Fuller's London Pride

Fuller's London Pride (can)
London, England
4.7% ABV

We went to have a pint of Oberon this afternoon after lunch, as today's the release date. Tonight, though, I'm having a chill evening at home writing up a beer that I've been meaning to do for a couple of months now, but whenever I'm in a place to drink it something or other gets in the way.

I've been way into English beers lately, and I've reviewed a few of Fuller's other beers. They're all excellent, but this one might just be my favorite session beer at the moment. How does it stand up to the review process?

Pours golden yellow with a thick creamy white head that sticks around and leaves significant lacing. Very transparent. Smells coppery, sweet, with a nice dose of English hops modulated very well with the golden malt backbone. Aroma is overall rich, interesting, drawing me into the beer.

Tastes smooth, much like the aroma, with a bit of straw graininess to give the flavor some texture. Finishes sweet and slightly dry, with a drying aftertaste. Mouthfeel moderate, with a moderate carbonation and no significant hop bite.

It's hard to make a beer that's this simple and yet this delicious. I wouldn't call Fuller's London Pride a hugely complex beer, but this is definitely harder-than-it-looks territory. A nearly perfect beer for what it is, perhaps my favorite English Pale Ale.

My overall BA rating: 4.2/5