Fuller's London Porter - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

rockdick

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was my first Porter to try. Poured a beautiful dark brown with a small head that disipated quickly. Taste was of roasted malt, also a tiny hint of spice. Went down smooth. It was so good I think I drank it too fast. Definitely one of my new favorite full-bodied beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 06:43:43 | More by rockdick

proc

Michigan

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

One fine brew. Pours out to a dark as night color in the glass with a minimal head. Smell is that of roasted fruit and malt. Taste is that of roasted malt, hops and as someone else said, licorice. I detected a plum-like taste as well. The finish is smooth and begs for another sip.

One word: Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2002 17:32:19 | More by proc

Realale

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Slightly opaque dark brown/black. Lacy brown head settles to a whispy 1/4" collar that remains throughout the pint, leaving nice lace down the glass.

Nose is primarily licorice, with a strong roasty malt undertone. Some spicy notes come out - nutmeg? - but they are minor.

Palate is intensely malty, with a strong licorice element. A bit of bitterness is apparent, but its unclear to me whether its from hops or dark malts. Well balanced and long, with a nice streak of acidity keeping the maltiness in check. A lovely pint of traditional porter.

[edited 4/18/05 to reflect fact that this is not cask-conditioned, but keg served through handpump]

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2002 07:34:30 | More by Realale

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a beer with beef and just like their site points out - a deep, dark, coffee-colored ale. Good head and carbonation. Some roasty maltiness and slightly hoppy finish. The ABV is 5.2%.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2002 16:03:28 | More by jdhilt

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Every bit as good as I hoped it would be. I hit the jackpot when Andy's North Campus here in Columbus sent an e-mail that they had cases of this for $11.99. Excellent roasted aroma with hints of chocolate. Rich, dark color with a thin head. Hearty coffee/chocolate flavor that neither dissipated nor overpowered. One of the best beers I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 07:34:35 | More by Dogbrick

doerickson

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a garnet hue; clingy tan head. Toffee, caramel and coffee in the nose--supremely inviting. Low carbonation and an extra-creamy mouthfeel. Sweet flavors of chocolate, coffee and caramel are dominant. Tops on my list of porters--a must-have, particularly on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2002 21:34:09 | More by doerickson

inebrius

Michigan

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

From the toffee-like aroma to the charcoal finish. Fat, sticky head that tops a walnut edged pitch liquid wonderment. Roast and toast and hop and malt and balance, balance, balance. A superb Porter that compels you to drink it down. Simple and elegant.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2002 20:44:45 | More by inebrius

bditty187

Nebraska

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fuller’s London Porter is wonderful. It pours dark, almost black, but brownish-auburn hints are detectable. Brownish head, smallish, some lace. The nose is a blend of chocolate, toasted sugar, cameral, licorice, and malt. The aroma is very comforting. The flavors are a relaxing, yet sturdy, with an array of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, graininess, and hints of toffee. Very well balanced. The aftertaste is a tad clingy, yet, still highly drinkable.

This has to be one of the best Porters on Earth…. so damn tasty! Jump on the bandwagon if you haven’t already!

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2002 16:06:20 | More by bditty187

MTMugs

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Mmmm, I love a good porter and this is one of them. Smooth is the word - malt, coffee and chocolate to die for. Yet there was my favorite taste in there to - some hops to keep me happy. Another brew that kept giving different flavor bursts from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2002 18:09:56 | More by MTMugs

ryanocerus

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have been drinking alot of porters lately and this one is not too bad. It is a deep amber color with moderate white head. It had a malty aroma. It was less roasty, but more chocolate than the Sam Smith Taddy Porter. I liked it a little better than the Sam Smith too, not quite as stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2002 14:46:17 | More by ryanocerus

Maestro

Pennsylvania

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

This is a great porter! The head is dark in color which gives you the idea that it is an oatmeal stout, but upon tasting it, you realize you have stepped into a realm that is not matched. The chocolate flavor is great but at times a little overwhelming. The malt is very present towards the middle and can be complemented with a nice shot of irish whiskey. It finishes very smooth and definitely makes you want to come back for more. Definitely my favorite foreign Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2002 05:24:47 | More by Maestro

AaronRed

New York

4.9/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have to say that this is one of the best beers I have ever had. Because it was hand-pumped, I know this review is slightly inflated; but I don't care. Tremendous beer, beautiful dark color with tan head- you could see the richness ebbing from the top. Carmel sweetness, but a rich, dark chocolate flavor, with some bitterness pulls you in and never lets you out. So fresh, nothing to distract from the taste. Creamy, but not in a nitro way- just and abundace of flavor. Wonderful.

Serving type: cask

06-21-2002 11:54:55 | More by AaronRed

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark brown with a reddish tint. Nice sticky tan head…holds pretty well. On the nose there are aromas of caramel and malt and touch of toffee and coffee…same on the palate caramel, chocolate notes, and toffee all becomes more flavorful as it warms a bit. At first it tastes lighter then I’d like, but by finish time, a nice sweetness pulls through. Very enjoyable brew!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2002 17:30:01 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

Wildman

Ohio

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

Okay, this is my first try at Fuller's attempt at a porter, having already sampled their 1845 and ESB. It had a wonderful very dark ruby red color. It created a wonderful dark tan head, but it failed to hold, but that may have been due to the temperature I had it chilled at. The taste is good, with elements of chocolate, coffee and perhaps toffee. The finish is good, it a little lighter than I like for this style. Also applys to the body of it, while good, really not as heavy as I like porters to be.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2002 17:07:13 | More by Wildman

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Pours dark ruby with a nice thin beige head that retains nicely. One of the best smelling porters I've come across. Nutty, roasty and chocolatey. Very, very nice. Wow. What a creamy mouthfeel. This is really an outstanding porter. I've had this before but never had this type of experience. (They were probably old beers in past.) Great coffee taste and roasted tones. Vanilla bean and bittersweet chocolate make their presence known. Full body. What a treat. Great way to cap the night.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2002 23:10:08 | More by Bighuge

Reverand

Pennsylvania

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

Almost black in color with tannish colored lace. Great taste and full bodied. Another great brew from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2002 00:40:24 | More by Reverand

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark ruby brown, almost opaque...nice pillowy head, absorbs drips like a sponge. Pronounced sweet mocha smell, one of the nicest smelling brews I've ever had. Deep, deep roasted to burnt chocolate flavors right off the bat, with a very smooth and consistent fade. Some sense of anise complexity as well. Satisfying richness in the back of the throat. Minimal hops, but they do add in concert with the coffee flavors in mid mouth. Medium body combines with lack of over-carbonation to give a nice mouthfeel without an overbearing impact. Nice Porter to be sure...

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2002 08:09:01 | More by ADR

BeerAngel

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

WHEW! If I'm ever gonna be slapped in the face by anything other than a female, this is the one. It's a slap you can smile about. Roasted coffee with a taste that lingers. Maybe a bit of chocolate tasted after your first breath. Only my second Porter to try...very different than my first, but I like it. Small head that leaves a lace all the way to the bottom of the glass. Thumbs up!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2002 18:05:45 | More by BeerAngel

marc77

California

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tan head with good retention. Deep garnet hue when held up to a bright light. It's quite clear. But who really cares?Complex aroma of chocolate, toffee, and slight British yeast esters. A tad of fruitiness as well-- perhaps Challenger hops?
Medium to full bodied with a wonderful balance all around. This porter is among the very best as far as I'm concerned-- perfect carbonation, chocolate malt flavor, black patent bitterness and exactly the right amount of bittering and flavoring hops. Just great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2002 22:50:43 | More by marc77

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

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

Good, but perhaps a bit too thick, not really elegant, but a good porter, very complex, and bitter, goodstuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2002 06:00:41 | More by rastaman

Jason

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

Appearance: Deep dark brown, nearly black, with a floating light tan lace that leaves a trail of sticky patches of lace down the glass.

Smell: Caramelized sugar, creamy in the nose with chocolate, hints of coffee and a ghost like charcoal smokiness.

Taste: Stable medium body, crisp up front with a wave of smoothness after the moderate carbonation goes by. Richly layered with hints of charcoal, dark unsweetened chocolate and highly roasted coffee ... a ghost like smoke and buttery diacetyl coat the tongue yet vanishes in the end. Slight warmth and light ester stay out of the way. Hops add to the foundation of bitterness from the roasted malts and keep things in balance. Finishes somewhat clean with a fading charcoal flavour.

Notes: A more than decent porter ... a great brew during the wet raw days of late fall / early winter. Goes great with imported chocolates also.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2002 07:50:33 | More by Jason

Mark

California

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

very dark and full bodied, a stronger taste of licorice? and coffee tones than other Porters. My porter of choice, and as in most English brews very smooth. Best in winter. I'm having second thoughts on this being my Porter of choice. The last two times I had this I wasn't sure I liked the very strong finishing taste. I think I might prefer the more mellow tones of the Anchor and Anderson Valley porters. Still this is a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2002 21:38:14 | More by Mark

John

New York

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

An exceptional, classic London porter. With it's simple complexity you know exactly what you're getting and won't be dissappointed. A treat on tap.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2002 11:12:11 | More by John

ThreePistols

Florida

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Fuller's London Porter in the bottle. Ruby black in color. Sweet malty aroma with a lot of dark roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Strong hops with dark roast coffee and dark chocolate taste. A very good bitter mocha aftertaste. This is my first porter and in my opinion it is an excellent beer. I hope to find this one on tap one day.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2001 08:04:37 | More by ThreePistols

BKotch

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A typically fine product from Fullers. Pours with a big tan head that leaves a nice lace on the side of the glass as you drink. Very smooth, with hints of coffee and chocolate. A creamy, almost buttery mouthfeel that leads to a fairly dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2001 13:33:46 | More by BKotch