Fuller's London Pride - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

Olek4374

Alberta (Canada)

3.61/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured this one into my I&G Tulip glass. The colour is a striking red-brown, almost a perfect mix of the two. The head, frankly, smells sort of.. off. The head smells like an adjunct lager with citrus notes (and my bottle is nowhere near expiry, so staleness is not the issue here). The beer itself smells a little better, there are some malty notes and some orange peel aromas also. The mouthfeel is much better than the smell; there is some moderate carbonation going on which leaves a pleasant numbness on the tongue. The taste is nothing special in my honest opinion; it is refreshing going in and does not have much detectable booziness, but it just tastes way too bitter for me. After going further into the bottle, I am picking up more of the orange notes that I described earlier, but it`s still not something I`d be eager to grab at the store again.

Overall, the colour is downright beautiful for a beer, and it feels pleasant in my mouth. The smell is a little off, but the taste somewhat redeems that. Regardless, I cant justify a repeat purchase of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 07:19:44 | More by Olek4374

Murphious

Illinois

3.71/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Even though a little "thin", this beer could be drank by the pint all night.
Pours with 1/4 inch head that disappeared within 10 minutes. Has a good amber color. Aroma is hoppy but not over powering. Very smooth without a tasting weak, well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 02:44:48 | More by Murphious

gr0g

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear golden-amber with a creamy head about two fingers in height. Very nice aroma that actually harkens a bit to darker Belgian ales - fruity esters evoking raisin and fig, but without the yeast notes. Mild floral, herbal hop aroma.

Light malt body and mild bitterness. Despite the light body, it's by no means watery. Hops offer a tea-like, herbal quality. Fruity esters are more prominent than in a typical APA, with a corresponding reduction in hoppiness. This is preferable for me in a lower gravity beer. Texture is soft and sudsy. It'd be all too easy to throw down pint after pint of this.

Great flavor and aroma in a small package (in terms of ABV). London Pride remains the best sub-5% beer I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:27:08 | More by gr0g

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 500ml bottle to an English tulip

A: Typical pale ale color. golden color with with an amber tint. One finger of head with decent retention. Carbonation appears to be very low.

S: Floral and a bit earthy hops are present to the nose but nothing overpowering. Just the right amount for something of this style.

T: Once again hops are good and appropriately mild. Floral and earthy are the key flavors. A little bit of crystal malt caramel like character is present and balances the hop bitterness nicely. Perhaps a tad of honey as well. A tad of citrus hops but its very subtle and in the background.

M: Very smooth due to the low carbonation which is presumably due to the tradition of lowly carbed cask ales that were popular in English beer history.

O: Equivalent to the comfort food of beer. Fairly simple and not complex but still a well done beer with good balance and a nice flavor. I really liked this beer and it appear to be a bottled emulation of traditional cask ales. Pub quality in a bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:33:33 | More by Haydn-Juby

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Best before 22 Dec 13. Light bronze color with exceptional clarity. Only a half-inch of eggshell head. Looks great in my Sammy Smith nonic pint.

Fruity English malts with tones of apple and pear and caramel. Sprigs of herbal hops layer out in the background. Smooth balance. A little sweet. Great nose.

True English flavors. Fruitiness in the form of pear and apple with a light toast and some noteworthy light caramel. Hops resound with more herbal and grassy character that carries out with some crispy bitterness in the finish. Dries out slightly with a familiar quince note.

Sessionable feel. Light in alcohol, but filling. Modestly carbonated with a smooth body. What I look for in beers of this style.

Drinking this fresh is a pleasure. I will stand by London Pride. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 15:03:24 | More by thecheapies

Fusion7777

Virginia

3.96/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a British Airways plastic cup on a flight from Heathrow. Not the most ideal of drinking situations, but still classically delicious and refreshing. Balanced malty goodness with a touch of pear fruitiness. Light in body but packs considerable flavor. Easygoing and sessionable. The best I could ask for in a cramped cabin 40,000 feet above sea level.

Serving type: can

04-15-2013 21:51:14 | More by Fusion7777

dennarb

Pennsylvania

4.74/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Fuller's London Pride has become our favorite. Every day beer. The balance of malt and hops is masterful. It pours a rich amber color with a big white head to head stays for most of the session. The aroma has a mild Bready quality. The taste has a nice clarity to it that ends up with the full malty mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 17:50:08 | More by dennarb

tonton

Hong Kong

4.55/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I enjoyed this the first time I tried it, and I enjoy it more and more each time.

Pours beautifully from a 50cl bottle into the official London Pride conical pint glass. Ample snow white fluffy head with medium retention, beautiful blonde body, large bubbles rising beautifully throughout.

Easy on the nose, but nothing that really says "delicious"... just... nice. I'm getting apples, some gentle spiciness, really subtle and simple.

The taste while drinking is just clean. Totally clean. Perfect sweetness (it is sweet but I prefer sweet), just the right amount of hoppiness, honey, apples. This is just so easy to enjoy while drinking. The only reason this doesn't score higher is an ever so slightly metallic aftertaste. But the primary flavor is unmatched.

Mouth feel is smoothly sticky, good carbonation (I like that as well).

It's so nice that such a fantastic beer is so easily accessible. I haven't tried it on tap yet, but we do have a bar here in Hong Kong that serves it draught, and I intend to go there this week, and then regularly. Meanwhile, it's about half again as expensive as Boddingtons, but oh, so much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 15:21:57 | More by tonton

bushbeer75

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz brown bottle poured into a pint glass

Fullers London Pride poured a dark gold/amber color that formed a 3/4 finger off-white bubbly head that slowly faded to a ring. The nose was first hit with the sweet scent of caramel malt and maybe a little butterscotch too. A slight detection of light floral hops is in the background. The flavor is very similar to the nose with caramel malt upfront followed by a mild hop bitterness that lingers after the finish. Mouth feel is medium with a nice medium carbonation.

Fullers London Pride is the classic English Pale Ale that is easy drinking, refreshing, and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 19:40:08 | More by bushbeer75

Premo88

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

11.2 oz. bottle poured into pub glass
(bottle from 6-pack)

L: amber. classic red-gold with virtually NO head. very slight lacing.

S: light malt that warms up (for me) over time and becomes a bit maltier. I've had this a handful of times, and only once did I smell a good amount of hops ... generally the malt overwhelms it.

T: clean, crisp, slightly watery but still solid malty English ale taste. decent balance with a tasty sweet finish at times.

F: good carbonation but a bit watery. still solid though.

O: strangely, this beer seems to taste better when I use it as a backup beer; i.e., when I start a session off with this one, I don't like it as much as when I drink it second or third after a different beer. the overall presentation lacks compared to Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale, but the taste holds up just fine. if you're looking for an English pale ale, you could do much worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:22:10 | More by Premo88

Theheroguy

Maryland

4.26/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bready caramel/molasses? Sweet, assertive bitterness but not the expected citrus hop bitterness . Full bodied nice mouth feel/ Light aroma and easy drinking. I haven't had many classic English Pale Ales but I've been told this is a staple and good representative of the style in general. Highly recommended for those who want a robust ale with moderate bitterness. I think I drank this one too cold to appreciate all of its flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 20:35:47 | More by Theheroguy

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Orange in colour. A small, half clingy whitish head.

S: Toffee fruitiness - the Fuller's signature blend.

T: Dry, tart and a bit sour. The hops emanate a nice amount of bitterness and some of that classic English bathwater flavour. Malt is very neutral. Plenty of citrus in the aftertaste. Some laquer-like alcohol in the last few glugs, which is nice.

M: Modest on the fizz. Adds a touch of docility to this tart brew.

O: Not a benchmark beer, just a bog-standard (and therefore a quality) English ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:39:53 | More by Hoppsbabo

jucifer1818

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Served as a sample, on tap, at Fermentation lounge, Tallahassee

a: Light amber with about 1/2 a finger of head
4/5

s: sweet toffy, caramel, and a bit of honey. No hop character. A dash of nuttyness to it as well
4.5/5

t: strong nuttyness to this one, backed by a dry malt backbone. A bit of wheat character as well. Hops dominate the aftertaste
4.5/5

M: Dry and grainy, almost wine like in mouthfull, but with more character
3.75/5

Overall: This is a excellent beer, easily drinkable, and very refreshing. Aside from its mouthfeel I highly recommend this brew

Fullers knocks it out of the park yet again!
4.25/5

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2013 13:39:24 | More by jucifer1818

JasonTaverner

Virginia

4.29/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A wonderful sessionable ale. Low ABV is not problem, in reality this is why this ale is so good. A nice sweet malty beginning with a slightly hoppy finish. I can imagine enjoying an un-pasteurized cask version of this ale in some pub in Northern England. Excellent, like
every ale I have had from Fuller's.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 23:39:18 | More by JasonTaverner

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I though there were a lot of similarities between London Pride and Samuel Adams Boston Lager, which means I really enjoy this beer. The beer poured a very nice amber with white head that laced. The smell was primarily buttering hops. The taste was a well balanced beer between the hops and malt. There was a subtle sweetness that worked well with the bitter hops. The mouthfeel was a decent light to medium bodied ale with decent carbonation. Overall it was a good session ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:25:51 | More by WoodBrew

TheSixthRing

California

3.89/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a crystal clear golden orange with a white, finger width head and fair retention. Lacing is spotty, with fair stick.

Smell - Clean, sweet caramel malt upfront. Light citrus pops up as the beer warms.

Taste - Malt forward, with buttery caramel and subtle bready character. Moderate citrus hop, in the form of orange zest, hits mid-taste and follows through into the finish. Great, mellow flavors and strong all-around balance.

Mouthfeel - Close to medium in body, and lightly carbonated. Buttery diacetyl feel to start, quickly flips to crisp and semi-dry on the finish.

Overall - This is a great, sessionable English PA. Doesn't overpower with flavor, instead relying on great balance and solid drinkable quality. It's nothing that's gonna blow your mind, but if you wanna kick back and have a few brewskies during the game, you could do a hell of a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:27:29 | More by TheSixthRing

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.86/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

500ml bottle

A- Transparent copper colour. Big, frothy white head, soon recedes to a quite thin ring but it then shows nice retention. not much lacing to speak of

S- Slight toasted malt on the back of things. Then herbal/piney notes from the hops, along with a gentle spicy touch. Some light fruity hints may also be noticed

T- More or less what the smell suggested, maybe not as bright. Sweet malty entrypoint, with bready notes and a gentle crispness, along with a slight soapy feel. Herbal notes on the back of the tongue and in the aftertaste, bringing a bitter edge, alongside with some earthy notes. Not at all dry but still decently refreshing

M- Light to medium body. Delicate carbonation as typical with english ales. Overall very smooth and easy to drink

O- A very nice beer. One that you can easily drink without thinking too much, but that will still provide you depth and flavour. Perfectly balanced, found no issues

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 10:00:54 | More by Cozzatoad

FLima

Brazil

3.81/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It made lots of thick head that would not go away. Amber reddish color. Nice fruity and hoppy aroma and a hint of malt.
Low carbonation and very small bubbles. Light going to medium body.
Malty sweet flavor well balanced with refreshing hops that leaves a nice sensation on your tongue. Hints of caramel and a slight touch of toasted malt.
Mild dry and bitter aftertaste. Solid good beer, it proves you can be big and still produce a decent quality product.

Serving type: can

02-06-2013 21:44:48 | More by FLima

augustgarage

California

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 500mL bottle into my Samuel Smith nonik. Served lightly chilled.

Bright, clear, coppery body shines a light amber when held fo the light; a fat finger of off-white foam dissipates into a light dusting of bubbles within a soapy risen circle. Delicate slippery lacing and faint legs. Average retention.

Pleasant caramel and orange notes in the aroma - faintly biscuity malt and low floral hops...

Malty palate entry with a moderate hop bitterness throughout to offset the sweetness. A touch of biscuity/toasty character from specialty malt peaks through now and again. Grows fruitier as it warms (esters from the yeast I presume). Extremely crisp albeit sweet and slightly earthy finish reminds me of a lager.

Light carbonation and a medium-light body add to the immense drinkability of the ale.

By no means the best best bitter out there, even among the paltry imported bottle offerings on the shelves in California...but a well crafted historical ale worth a try (though given the price, maybe not worth re-visiting often).

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 05:26:07 | More by augustgarage

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - crimson amber colour with white head

Smell - caramel and toffee are coming through, cherry, malt, hops

Taste - Nice flavors of caramel, toffee, cherry, apple

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, ample carbonation, initially some slight sweetness is there and then there are enough hops to balance the beer out without it dominating the profile. Finish is smooth and the flavors linger after the sip

Overall - This is considered a classic in the English Pale Ale style and it's easy to see why. Enjoyable beer that I will revisit from time to time

Price Point - $1.67/11.2 oz single bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 22:53:58 | More by keithmurray

Perduret

4.48/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I first had pride when I was stationed in London from 2002 to 2005. My favorite is to get on tap at the brewery but a bottle every now and then is refreshing. Pours a golden color with a white frothy big head. You can really smells the English malts and hops. Taste is a strong apple cider-like sweetness in the mouth. Aftertaste has the the right amount of hops. Carbonation is soft. This is one great ale!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 18:11:36 | More by Perduret

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber with a smallish head.

S: Strong caramel aroma, some grassy notes and a hint of citrus.

T: Malty and grainy with not much hop presence - some sweetness, but less than the nose would suggest. Fairly muted taste.

M: Watery and clingy with little carbonation.

I generally find this style a bit dull, so I'm probably unconsciously prejudiced against this. Nonetheless, I'd definitely rate it higher than the currently highest-rated English Pale Ale, 'Landlord', which I found to have an off-putting sweaty taste. This a very well-balanced brew and would probably be the perfect match for a pub lunch.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 20:48:50 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

Giggy

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: light amber to slightly red. White head. Good clarity.

S: toffee and sweet malts. Caramel, biscuits and hops.

T: a lot like the aroma. Initial sweetness from the malts followed by a clean bitterness from the hops. A slight grapefruit zestiness.

O: clean smooth and refreshing

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 18:17:13 | More by Giggy

PorterPro125

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Another great beer from Fullers.

A- A sexy Reddish brown tint.

S- Fruity Notes, above average smell for a Pale Ale

T- Quite fruity, almost a blueberry like flavour. Balances out well with a hoppy finish.

M- Pretty light body. Similar to a lot of macro Ale's.

O- Not a bad beer. Although I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a Pale Ale, I probably won't be picking up this one anything soon.

Serving type: can

01-26-2013 02:51:15 | More by PorterPro125

Bashao

Israel

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearence: Pours light brown from the bottle, no too much head.

Smell: malty smells with hints of butter.

Taste: very acidic because of high carbonation. Strong hoppy flavors.

Mouthfeel: light body.

Overall: a good strong flavors beer but with a light body.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 14:48:40 | More by Bashao