Fuller's 1845

Fuller's 1845 (bottle)
London, England
6.3% ABV

I've been kind of into English beers lately, and also into looking at the history of brewing, particularly British brewing. Could a taste of Fuller's 1845 really be far behind? It's odd for me that BA lists this as an English Strong Ale, since at 6.3% ABV this is about average for American Pale Ales and the like -- "strong" in American parlance starts at seven percent and goes on up. So it goes.

Pours a deep red ruby-ish color with a thick brown/white head. Very clear, with only a slight haziness. A very nice first impression, to say the least. Aroma reminds me greatly of their London Pride (I had one last night, so it's fresh on my mind) -- a rich malty body with a hint of mild British hops laid on top. Some yeasty esters, hints of fruit.

Most prominent flavors are of a dry malty bready body with hints of fruit. Strong drying aftertaste and a nice bitter finish. Lots of yeast in the flavor over time, and the hops become a bit more pronounced as the beer warms. Mouthfeel is fairly thick with a decent carbonation and a nice crisp hoppy finish.

If this is what Londoners were drinking a hundred and fifty years ago, the Brits need have no shame about their historical beer culture. Very nice.

My overall BA rating: 4.45/5