Fuller's London Porter - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

MeadEater

Ontario (Canada)

3.59/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Immediate off putting aroma. Wasn't pleasant in my opinion. Smelled a bit like something rotted. Poured to a mild 1" head. Solid lacing. Dark walnut colour, almost opaque.
Heavy molasses taste. For me, that's a good thing! Subtle chocolate and caramel notes, but overall sweet and molassesy. Not too astringent. A little thick on the tongue, but it is a porter.
Would definitely have bought a few for tonight had I known I would have liked it so much.

Serving type: can

05-21-2013 03:02:12 | More by MeadEater

mayday1986

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Having surveyed some reviews on this site before after giving beers a try myself, I've never before felt the need to actually add my own review. Until now.

Straight out of the can and warm this beer kills it. How many brews have you had that you would crave at room temperature?

Silky smooth in the mouth with deep sweet chocolate flavors this beer delivers. This is the liquid equivalent of a fresh-baked hearty dessert. Think of a nutty banana bread that is light on the fruit and heavy on whole grains.

I didn't pour it in a glass, but frankly I didn't need to. There is not much head, so the creamy texture is inherent and not lost with time. Admittedly I love the appearance and feeling of the head provided by Guinness, but this is a heartier brew that is ready right out of the can.

Future reviews: Coopers Brewery Best Extra Stout, St Peter's Cream Stout, D. Carnegie & Co. Klass III Porter

Serving type: can

07-11-2012 18:40:35 | More by mayday1986

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fillers London porter pours a deep red brown with a beautiful brown head that lingers. The aroma is sweet, chocolatey malt with plenty of caramel and herbal, earthy hops. The flavor is malty with more slightly astringent chocolate. A nice round hop bitterness and more herbal hops finish the beer off with light carbonation.

Serving type: can

06-26-2012 05:32:32 | More by ericj551

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, dark amber with decent head and surprisingly full mouthfeel. Very pleasant aroma of roasted malts with oak tannins. The flavour is robust and well balanced, malty sweetness with a nicely dry hop finish. This is a beer I've drunk for years - an absolutely excellent "go to" pint. Well done, Fuller's!

Serving type: can

06-03-2012 02:03:59 | More by hopsolutely

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Can to pint glass.

A - Dark brown with one finger of thick light brown head with good retention.

S - Big roasted malt and milk chocolate aromas up front. A touch of bitter coffee and a mild sweetness that is reminiscent of oatmeal.

T - Roasted malts, chocolate, brown sugar. A nice overall sweetness with just enough bittering to balance it out.

M - Medium body, creamy. Smooth and silky. Light to moderate carbonation.

Serving type: can

02-19-2012 14:22:34 | More by TheSevenDuffs

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Chestnut brown, nearly two fingers of off white/tan head, lots of lace. Smell is roasty and malty, chocolate and coffee, rich and decadent, some yeasty notes as well. Taste is roasted, chewy malts, coffee, milk chocolates, flavours layer very nicely and are all easily decipherable, lightly bitter but in more of a bittersweet type of way. Light carbonation, smooth and creamy, light-medium body. Outstanding stuff, this is the benchmark for the style in my opinion, would love the opportunity to try the cask version of this, this will see regular rotation in my fridge thats for sure.

Serving type: can

02-17-2012 17:38:41 | More by peensteen

Brianhophead

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Fuller's London Porter is a deep ruby color, with leathery highlights. Crystal clear. Pinpoint carbonation supports a dense, mousse colored head with great retention.

S- The first aroma to come out of the glass is a sweet, almost chocolate mousse aroma. Chocolate mousse dominates the nose, leading nicely into aromas of fresh roasted coffee. Aroma is pleasantly straightforward and enticing.

T- Fuller's London Porter is smooth and full bodied, almost luscious and velvety on the tongue. On the palate, maltiness comes out with more nuttiness than the mousse noted in the aroma. Malty nuttiness leads into flavors of roasted coffee and roasted grain. Finish is pleasantly dry with hints of mineral notes.

Overall, Fuller's London Porter comes together nicely. It's roasted and complex without being overpowering. Rich and velvety without being cloying. Malt sweetness balances well with the roasted notes in the finish. This would be an excellent brew who enjoys full flavored beer.

Serving type: can

02-16-2012 20:18:33 | More by Brianhophead

scott451

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. A very dark ruby, almost black with a two finger creamy tan head. The head sticks around to the end. Moderate lacing.

Smokey sweet tasted malt smells. Molasses and caramel as it warms. Roasted malt in the taste. Dark chocolate. Very complex. There is much more going on here. A mild dry hop finish.

Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Lighter than expected. A pretty good porter. Smooth and well balanced. Interesting flavour profile.

Serving type: can

01-06-2012 02:37:41 | More by scott451

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 mL can from the LCBO; best before April 2012. Tried this stuff years ago and I recall being rather fond of it... so why not give it another go?

Pours a virtually opaque black colour, with only a few deep red highlights under the light. Topped with a finger of creamy, foamy tan-coloured head that holds up until well into the session. Lots of sticky lacing on the sides. Very malty aroma, lots of roasted dark malts, chocolate and molasses sweetness, with a bit of coffee and cream. Some earthy notes but mostly just sweet malts.

Very tasty porter, with most of the same notes above being present on the palate as well. Toasted bread, molasses and caramel sweetness dominate along with nutty malts and bittersweet chocolate. Coffee and vanilla notes as well, with plenty of roasted malt throughout. Earthy, herbal hops are more noticeable toward the finish. Roasted malts provide a bit of earthy bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. Nice balance between the chocolate and coffee flavours; neither are especially dominant but they're both loud and clear - this is a very rich-tasting beer. Full-bodied, maybe leaning toward medium body, with low carbonation for a silky smooth, creamy mouthfeel going down.

This is a world-class porter that I can't really find much to complain about. Superb, rich malt flavours, good body, and a very satisfying brew all around, this porter is definitely worth a try and is basically the gold standard of the style to me. Not much of a session ale, this is a quick sipper for during or after dinner.

Serving type: can

10-27-2011 03:27:50 | More by thehyperduck

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice black colour to it. It has a nice tan head that dies down slowly and has nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of roasted malts with some nice chocolate, caramel and slight coffee notes.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice roasty/coffee malt feel to it with a bit of chocolate and caramel and a slight earthy hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice rich balance of malts.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavours and aromas.

Serving type: can

09-12-2011 18:18:21 | More by SebD

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - dark brown with ruby tinted edges and a long-lasting tan head.

Smell - deep and roasty without being overpoweringly malty. Rich and complex with aromas of chocolate, brown bread, dark malts, earthy hops and mineal.

Taste - Chocolate, bread, and molasses, but only moderately sweet with a subtle spiciness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy.

Extremely smooth and drinkable.

Serving type: can

09-07-2011 20:24:41 | More by

dbaker61

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500mL can. Brew Date: May 9, 2011. Best by May 9, 2012. 5.4% ABV, 11.4 degrees Plato.

Appearance: Very dark brown with just a hint of red when held to a light. Low carbonation, giving less than half a finger of dense tan foam. Head retention was good, and left tons of lacing.

Smell: Chocolate, cocoa, slight roast aroma. As expected, no hops aroma.

Taste: Mostly roast malt, with notes of chocolate and coffee. Bittersweet, all due to grain profile.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Low carbonation allows the beer to comfortably coat the mouth. Velvety. Slightly bitter aftertaste. Moderately dry finish.

Overall: Very refreshing and drinkable. I would highly recommend this porter. Don't get too many great porters here in China, so I appreciate this one.

Serving type: can

09-05-2011 14:02:49 | More by dbaker61

Kartoffeln

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an opaque brown so dark it's practically black, with a dense, creamy-looking tan head. Retention is strong, dissipating to a still-creamy cap of foam and leaving a touch of lacing.

S: Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the nose with undertones of nuts (particularly hazelnut notes) and caffe latte. Toffee, tobacco (think English Cavendish), and charcoal notes. Has a buttery character to it.

T: Chocolate and brown malts, rich and slightly sweet, followed by bready malts, caramel, and strong roasted malts imparting a black coffee bitterness on one level while combining with buttery and chocolatey overtones to give a milder caffe mocha taste. Faint hint of smoke in the finish.

M: On the lighter end of medium-bodied with slight chewiness and very low, silken carbonation. The bittersweet finish is remarkably clean and balances the flavour profile nicely.

D: A delicious, chocolatey porter worthy of sipping or sessioning; excellent example of the style.

Serving type: can

07-01-2011 17:59:44 | More by Kartoffeln

Roke87

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 mL can, slightly chilled and poured into a pint glass

Appearance- Pours a dark brown colour with a big two and a half fingers of fluffy tan head that does reside a little but never really goes away, leaving almost a pinky finger of tan head right till the finish, leaving good spotty lacing throughout the glass.

Smell- Lots of sweet chocolate aromas coming from this one right away mixed with nice roasted malt smells as well, I am also getting a nice sweet caramel/toffee aroma coming from this as well the more it warms up.

Taste- Just like the smells although the roasted malt plays a much bigger role on the palate as opposed to the nose, with a slight bitter coffee flavour in there as well. That same sweet chocolate smell is present in the taste and the caramel/toffee makes a comeback in the taste as well, although I find it is a little more predominant on the nose.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied but a little bit on the lighter side of the porter scale for my liking, average carbonation although porters are known to not have much carbonation anyways. It does go down smooth and silky though.

Overall- To be honest I was rather surprised by this one, I wasn’t expecting much from this one to be honest being in the form of a can, although Fuller does make some quality brews that I have recently really enjoyed. It is nothing over the top, like this is more of a classic porter taste as opposed to an off the wall different tasting porter that you can find a lot on the American market, but don’t get me wrong this is a quality porter and runs circles around your macro Guiness, Kilkenny, etc. This would be a go to for me when I am looking for a good porter to drink a couple of them for cheap in a night, although I did enjoy the double chocolate stout from young’s a lot more.

Serving type: can

06-27-2011 04:21:26 | More by Roke87

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

dark dark beer with some ruby tones. thin mocha head.

smells sour and rich. like a cappucino yogurt.

tastes bitter and smooth. finishes creamy and leaves bitterness of roast malt.

nice body and flavor overall. i want to try this one on tap.

a robust offering

Serving type: can

06-06-2011 03:02:28 | More by paxkey

Dsqrd

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark chocolate in a can! Defiantly has that taste as well with a sweet woody tart aftertaste. Also has a whiskey taste off the start. Overall a good Porter, the real bang is in the aftertaste. I find it tasted more like a stout. Id have to rate this just slightly lower than young's double chocolate stout which is one of my faves.

Definatley a good beer though! Goes well with a CAO mx2 cigar.

Serving type: can

05-16-2011 19:58:01 | More by Dsqrd

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark with ruby around the edges. The frothy tan head sticks around forever as a collar.

Smells like chocolate and coffee. I get a light, honey-like sweetness as well.

Tastes like dark coffee with dark chocolate in it. Solid bitterness to back it up. Dark toffee sweetness comes through as it warms.

I find this beer too thin for a porter or a chocolate-flavoured beer. Takes a syrupy character on the back of the tongue, but I expected thicker.

Very chocolatey, but almost overpowers the beer itself, which I find a bit thin. I'd like it just a bit thicker, but definitely above average.

Serving type: can

05-03-2011 02:38:42 | More by bryehn

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - This is the definition of a creamy head, leaving tons of thick lacing down the glass. Nice one and a half finger, soft, lovely, mocha colour. Pours a really deep ruby colour, not quite opaque and you can only see through anything if you hold it up to the light or look at the corners. Otherwise black with a small amount of visible carbonation.

S - Great roasted malts grab you first. Backed up by bitter coffee and a complimentary dose of semi sweet chocolate. Nice.

T - Great roasty malts that aren't too roasted complimented by bitter coffee and an equal amount of that semi sweet chocolate. Lovely stuff. Not too sweet, nothing off.

M - Medium body with mild-medium carbonation. Slightly bitter finish.

D - I could drink alot of this on a cold night. Lovely balance, not too sweet and a complexity complimenting its abv. Fuller's never disapoints. I've had so many porters I hated because they are so hit or miss for me, so I really appreciate a well crafted one.

Serving type: can

02-19-2011 01:38:23 | More by tbeckett

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Can from the LCBO, BBD of November 17, 2011. Into a pint glass.

Pours a dark chestnut brown, with a solid 3 finger tan head. Sheets of lacing, with solid retention. Nose is equally as solid, caramel, dark and milk chocolates, light smoke (maybe some smoked meats) and some roastiness. Quite complex and mouthwatering. Starts off smooth and super silky on the palate, chocolate up front with some caramel sweetness, dark roasted coffee, a touch metallic before it warmed up a bit more. Mouthfeel was great, creamy and silky. Drinkability is awesome, an everyday porter and something that may become a staple in my fridge.

Serving type: can

02-06-2011 22:53:10 | More by liamt07

Flightoficarus

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter

A - Pours a deep, rich black with a thick, creamy tan head that persists for quite some time I must say!

S - Smell is of cocoa, brownies, caramel, and a hint of coffee.

T - A supremely smooth blend of chocolate and caramel malt flavors, with hints of espresso, and a slight acidity, likely from he hop varieties used.

M - Medium-full bodied, creamy, and extremely smooth, near-zero carbonation.

D - I don't think it gets any more drinkable than this for the style!

Overall - An excellent Porter! Probably the smoothest I've had in the style. This one pairs perfectly with some smoked sausage. If you see this, it's definitely worth buying.

Serving type: can

11-22-2010 06:48:20 | More by Flightoficarus

bark

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The colour is black with a brown edge; the three finger head is pale brown, very compact and firm. It leaves lots of fine lacing on the glass.

The rather mild smell is sour-sweet with notes of chocolate, bitter hops, roasted malts and hints of red berries and porridge.

The taste is roasted and a bit dry. I found notes of bitter chocolate, mild coffee and a touch of roasted nuts. There is a fine malt-sourness in the background that grows in the aftertaste that also brings a very elegant sweetness; cocoa and chocolate, cream and a hint of vanilla.

The carbonation is medium strong, the small bubbles are smooth. The liquid is also very smooth; it feels almost like drinking a nitro-beer.

A grand English porter that brings just the right amount of flavours to give it a high drinkability. World class!

Serving type: can

11-13-2010 22:01:20 | More by bark

Mjoepp

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Black liquid, gorgeous large creamy light brown head which.

S: Black malt, roasted, coffee, little spiciness. Some "deep" ( mixed with the roasted tones) dried fruits.

T&M: Coffee, roasted. Some peppery notes for the aftertaste. Quite watery as the most English Porters. Carbonation is between light and medium.

Serving type: can

11-09-2010 19:06:26 | More by Mjoepp

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A-black, a lot of tan head

S-dark roasted malts and a lot of sweet creamy chocolate, there's hint of caramel as well

T-hits with a very light hint of roasted malts and chocolate but they come in quite strong within the after-taste. the chocolate is very creamy

M-almost no carbonation. very creamy. very expected of an english ale

D-its a pretty sessionable brew. its very easy to drink and the taste stays fairly well.

Serving type: can

11-07-2010 22:15:57 | More by AdamBear

rarbring

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

the beer is dark brown with hints of red, an off-white bubbly head that leaves lacing.

The smell is burnt bread crust, sweet brown bread, milk chocolate and nuts.

Upfront a brown sugar sweetness, then mostly burnt malt, bitter dark chocolate.

Medium carbonation, slightly oily and soft, a coarse dry finish.

By all means a very well-balanced porter.

Serving type: can

10-25-2010 16:32:06 | More by rarbring

JamesSchutz

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very enjoyable, lighter porter.

A: Dark, dark brown, almost black. Nearly opaque with a hint of red / mahogany when held to the light. Thin creamy head that quickly dissipates.

S: Rich molasses, moderate smokiness, coffee, dark chocolate, spice.

T: Sweet molasses, baker's chocolate, lingering smokey finish.

M: Medium bodied, syrupy mouthfeel.

D: Easy drinking porter. Tastes like another, which is a bit rare for me with porters.

Serving type: can

10-02-2010 01:58:41 | More by JamesSchutz