passing strange. Good, but strange.

1/22/05, 500ml. #02480. Reddish brown with small tan rocky head. Earthy floral aroma with malt undertones. NIce maltiness balanced by the bitterness. Rerate 1/07. This did not age well. it has lost most of its hop character and had too much oxidation. Ratings are for initial tasting.

Cask Stillage at Edgeley Park, Stockport 03/06/2005 Amber mid brown colour and strong in alcohol. Fruity and slightly spicy. Some bitterness in a crisp full malt finish.

Tried at the brewery. Touch of boiled vege on the nose...hardly surprising for it’s age! Looks great and tastes better....i think it’s got better with age, it’s now really well rounded, raisins soaked in sherry, port and juicy malt thanks Paul!!