Fuller's ESB - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

marlinsfan4

Maryland

1.7/5  rDev -58.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Bought a 16 oz single of this for $0.99

I wanted to like this, I really did. But, this was one of the worst tasting beers I've had. It smelled and looked alright, but the taste was so bitter and rough. I actually couldn't take more than a few sips and I had to pour it, I was actually gagging. I tried another bottle a few days later and got the same result. I hope I just bought some bad bottles because this seems like a well respected historic beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2008 23:30:03 | More by marlinsfan4

callmeclemens

New Jersey

1.88/5  rDev -54%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I never understand why beers like this always come so highly rated here on BA. Plenty of Caramel Taste (and flavour) smooth and a little thick.I drank one cold and one warm to compare taste, niether was better than the other, pretty bland really overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 19:05:11 | More by callmeclemens

SimplySinister

Florida

2.2/5  rDev -46.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Highly carbonated dark copper brew with a moderate head and minimal lacing.

S - A mix between floral, fruit, hops, and malt.

T - I don't particularry care for the taste of this brew. It may be legendary in certain circles, but its mediocre at best for me. The rampant bitterness really takes away from the overall taste. I find it to be far too sweet/fruity in the finish, far too harsh, and extremely acidic.

M - Thin, clean, and dry.

D - Although I would recommend this beer to a hops fan, as far as I'm concerned its not very drinkable. The main problem, for me, is the overall fruity sweetness of this brew. If the sweetness/bitterness of the brew was toned down a bit making it mellow, yet flavorful, I think it could be a winner. Unfortunatly, as is, I am nowhere near impressed. All in all, its not an experience that I wish to repeat any time soon. I mean no disrepect of course; its just my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 17:38:39 | More by SimplySinister

DrewZ926

New York

2.3/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

my first go at an ESB style beer, was not impressed though.

A- pours a translucent copper body with virtually no head. some sporadic soapy lacing.

S- malts are very overbearing. multiple swirls present the faintest hoppiness. smells of bread, yams, caramel.

T- first few sips are tasty, big bold malt profile, very rich and sweet with a nice body. however, the taste to me gets overwhelming very fast. the lack of balance between hops and malts throws me off here. again tasting a lot of yeast, yams, malt, caramel.

M- a little too thin on the palate. very minimal carbonation.

D- would not drink more than a half bottle again. perhaps on cask would be better? the flavors were really too out of balance for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 18:17:54 | More by DrewZ926

JDV

Texas

2.35/5  rDev -42.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Copper, clearish color with a small head. Smell is mostly caramel like malt with a hint of alcohol at times with the caramel. Tastes like lightly bitter smooth liquid caramel. Almost a light burnt sugar taste because of the light bitterness with a touch of alcohol. Decent, drinkable beer, but not my preferred style.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2008 22:25:09 | More by JDV

TrickKnee

Connecticut

2.6/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

NEver have been a big fan of British beer but I heard so many good things about ESB. Smell and color were great however the taste and mouthfeel were horrible. I cant even explain the taste because halfwaythrough the bottle I gave up. Would not recommend, however I know to many people who like this so give it a try, if only for one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2006 14:34:50 | More by TrickKnee

pmcadamis

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Light brown brew with almost no head. Only a few soapy suds sit on top of this slightly hazy brew.

The nose is chalk full of warm caramel and vanilla malt aromas. A little nutty smelling. Smells really smooth and appealing. There is a slightly funky off smell that has me wondering if I got a bad bottle or something.

Warm and nutty tasting with a big malt taste. I tatse pecans, wet hay notes, and grassy hops. This one is bitter, but not in the way that I would like it to be.

Mothfeel is very thin and highly carbonated with a trace of alcohol.

I don;t really like this one to tell you the truth. Maybe I got a bad one, but it's thin and dank tasting. Not terrible, but I'm disapointed to have something so mediocre from such a respectable brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2006 03:01:47 | More by pmcadamis

ngandhi

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Amber, good head retention and lacing. A little too fizzy.

Very malty on the nose with some caramel. A ton of solvent. Bocky. Light hops marry well with the malt. The hoppiness is very fresh. Homebrewers might appreciate this a great deal.

Taste, too, opens with solvent and, later, finishes with it. Unpleasant, this note lends a bit of medicinality as well. Otherwise, the malts have the sweetness of a maduro cigar. The hops are indistinct and lend a pathetic, hesitant strike at the back of the tongue. On the tongue, as on the nose, however, they seem quite fresh; the hop oils are well preserved. Also, light dry cider on the finish.

Overall, I find this beer largely confused. The solventy nose, which is really just an incongruity of malt and hops, carries over on to the tongue and suppresses most everything that might be good about Fuller's ESB. I don't know how it ranks up against ESBs, this is my first, but the maltiness makes it reminiscent of a poor attempt at the bock style. The dry finish is odd because the beer is rather sweet at first; it makes the carbonation (which I find a touch heavy) overbearing. I can think of no appropriate occassion for this beer.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2003 19:54:19 | More by ngandhi

BrewitYerself

Florida

2.73/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

11.2 oz bottle poured into pint glass @ 54 deg. F.

Pours a clear dark copper, with a modest (<1 finger) off-white head, which dissipates quickly. No lacing.

Moderate aroma of rich sweet malts, honey and caramel. Slight ester presence. No hops.

Taste is of sweet malts, honey and caramel. Not particularly rich or complex. There is a touch of bitterness upfront, accompanied by a slight sourness, which gives way to the sweet malts. Finishes with a sour bitterness, followed by a lingering sweetness. Slight to moderate mineral presence.

Slightly overcarbonated; a bit too thin to showcase the malt.

Overall a good beer, but I was unimpressed. Aroma promises more richness than is delivered. Malt profile is overly sweet, yet it's a pretty dry beer - that was odd. By the end of the glass I would have had another, but I wouldn't get up and drive to the store for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 22:25:37 | More by BrewitYerself

beeroclock

United Arab Emirates

2.8/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Amber in color w/ a nice frothy head, smells slightly sweet. The sweet smell may be part of it, but I taste caramel then it finishes very bitter. Almost too bitter & too sweet for me. Its well carbonated. I wasn't really fond w/ the taste, but I was in a hurry and this beer seemed easy to down when necessary. The beer is just ok, not a great Fuller product.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2006 17:26:03 | More by beeroclock

anakar

Israel

2.8/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is an overpriced beer from an overhyped brewer to my taste.

App - It poured beautifuly into my glass, a bronze-ish foggy beer with a small head.

Smell - it was nothing exceptional, just a good beer smell - no flavor or anything

Taste - well, here's where it loses it. For a
beer that says "Extra Special Bitter" all I can say is that it wasn't bitter - it was mild. It wasn't special, I can get a stronger, more bitter, tastier one for a cheaper price, and there was nothing extra about it.

Mouth - It seems to lack ditinction, the feel goes away as soon as you swallow

Drink - See Mouth

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 08:23:54 | More by anakar

twi1609372

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

To me i should like this beer more than i do, yet i only think it's ok. Yes it has a medium body, bold taste, yet if having a taste was all that mattered i could drink motor oil. this beer's flavor to me was overall poor. normally i appritiate this kind of beer, yet i found myself unable to order another. Justa matter of opinion and personal taste i guess.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2006 09:20:13 | More by twi1609372

hollicetales

New York

2.9/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured a sipid coopery yellow, perhaps i drank the last bit before the keg was kicked for the other review hold this alot better than i do. was very thin and no head....had beautiful color, not much of an aroma....very weak bodied and thin....it did have a decent bite and the after taste was much better than the inital though slightly metallic...nice and bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2004 20:58:10 | More by hollicetales

thinkbreakfast

New York

2.9/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

App: This beer poured a standard dark amber color with a standard head.

Smell: One whiff of this brew revealed what I found to be its underlying theme: Maple syrup smelling malt.

Taste: Thick syrup/malt up front. Slight bittering into the middle and end. I did not find this particularly enjoyable, however I haven't been overly impressed with the ESB style in general.

Mouthfeel was a bit on the thick side, which hurt the drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2004 21:24:32 | More by thinkbreakfast

TechMyst

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pint bought at Pridom. One of the few I saw without dust all over the bottle. Luckily this had a freshness date...best fefore 9-10. Consumed 2-10. Thought I'd try the "Standard." Strong caramel malty notes in the aroma. Conditioning was not too harsh. ruby amber color. Heavier on the malts than the hops. Sorry everyone, not too impressed here. I would have liked this much better after my Guinness phase. But now I'm on the primrose path to geekiness/snobbery, this is just so-so to me. It's a nice quality brew; just not what I like...Something odd in the bitter after taste I did't like and could not place, I'd like a Bass please...

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2007 13:49:02 | More by TechMyst

jcalabre

California

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Originally sampled on 24 January 2003. I am writing this review from my notes.
on draught, clear copper color w/ virtually no head. nice maltiness up front w /a slightly bitter finish. This might serve as a nice 'escape' beer, to free the BMC knuckleheads from their confinement & introduce them to real beer. This is a decent ESB, but nothing spectacular.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2003 03:17:47 | More by jcalabre

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tap: Poured a clear light brown colored ale with a small creamy head with standard retention. Aroma is quite weak with only light roasted malt being noticeable. Taste is quite refreshing but again a bit weak on taste with some roasted malts and light dry finish. I was quite disappointed by the strong watery finish and I’m wondering if this one wasn’t shot through nitro before falling into my glass. Anyway, I still persist with my belief that Fullers beers should only be drank from cask.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2004 18:33:23 | More by Phyl21ca

JamesS

Indiana

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was expecting more from this ESB, given how well it's know. Everything was pretty much average across the board. Has a nice copper color, but almost no head and little lacing. Nice malty scent that has a bit of a sourness to it. Not a bad taste, a bit hoppy, but nothing to offset it and round it out. Goes down fine, but not overly smooth.

I may have to try it again just to make sure I didn't get a bad one or that it needs to grow on you.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2007 01:03:21 | More by JamesS

jujubeast6000

Texas

3/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed 3/25/2006 (16.9oz bottle):

Pours an opaque amber brown, reddish colored body, with a medium sized head, that is diminishing, with fine bubbles, off-white in color. Has an aroma of hops, and malts. A bitter taste, some sweetness, and some maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 22:37:44 | More by jujubeast6000

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer's a clear copper with a very slight head. Carbonation is evident as a small quantity of bubbles surface. A small herbal aroma mixed with a slight perfume smell. You can tell this is an English brew. There's quite the stinging hop presence. Almost annoying, but not quite. Some decent malt tones, but nothing stands out to me with this one. It's not "extra special" in my opinion. It may be the original ESB, but certainly is not the best ESB (as Rogue's Brutal Bitter and Alesmith's Anvil ESB are much better.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2002 21:53:46 | More by Bighuge

mrmanning

Ontario (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sample- Half pint on tap.
Poured with a rich, thick, off white head. Colour was a dark amber. Tasted sweet, malty and almost like a choclate bar. Went down smooth, with a great malty and bready aftertaste that kept me coming back for more. Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2009 11:59:36 | More by mrmanning

heygeebee

Australia

3.08/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

BB May 13

Hmmm - won't add to the reviews save to say that I got a badly travelled dull bottle.

Muted aromas of caramel/biscuit, followed by an over-earthy dull back palate hop presence.

Do I buy again in a crowded import market, or not, that is the question...?

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 10:42:23 | More by heygeebee

Jdiddy

Rhode Island

3.1/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a great beer but unfortunately, it depends on when you have it. I have had it on tap and it was superb and then when I went back, it tasted and smelled of metal. I have a feeling it depends on the water used. If you get it when it's good, you're in for a good beer. Not too hoppy, good balance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2002 12:34:06 | More by Jdiddy

DogFood11

California

3.1/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Waves and Waves of carbonation billow to the surface. White head leaves blanket lacing. Deep copper to brown color with good clarity.

I haven't had a ton of ESB's but the ones I've had were alot mellower than this. This comes at ya with some earthy hop zip thats rough around the edges, Toasted malts, finishing a bit lingering but clean enough for me.

Alcohol comes through easily, Herbal portion becomes a bit musky to me, but in the end the hops clean up. I liked it and I understand it is the workhorse of the ESB field. It was just OK to me.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2006 01:49:14 | More by DogFood11

changeup45

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

At first I wasn't overly impressed, but as I worked my way through the pint bottle I had, I began to enjoy it more and more. Amber colored with a medium foamy head, but it lasts throughout the entire beer and forms a nice amount of lace. Somewhat malty aroma, and a little fruity. Malty flavor, sour with crisp hoppy bitterness. Re-rate 8/9/08. Hand pulled at The Frosty Mug. Maybe my palate has changed but this isn't as great as I remembered. Nice creamy head and lacing. More malty than hoppy, caramel, a bit bready with light bitterness but a bit thin.

Serving type: cask

08-24-2008 16:13:59 | More by changeup45