Fuller's ESB - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

Todd

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a semi-hazy copper beer with a foamy head that quickly settles to a thin ring lace with slight stick. Aroma is soft, but of coarse hops, but for the most part rather clean.

Medium in body, and smooth. Juicy, chewy mouthfeel. Mildly fruity. Lots of mineral flavours (from the water), followed by a woody, earthy, hop leaf, and coarse flavour and feel. Pear-like texture at times. Little sweetness, it's all body. Touch of roasted malt character in the background. Dry. Sharp bitter edge. Salty. Tingly. Herbal / spicy. Hops kick it all the way into the finish, and stick around long after the mouth party is over.

"The World's Original Extra Special Bitter" ... perhaps, but there's better interpretations of the style in my opinion. Still, the quintessential ESB and a beer everyone should try -- at the very least for the sturdy, impressive bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2002 20:37:14 | More by Todd

Jason

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz brown brown bottle with a best before date on the back label.

Appearance: Caramel copper in colour with a thin but fluffy bubbly lace that leaves several rings on the glass.

Smell: Caramelized sugars with a hint of toasted nearly metallic malt, some fruity esters give of a whiff of alcohol.

Taste: Medium body with a stream of smoothness that is textured to a t. Bit of fruitiness and esters on the mouth. Rich and sweet caramel maltiness with a big flavourful malty palate, finishing off with a steely crystal malt flavour (vague hint of carob) and a semi sharp hop bitterness.

Notes: A supreme ESB, and a superb beer overall. The cast and mold for all ESB's brewed across the world.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2002 00:33:23 | More by Jason

mxchap

California

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-21-2013 04:01:42 | More by mxchap

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-21-2013 00:12:35 | More by johntfox

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-20-2013 19:01:54 | More by BeerForMuscle

jumbopanda

California

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-20-2013 08:41:29 | More by jumbopanda

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-20-2013 04:52:44 | More by Kmat10

JHendu

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

05-15-2013 22:25:18 | More by JHendu

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-15-2013 13:15:02 | More by pcsnyder

jkball01

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%

05-13-2013 16:35:15 | More by jkball01

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

05-13-2013 13:15:26 | More by BeerCon5

RefillMyglass

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-12-2013 18:53:17 | More by RefillMyglass

BeerPHD

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-12-2013 05:57:23 | More by BeerPHD

Caudalie

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -26.7%

05-10-2013 14:57:41 | More by Caudalie

dsolonenko

Singapore

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

05-10-2013 14:06:55 | More by dsolonenko

T100Mark

California

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a heavy, brown, 11.2 ounce Euro bottle into a shaker pint glass.

Appearance - Copper color. A bit hazy. Tan colored head that never entirely disappears. Minimal lacing.

Smell - Bread. Slightly sweet. Nice.

Taste - Bread crust. Slightly sweet. A hint of citrus. Walnuts? Smooth. Good.

Mouth - Mild carbonation. A touch oily.

Overall - A wonderful beer. Another good reason to be an Anglophile. My only complaint is that the beer is a touch underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:11:16 | More by T100Mark

Nunya

Ohio

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-10-2013 00:22:47 | More by Nunya

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%

05-08-2013 03:30:56 | More by tommyguz

dalepryor

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-08-2013 03:27:17 | More by dalepryor

LetTheJuiceLoose

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A*: Brilliant copper color offset by a thick and clingy white head. White head thicker than usual, but believed to be due to bottle conditioning vs. beer production. Exceedingly clear.

S*: Overwhelmingly well paired aroma that blends seamlessly into the thick caramel backbone. Subtle bready notes toward end. No yeast character detected.

T*: Excellent floral flavor with hints of toast and caramel. Hop dominates in flavor, subtle in bitterness. Follow-thru remains balanced and slightly sweet to the end. No yeast fruitiness detected.

M*: Medium-light body with a moderate-low carbonation. No astringency. Slight, very slight alcohol warming.

Overall: Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:26:39 | More by LetTheJuiceLoose

endovelico

Portugal

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured cold. Off a can. Taken from notes.

Appearance: Full nitrogenic like creme head on a clear garnet juice with little perceived effervescence. The beer is visually stunning; I had to wait a few minutes for it to settle.

Aroma: The aromatics are of medium intensity. On the front theres a sharp metallic / irony smell - A byproduct of the revered but vulnerable British yeast, perhaps? - set on a canvas of stale vegetable and caramel.

As it warms up, however, the smell ends up acquiring a broader stand in the caramel - nut spectrum of aroma. The aromatics are more representative of what you'd expect from a traditional EKG/Fuggles blend.

Taste: In equilibrium honey-vegetable play with flowery undertones. Absolutely seamless with the palate to the point that it becomes difficult to discern the impact of both on the tongue.

Palate: Medium to medium full bodied. Minerally, slightly spritzy with sweet-ish finish. Slightly soapy, slightly creamy. Alcohol barely noticeable.

Overall: Extremely sessionable, highly balanced and complex. This is one beer you can really feel the "terroir": The finicky British yeast, the soft water, the traditional hops aswell as the contribution of the different caramel malts and maize used.

It's traditional with a twist. It's both unique and THE archetype of ESBs. At any rate, pay particular attention to the serving temperature as this beer really opens up at slightly cold - ambient temperatures.

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 14:13:27 | More by endovelico

rhizomatic

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

05-05-2013 00:08:23 | More by rhizomatic

schaffer9252

New York

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-04-2013 17:48:31 | More by schaffer9252

nullbort

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-04-2013 12:58:06 | More by nullbort

capuchinpilates

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10%

05-01-2013 16:29:55 | More by capuchinpilates