Beer Review #24: Fuller's London Pride

Finally, the last bottle in the 4 for €10 offer I availed of recently. Admittedly, it was a conservative choice that I made - Spitfire, Bombardier and London Pride were all reputable ales that I had not yet tried and the wild card was Crabbie's Ginger Beer (which I won't be having again). However, as I've said, the three ales are all popular, well known and well liked ales and I'd recommend them all, at least for a try. This one, London Pride, is my first ale from Fuller's, a brewery based in London that has a pretty good reputation for their ales. As such, it's one that has me very excited. The fact that James May appeared in an ad campaign was a bonus I learned of afterward. Anyway, dig in shall we?

English Pale Ale at 4.7% ABV


L: Pours a nice ruby-toned amber with a foamy two-finger head. Carbonation is fairly inactive and the there's a decent amount of lacing. Looks like a proper English ale. 8/10

S: Toffee and bread maltiness, slightly nutty(?) smells. There's a bit of metallic sharpness, but not too much. Behind all the malty smells there is a quiet hop presence, with grassy smells coming through, as well as a hint of dark fruits. Really nice. 8/10

T: Delicious stuff here! At the very front, toffee and caramel malt take control, and overall the front and middle of the sip is dominated by strong malty tastes. In the finish though, there's a definite hoppiness, and there's a very light bitterness too. Dark fruits make an appearance at the end too, and there's a delicious biscuity aftertaste. 9/10

M: Great mouthfeel too, medium to full bodied, very very smooth and drinkable, with a gentle fizz on the tongue. 9/10

The verdict: This is a brilliant ale. I've only really tried the more 'mainstream' English ales on the market, and but this is certainly the best of the bunch. I could enjoy this in my Duvel tulip at room temperature as much as I did chilled in my pint glass. Sip or quaff, you'll probably thoroughly enjoy this beer. That being said, you'll probably want to use your pint glass for those nice deep gulps. Brilliant stuff. 9/10

The Drunken Destrier score: 86/100