BetterRedFred (61), Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA May 21, 2008 Finally found this stuff. Tried both the PA and the ESB in bottles from a HyVee in Council Bluffs IA for $11.25 @ sixer at that. I had heard many good reviews of the Fuller ESB in particular, and I was quite impressed with both. The London Pride PA seemed a bit weak in the knees at 4.7%, but on the plus side, that would make it quite sessionable (albeit at a VERY steep price). Very complex as advertised, especially when compared to typical US West Coast offerings, which are typically bolder by a large measure. Fullers is now on my "must have" radar when its available, as its most decidedly not in the NM, Colorado region that I frequent. madscotsman (147), Fairview Heights, Illinois, USA May 20, 2008 tap, had an off-white head with a slightly fruity / earthy aroma . Was copper in color. Good balance of malt and hops on the palate with a bitter finish. I liked the Fullers ESB better than this one. rcasta (472), El Salvador May 19, 2008 muy buena cerveza del reino unido que aproveche a tomar tantas y tantas veces cuando estuve estudiando en la gran isla. el profesor de economia era tan fiel a la cerveza que habia invertido en las acciones simplemente para poder ir a las reuniones anuales de accionistas, que por supuesto, estaban llenas de cerveza para los asistentes. wheresthepath (523), Buckinghamshire, England May 16, 2008 I had this beer on draught a few years ago - it made me feel very queasy and put me off ever trying it again - although my friends all enjoyed it at the time. However, I recently came into possession of a bottle of the stuff, so thought I’d best give it another go.
The bottle is 4.7% as opposed to the 4.1% draught version. Smelled very malty on opening. Poured a lighter brown than I had anticipated, with almost no head and the mildest of carbonation.
Initial taste was very bitter, which wasn’t a good start - in my experience bitterness tends to grow as you consume more of the beer, and obscure the other flavours.
Not so with this beer though, for after a few gulps the hoppy bitterness faded, and suddenly the beer tasted of chocolate! Red fruits followed (plums?), eventually mellowing into almost a full-bodied red wine, although the hops always maintained a slight presence in the background to prevent the sweet flavours becoming overpowering. By the end the beer was going down dangerously quickly and easily, and I wished I had another - obviously a good session beer!
This beer had pleasantly surprised me - now I’ll have to go back and give the draught version another go. Top Notch, Mr Fuller! elcaballo (101), Beverly Hills, California, USA May 16, 2008 Pours nicely with a solid white head that disappears quickly, aroma is okay but forgetable. The intial mouthfeel is extremely slick and then comes a hop bitterness with sourness, maybe citrus. Not worth buying again and nowhere near the quality of the ESB punkrkr27 (608), Berkley, Michigan, USA May 13, 2008 Copper pour with a thin white lace. Caramel malt aroma. Very sweet with dark fruit, raisin, honey and noble hop twang. Sweet almost cloying flavor with lots of caramel malt. Notes of dates, honey, noble spice, nuts, and bread. Medium body with prickly carbonation. tylerss20 (101), New Hampshire, USA May 12, 2008 Pours honey/amber, with pure white head that recedes fairly quickly. Aroma is clean, slightly sweet, with earthy floral hop tone. Flavor is clean, surprisingly smooth for a brew that is not malt heavy. Medium hop bitterness. A bit thin on the mouthfeel, but overall pretty good. Sparky27 (1559), Phoenix, Arizona, USA May 12, 2008 Pint bottle. Pours a reddish amber color with a one finger off-white head. Nose is sweet caramel malts and some dark fruits. Palate is roasted malts, burnt caramel, nuts and a touch of hops in the finish. Medium mouth feel. An ok brew for the style – a little boring.
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