Fuller's ESB

London’s last traditional family brewery, Fuller’s Brewery has been producing singularly British ales for nearly 200 years. Fuller’s ESB, is the archetypal bitter, displaying a rather fruit forward, malty nose while packing a solid bitterness in the flavor. Rick immediately picked upon the “toast and toffee” aromas, noting their interplay with hints of apple and pear was “reminiscent of a proper English pint.” Tim also keyed in on the maltiness, noting “sticky sweet caramel and candy-like toffee.” He uncovered a faint spicy hop component under the sugary malt. Both judges felt the nose would benefit from more pronounced earthy or grassy hop aromas. A brilliantly clear, lightly carbonated amber brew, Fuller’s ESB suffuses the room with a warm golden glow. Punctuated by hop bitterness, flavors of biscuits, toffee, and caramel abound. Tom had high praise for the “mineral notes balanced against bready malt,” opining that the beer had “a distinctly British lineage.” Pete felt the bitterness was just a tad low, but noted the “herbal, grassy hop flavors keep sweetness in check.” Likewise, he was pleasantly surprised with the dryness of the finish. All judges felt this was a solid beer, but each found himself wishing for just a bit more hops across the board. If on a grand beer tour, or just headed to the pub for a pint, seek out this British classic.