Fuller's London Porter - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

sevenarts

New York

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Very dark brown, almost black, with a ruddy tinge in the light. Small tan head, not much lacing or retention.

S: Dark fruits and licorice, some mild sweet maltiness, hints of caramel and toffee. Mild and pleasant.

T/M: Sweet and malty up front, with some caramel and sugar. Some hop bitterness and burnt flavors in the middle. Slightly bitter and odd aftertaste.

O: Pretty good English style porter, not perfect and it could benefit from a bit more punch in terms of flavor. Easily drinkable and pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 23:17:15 | More by sevenarts

FLima

Brazil

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had it fresh at Fuller’s. Dark brown color with a beige and thin head.
Nice aroma of toasted malts with hints of chocolate and coffee.
Likewise, though relatively less intense, it has a taste of toasted malts with coffee notes. Hops come at a second stage. Bitter and dry aftertaste.
Medium body with light carbonation and small bubbles.
Very pleasant beer, excellent drinkability and still flavorful. My recommendation, never buy just one bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 21:36:07 | More by FLima

bushbeer75

Michigan

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

11.2 oz brown bottle

Fullers London Porter filled my mug with a very dark brown almost black color that formed a bubbly 1-finger tan head. The head shrunk rather fast leaving a ring of fine bubbles. The aroma is dominated by roasted malt, caramel and chocolate. The taste matches the aroma with the addition of light coffee. The mouth feel is smooth and creamy with a light-medium body and just the right amount of carbonation
.
Fullers London Porter is a tasty, easy drinking and flavorful English Porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 17:58:30 | More by bushbeer75

CuriousMonk

Virginia

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

Pours dark brown with a creamy, fully lasting, brown head. Aromas are roasted, toasted malts, with some coffee and dark chocolate hints. The taste is again characterized by roasted malts, mild coffee, caramel. Leaves a well balanced flavor, between bitter, sweet, and dry, with a pleasant watery texture. Great example of an English porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 18:16:04 | More by CuriousMonk

adamette

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Live review. Poured from the 11.2 oz. bottle that I bought at Save-On Tobacco & Beverage for $1.85 a few weeks ago into a clean, clear glass. "Best Before 27 Nov 12 300" printed on bottom of back label. I should be alright. That was last week.

A Nice medium brown one inch head lingers for 2 minutes over a dark mahogany body that only shows its color in front of direct light. Otherwise it looks dark, dark brown. Good look with good lacing on the inside of the glass after repeated sips. 4.0

S Nice medium roast molasses smell with a sense of dark chocolate as well. Good, robust smell. 4.0

T Nice medium to dark roast malt with molasses and sense of chocolate flows right into the taste. Nice, classic porter. 4.0

M There is a sense of molasses thickness but this is actually a somewhat of a thin porter compared to some. Nothing like the excellent feel of Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. 3.0

D/O Drinkability is good. ABV is manageable. Overall this is a classic porter. That is not a surprise. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:42:39 | More by adamette

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

11.2oz bottle from Will (thanks man!) poured into a Firestone Walker taster...

A: Dark brown and transparent with red edges...creamy off-white head and some lacing...

S: Aromas of sweeter roasted malts and and bakers chocolate, roasted malt sweetness seems interwoven with notes of caramel, moderate suggestions of freshly brewed coffee, hints of burnt malt and dark coffee beans.

T: Taste follows the nose with the same notes of chocolate, caramel and coffee...full range of malty notes from sweeter chocolate to suggestions of acrid, burnt malt with faint whiffs of a smoky edge. Fairly balanced with plenty of flavor.

MF: Creamy mouthfeel, lighter medium body, lower carbonation levels...

O: Pleasant drinker, fairly unremarkable but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 17:01:36 | More by Scotchboy

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

Beer pours black with a good-sized tan head. Good retention and lacing. A very nice-looking beer.

Smell contains roast malt, a bit of dark fruit and some chocolate. I get a bit of a marmite scent, oddly.

Roast malt is the focus of the taste as well, along with chocolate and a bit of a creamy flavour. Some dark fruit (prune). Bitter finish. Very nice.

Medium bodied, creamy and smooth. Moderately carbonated.

Overall, very good indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 01:04:32 | More by jrenihan

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

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

LIving in Korea it's not everyday you come accross one of these. It was on my 'to drink' list when I went back to England for summer but I never saw it in any shops. So, I was surprised... no, gobsmacked to find a fresh bottle in Seoul at the weekend.

A: Not black, more of a dark copper. Looks like it's been pulled from the pump. Doesn't have that creamy porter look. Has a head of large irregular iridescent bubbles, which isn't massive but I don't care.

S: Lovely. Upfront brown sugar and smokey malts.

T: Very nicely balanced mixture of sensual brown sugar (I'm not even joking), floral hops, roasted malt and coffee. Much less engine oily than most other English porters. You could even say it leans towards being a hoppy dark ale, save for the obvious roasted maltiness. Less tart than a lot of English porters too.

M: Very silky and soft in the mouth.

O: Very nice beer. I love Fullers.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 10:21:26 | More by Hoppsbabo

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance
Extremely dark brown, almost black, with some red highlights. 1-2 fingers of light brown head that dissipates somewhat quickly.

Nose
Dark roast coffee, chocolate and caramel.

Taste
Follows the nose pretty much exactly. Dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, roasted barley and caramel. Light notes of earthy char and touches of earthy hops.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, balanced and crisp.

Overall
Dark, roasty and sweet. Tons of coffee and chocolate. This is just right.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 00:54:36 | More by justintcoons

superspak

Michigan

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

330 ml bottle into pint glass, best before 8/6/2013. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, cream, roasted malt, coffee, toast, light dark fruit, and light herbal hops. Fantastic aromas with great balance and strength. Taste of milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee, roasted malt, cocoa, citrus, toast, and herbal. Good amount of citrus and roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, coffee, caramel, toffee, roasted malt, toast, cocoa, and herbal on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic flavor balance and robustness; zero cloying flavors on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol presence is invisible, with zero warming noticed on the finish. Overall this is a fantastic English porter! Great flavor robustness and balance; and extremely smooth to drink. Simply outstanding. I can’t believe I haven’t had this before.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 05:01:01 | More by superspak

Darkmagus82

Montana

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

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – Pours a deep brown color with a one finger cream head. The head has a decent level of retention, eventually fading to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is a wonderful blend of sweet chocolate and caramel, dark fruits of cherry, a bit of coffe and a good roasted brown bread smell. It is sweet and dark in aroma. Very nice.

Taste – The flavor begins of more brown bread with some notes of caramel sweetness. The caramel sweetness is enhanced as the flavor moves on and is meet by some mild chocolate flavors. These flavors create a rather sweet and bready flavor. The flavor then begins to dry out ever so slightly in the end with some bitter sweet chocolate and coffee flavors coming to the tongue. The mix of all the flavors combined together well and leave a very pleasant cocoa espresso flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – For an only 5.4 % abv beer the body of the beer is on the smoother and creamier side with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. The feel is wonderful for all the dark and bittersweet flavors of the brew accentuating them and allowing them all to properly mellow on the tongue.

Overall – This is a fantastic brown ale. It has a great flavor with fantastic transitions. It has a great feel and a wonderful smell to boot A very good one to try if you have the chance. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:41:24 | More by Darkmagus82

beerdrifter

Germany

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown-mahogany pour with caramel colored two finger head with good retention and decent lacing. Rich and roasty nose with hints of cocoa, dark fruit, coffee, molasses, toffee, and just a touch of metal. The taste follows suit with lots of fresh roasted coffee, dark chocolate, figs, nuts, toffee, tobacco, wood, and some mineral notes as well. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth as silk with a great dry, subtly bitter finish. Hugely drinkable and not heavy at all. Truly a world class Porter!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 17:24:56 | More by beerdrifter

Gregfalone

California

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at Lucky Baldwin's Delirium Cafe in Sierra Madre California. Standard pint glass

This beer pours beautifully. As it pours int the cup from the tap it turns to a light brown froth that billows from the bottom up, slowly turning from a dense foam into a brownish black liquid with a 1/2 inch head that last until empty, leaving the most perfect lacing ive ever seen, all the way to the bottom of the glass. even on the bottom of the glass... Very beautiful to watch. This only seems to happen on tap, I haven't been able to pour this effect with a bottle.

The smell is dark chocolate with coffee, some toasty malt, and a light sweetness. Nothing that particularly stands out.

The taste is fantastic and matches the nose only with the sweetness less prominent.

Mouthfeel is medium body, and silky smooth, among the smoothest, if not THE smoothest beer I've ever had the pleasure to drink.

Overall I think this is one of my favorite beers of all time. Enlih porter is my favorite style, and I'm not sure if I prefer this or taddy porter. In bottle form I'd choose the taddy, but the London porter on tap takes the cake... Until I can find taddy on tap, I can't say which is my top beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2012 08:41:10 | More by Gregfalone

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.98/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Fuller’s London Porter has a thin-to-medium beige head and a dark brown or almost black appearance (ruby under direct sunlight). There is not much lacing associated with this. The aroma is of rich, dark-roasted malt, chocolate, dark coffee, and sweetness. Taste is the same, with chocolate powder and some burnt aspects. Bitterness is low. Mouthfeel is low medium, and Fuller’s London Porter finishes refreshing, mellow, and highly drinkable. Overall, this really is a world-class beer!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 18:05:04 | More by RonaldTheriot

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.
A - pitch black with a finger of head, dissipating fairly quickly.
S - subtle roasted smell.
T- roasted coffee. Bitter, dark chocolate.
M - medium feel but pleasant.
O - very nice porter, perfect balance of flavors with alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 23:31:57 | More by Beer-A-Lot

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

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

Appearance: Deep rich brown. Head is khaki and drops to a small cap and collar in short order. Pours nice and smooth. Minimal carbonation

Smell: Deeply roasted and chocolaty. Slight burnt edge. Milk chocolate, cocoa nibs. Sweet and roasty. Nice edge of British least and water. Adds some minerality and slight earthiness to the experience. Bread crust and caramel malt sweetness. Toasted edge.

Taste: Even more roasted than the nose indicates. Big rich chocolaty malts. Some cocoa and burnt sugar. Warm brown bread with a nice British yeast bite. Some old coffee, but it's really all about the sweet, caramelly, roasted malts. Incredibly breadth with a backing British minerality. Some grassy notes as well. Vaguely herbal.

Mouthful: Super smooth and creamy. Moderate carbonation on a medium body. So easy to drink.

Overall: Yup, it's good.

Fuller's sets the bar again. Nice blend of British water and yeast with a great malt profile. Easy drinking and sweet enough to feel like liquid bread.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:44:27 | More by Goblinmunkey7

philbe311

Pennsylvania

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

A - Slightly more than a finger's worth of slightly creamy active effervescent light brown colored froth... Slight retention gives way to a mostly full veil of lacing in slight collar... The color is murky and borders between a dark menacing brown and light flat black... A bit of light seems to leak in around the edges of the glass... Mostly still with only a couple of small carbonation bubbles rising towards the top as they cling to the sides of the glass...

S - Very nice balance and complexity... Milk chocolate... Cream... Light roasted malts notes... Light coffee notes... Some dark fruit and raisins as well... Simple and spot on for the style, but extremely well executed...

T - The palate is a mirror image of the aroma... Everything in equal proportions...

M -Medium bodied... Sleek... Light carbonation with a bit of a bite... Starts with an touch of lushness and finished a touch on the dry side... Even and consistent... Maybe a bit thin..

D - Completely satisfying... Textbook English Porter that everyone should experience... I can't say a bad thing about this beer... Lots of character and charm for a 5.4% ABV offering... I could enjoy quite a few of these in a sitting... I would gladly indulge in this again and highly recommend...

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 02:23:54 | More by philbe311

dtreindl

Virginia

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

Best porter I've ever had. As someone who often prefers the American versions of European classics, I must give highest praises for this beauty of a porter. Purchased by chance because I haven't had an English porter recently. So I figured I owed it to my good friends across the pond to give one a try. Color, head, aroma - that doesn't matter. Those are all good. But the overwhelming strength of this beer is in the luscious flavor. Rich, toasty, caramelized malted barley deliciousness! In one of my first few sips I swear the flavor changed dramatically as it washed over my tongue. It progressed through waves of creamy, chocolatey, toasty, and bitter flavors. Quite the complex malt character this porter has!

If you ever find it, try it.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 03:59:49 | More by dtreindl

draheim

Washington

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

11.2oz (best before 9/30/2012; oh well) into a snifter. Pours a somewhat thin cola brown aw/ a dense mocha head.

Aroma is dark roasty malt, chocolate, coffee, molasses, dark fruit.

Taste is sharply bitter and roasty with hints of chocolate and toffee.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with good carbonation. Smooth drinking, just a tad thin.

Overall a solid representation of the style, comparable to Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 19:38:10 | More by draheim

GMB

Japan

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fuller's London porter pours a gorgeous black body that shows glimpses of deep red when held against a strong light source. A standard pour yields a thick cappuccino head with a bit of staying power that leaves bands of lace on the glass as it slowly falls.

The nose is clean and inviting. Deep, roasted malts suggest coffee and warm chocolate without losing their grainy identity.

The taste follows the nose closely, with the important addition of a beautiful bitter hang. The bitterness sustains the illusion of dark chocolate and dark, roasted coffee without concealing the sweetness of the malt. The beer's relatively low alcohol content also allows the toasted malts to suggest nutty flavors. I pick up a bit of toasted almond. The beer's overall balance yields a delicious porter that is clean, markedly drinkable, and refreshing.

The beer's body is full, but could be a bit thicker and more viscid.

A recent wave of American porters in which adjuncts or specialized malts are used to foreground the flavors that classical porters like this one suggest Here, I am thinking of the dozens of nutty (e.g., pecan) porters, chocolate porters, coffee porters, etc., that I have tried in recent years. Fuller's London Porter achieves similar effects while maintaining a lightness and drinkability. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:20:54 | More by GMB

AmitC

Indiana

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

They say do not judge a book by its cover. Well, if you look at the label you get the feel that you are going to drink something exceptional.

Not at all disappoints.

London is where porter style was developed and this one has a fitting name.

Pours very dark opaque dark brown in color. Just like the color of espresso. Thin tan head which is a delight and looks like the one on a coffee.

Smell it and you think that you are going to drink a mixture of coffee and chocolate. Good tinge of coffee aroma and roasted malts, which grows on you. Very typical of stouts and porters, but a little distinct in that it is a bit more complex than that.

Taste is where this can't be beaten. Awesome coffee and toffee taste, which i think actually comes from roasting of malts. Very natural.

For a porter it has good mouth feel. Light to medium bodied. Not very heavy.

Overall excellent stuff from London.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:02:52 | More by AmitC

mjtiernan

New York

3.88/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a straight-sided pint glass. Best before 29 APR 13.

A: Three fingers of khaki head. Body is mostly opaque with some brown highlights around the edges of the glass. Quite a bit of lacing.

S: Light toffee/caramel, toasted grain and some breadiness.

T: Subtle floral hops show first, followed by pronounced toasted grain and nuttiness that leads you through the middle and into the dry finish. There is a slight vegetal aftertaste.

M: Body is light to medium and texture is somewhere between watery and oily. Soft carbonation and a dry somewhat astringent finish.

O: As with others of this style, it gets high marks for drinkability. Not quite as good as Taddy Porter, but certainly a great beer for a cool fall evening like tonight.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 02:25:51 | More by mjtiernan

morimech

Minnesota

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

Dark brown color with just over one finger of head that had excellant retention. The head settles to a thick cap. Spotty lacing is left down the glass.

What a wonderful aroma. Dark malt gives nice chocolate notes. English hops add pleasant floral and herbal aromas. And the yeast adds a touch of esters.

The flavor follows the path of the aroma. Nice dark malt flavor featuring chocolate and coffee. Surprising level of English hop flavor that I just cannot get enough of. Despite the hop flavor, bitterness is low and mellow. Just hard to imagine this could be improved upon.

The body is not the fullest but for a beer with this ABV, is adequate. Pleasant level of carbonation.

The classic English porter that is one of the best porters brewed today. Just a wonderfully crafted ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 17:10:20 | More by morimech

crnipeter

Slovenia

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Apparently opaque dark-brown body approaches to clear and shows ruby hue when held
to light. Light tan head is fairly thick and holds well supported by moderate carbonation.

Nose is a blend of mild roasted malt with chocolate qualities and non-roasted malt that contributes sweet and nutty aromas. A careful sniffing reveals brown sugar/caramel and a even a faint vestige of dark-fruit esters.

Flavor is marked by heavily roasted malt that yields bitter dark chocolate & mocha yet is neither acrid nor burnt. Body is well attenuated and the overall flavor hangs suspended somewhere between being slightly malty or slightly bitter from vegetal hops and roastiness; the later two combined with carbonation lend dry finish.

Medium-light body with creamy texture and silk-smoothness.

Overall, a fundamental, wonderful porter that is not called "world's finest" for nothing. (500 ml into pint, BB 2013-08-06)

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 22:30:18 | More by crnipeter

Mavigo

Michigan

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

A: pours a fine black with tinges of red, doesn't have much of a head, tan in color, dissipates quickly with minimal amounts of lacing.

S: like dark chocolate, hops, caramel, coffee, toasted malt, smokey

T: Very complex, coffee flavors, chocolate, vanilla, hops, very smokey flavor

M: very fulfilling and refreshing, lots of texture, very carbonated but it adds to the refreshing nature of the beer

O: First beer I've tried from England and its pretty good, very complex but yet not overbearing and very refreshing. Little bit lacking on the flavor side especially for a porter in my opinion, but I like the style going here so it's a beer to get a hold of, the pros way exceed the cons.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 02:28:29 | More by Mavigo