Fuller's 1845 - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

hopsputin

California

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: poured into an english pint glass. 2-3 finger rocky, uneven beige head. dark amber with some red light showing through

s: sweet caramel and berries upfront. nice bready backbone pushing the rest of the aroma through

t: right up front you're greeted with some generic dark berry flavors followed by a touch of hop bitterness and a very faint...tea leaf/something floral. all of this is backed by a very pleasant caramel/toffee sweet malt backbone. there is a hint of spice, maybe clove. just a touch of alcohol which plays well off the sweetness

m: mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium, with a nice amount of carbonation that helps the flavor in the mouth

o: nothing complex, but absolutely nothing offensive about this beer - a good example of a british, and definitely worth your time.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 21:35:37 | More by hopsputin

tonton

Hong Kong

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Absolutely beautiful label on the gorgeous brown glass 50cl bottle. one of the nicest bottle presentations around. totally classy.

Pours a dark clear reddish caramel into a nonic pint. Fluffy warm grey head.

Tastes just like you would expect a perfect dark ale or old ale to taste. Typical caramel malts and mild English hops. Nothing unpleasant, which is its strength, but again, nothing outstanding or distinguishing, which is its weakness.

Mouthfeel is pleasant but then again not outstanding.

A perfect example of style, however, not worth a premium price over the standard English import.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 08:41:45 | More by tonton

beergoot

Colorado

4.29/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Excellent honey and chestnut brown colored body with a thick, creamy head on top. Rich, sweet malty aroma; molasses and brown sugar with notes of figs and maraschino cherries in the background. Sweet and malt-forward flavors; hints of graham cracker, cinnamon, and toffee; mild hop bitterness builds up some steam at the end of the taste and mellows out the malt sweetness; trace of alcohol warmth. Medium bodied, smooth with a light and pleasing residual sugary feel.

A very well-done big ale. Malt character dominates throughout with hops and alcohol presence co-mingling in a well-balanced fashion. Rich, complex, warm, and inviting.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 21:39:07 | More by beergoot

cavedave

New York

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Live review

Pours a clear light brown with red cast, two fingers of dark beige head, finally a thick cap framed in crazy lace on the nonic.

Bready malt, herbal hop, a bit of that English yeasty tart, lighter floral hop and caramel notes.

Wonderful flavors in perfect balance, the stock in trade at Fuller's. Front of sip is full of bready grain and herbal hop, and picks up caramel and floral, rounded yeast, some spicy alcohol, and ends with the sweet and drying herbal flavors cleanly remaining on palate.

Med./high carb. but not carbonic to a fault, lots of viscosity but not cloying, and a finish that leaves the palate craving next sip.

Wonderful beer, highly recommended. Hope to try this one fresher, but even after a trip cross pond this beer fucking rocks.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 18:59:24 | More by cavedave

tylerzander

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - pours a pretty ruby/garnet color with decent clarity and a bit of haze; one finger small-bubbled pillowy head with excellent retention - I think the head actually increases in volume as it sits in the glass

S - distinctive, delicious aromas present as soon as the bottle is opened: raisin and licorice and caramelized sugar with a little ethanol sweetness; a little twist of vegetal/mushroomy hops at the end that may be more flatteringly be described as earthy

T - a slight roastiness and that earthy hop bitterness up front with a smooth finish of sweet plums and caramel

M - a little prickly and a little more carbonated than I anticipated for a real ale in a bottle, but taking a sip through the dense foam head to reach the liquid below is a smooth operation from beginning to end and not a heavy feel despite the maltiness

D - drinkable to the extreme, I wish I knew a bar closeby that had this on draft, as I would be a frequent repeat customer there

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:36:37 | More by tylerzander

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.36/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a proper Fuller's pint glass. The pour is fairly dark amber in color with a slight haze and a perfect 2 fingers of frothy head. This beer has a wonderful nose. Lots of toffee, treacle, molasses, fruit cake, and a slight, smoky, woody note.

Full body and luscious, sweet, malty flavor. Dark fruit, fresh bread, toffee, and molasses engage the palate all over. There is a slight spicy hop note at mid-palate that carries through the finish. The finish itself is smooth and satisfying with just a touch of alcohol warmth. A wonderful sipping beer light on the hops and full of great malt complexity.

I am definitely buying this again. It's like a cross between an English Bitter and an English Barleywine. Lots of malt flavor with really good balance. If you must have lots of hops in your beer, then avoid this. If you like malty beers like bocks and English Barleywines and Old Ales, then by all means pick this one up. It is delightful.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:03:04 | More by deadonhisfeet

Greywulfken

New York

4.19/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: into a pint, deep red-amber brown beer with a very subtle vague haze, thick fat tan head that left scattered bits of lace

S: fruits and spice

T: biscuits and subtle fruit jams - maybe orange marmalade notes - hints of anise and sherry

M: smooth, bitter, slightly tacky, slightly coating

O: Fuller Smith & Turner are not going to make mistakes - these people have been brewing on site for over 300 years. This is a classy beer - makes me think, "working man's beer" - as in, something you quaff in a pub after a day of labor that brings as much toughness and heart to the brew as you do to the work day. Quality craftsmanship.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 17:03:00 | More by Greywulfken

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.96/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a syrup reddish brown with a finger of head. Smell is sweet malty with some fruity esters. Taste is sweet malty but very tart and somewhat fruity. Its tasty...dry and slightly sour? Its a solid beer but its a slight miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:28:11 | More by DrinkSlurm

pkalix

California

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

definitely dark amber, tight, thick and rich head. nice looking beer.... beautiful, in fact....
smell is sweet and carmel-ly. typical british, although i have never had this one before. is it possible to smell a higher abv??
taste is... bitter up front. chewy in the middle, sweet on the way down... interesting...
medium feel beer, some carbonation, but smooth.
overall, i like this one. all of fullers' are very good, just not so high in the abv. this one is a tad higher at 6.3%, which is a blast more than the flagship fullers' at 4.9% or whatever it is... this is a really good beer. good for a few in a row and not too gaggingly sweet. but it is sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:32:04 | More by pkalix

mjurney

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Dark amber-brown color, hazy. Lots of carbonation rising up. Thick frothy head, looks very creamy. Leaves a very nice lacing behind.

Aroma:
Milk chocolate, dark fruit, caramel, toffee.

Taste:
Creamy malts up front, caramel, toffee, ripe prune, smoked wood, bitter walnut, sweet finish. Creamy body, semi-dry aftertaste, smooth, soft carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:50:17 | More by mjurney

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Topside this has an easy good loose magnolia head which sends up subtle waves of toffee. Orange copper brown appearance. In the mouth and to taste there is an unfolding complexity of some castrol sugary sweetness back and forth ending firmly with a dry dark gentle bitterness. A bit raw but juicy too and firm and that roastiness doesn't quite lead into anything too stern. Doesn't at all appeal to my emotions but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 08:19:42 | More by Zimbo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear medium dark amber in color with some garnet red highlights and light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall foamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a dense quarter finger that evenly covers the entire surface of the beer. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of malty sweetness including caramel and toasted malts

T: This beer is quite malty with notes of toasted and caramel malt sweetness as well as some nutty flavors. Light notes of fruity yeasts near the finish and just a touch of earthiness. Very light bitterness that fades quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Extremely smooth.

O: Extremely easy to drink and very enjoyable - just shy of sessionable but that is because of the higher ABV. Nice complexity to the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 21:56:05 | More by dbrauneis

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Really dark amber with a slight brown tint to it, head slightly off-white measuring to a finger's length off the body.

Smell: Malty smell that really grabs your attention, problem is that it is really light scent.

Taste: Complex, this beer is really a monster when it comes to taste. Strong malty feel not really bitter but you feel a slight sweetness to it courtesy of fruits in this brew. It is unique and I would like to rate it higher but there is slight room for improvement.

Mouth: Medium and sticky, and smooth for everyone.

Overall: Great beer I will buy this again without blinking. You get everything you could ask for great taste. I can't see you drinking this one without smiling, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 04:14:58 | More by BlurryVisi0n

keithmurray

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle poured into a mug

Appearance - dark ruby red colour with khaki colored head

Smell - Toffee, caramel, honey

Taste - Caramel, honey, toffee, malts, whole grains, slight presence from hops

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, highly carbonated, slightly sweet upfront, enough bitterness in the finish to let you know the hops are there, fairly smooth going down, slight mineral quality in this as well

Overall - This is a solid, well crafted, reasonably priced beer that I would happily drink again

Price Point - $3.99/16.9oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 22:12:36 | More by keithmurray

draheim

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500mL into an imperial pint. Pours a clear amber w/ a thick beige head, lively carb.

Aroma is fruity, caramelly, rich and bready.

Taste is fruity, bready, with a minerally water quality. Clean and pure presentation of barley malt and water.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied, creamy, luxurious.

Overall this might be my new favorite English ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 06:08:06 | More by draheim

BierStein711

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ruby red pour with four finger off white head.

Smells of dark fruit and hop

Malty taste, with mellowed bite at finish

Mouthfeel is perfect, this is what a beer should feel like!

Overall, I would have this again. I am going to explore more of the brewery's portfolio.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 13:27:33 | More by BierStein711

dansmcd

Australia

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark ruby red under a creamy head and short sheets of lacing.

S - Dark fruit and malt. Some honey, wildflowers and wood.

T - Smoky roasted malts, raspberry esters and brown sugar. Nice combination but a touch mild.

M - Light medium body and low to medium carbonation. A touch flat.

O - A well rounded English pub ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 09:03:05 | More by dansmcd

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pours a deep, dark, reddish-brown with a MASSIVE four-finger head of foam the consistency of whipped cream that lasted what seemed an eternity. The head is so thick it doesnt really leave lacing because it barely breaks apart.

S - Big, powerful aroma of toffee, lightly toasted malt, and earthy hops. Smells inviting.

T - Toffee bomb! (and I mean that in the best possible way) Besides the aforementioned toffee, esters of sweetbreads and walnuts forward. Some fruitiness present in the mid-palate with hints fig and date. Sweet but balanced, with some residual bitterness from the malt as well. Hops which carry the finish are extremely musty and earthy, which works really well with the malt bill presented. Buttery diacetyl lurks underneath but never really becomes distracting. Delicious.

M - An interesting mix between buttery slick and creamy. Medium bodied and medium carbonated. Not as chewy a body as the flavor profile would seem to suggest it might carry.

O - A truly stellar English Ale. Between the taste and the name it's definitely not hard to imagine sipping some of this in a pub at room temperature in some bygone age. Currently my favorite English beer. I'll be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:01:34 | More by TempeBeerMan

smakawhat

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A bit of a muddy and dark reddish brown body, with some faint cola like bubbles, giving a large bubbled head of about three fingers with some good retention. Head does fall slowly, with faint scattered lacing.

Nose is real fruity. Interesting mix of dark raisins, and spritzy sensations. Figgy. Citrus zest and spray everywhere. Great biscuit malt quality and fig newton angle all over. Real wonderful bitter like action going on.

Wonderful light texture of malt on the palate, with a thick rich density that isn't cloying. Fruit angle carries on the nose into the mid palate, with figs and raisins. Finishes clean surprisingly, with a mild toffee crisp waffer action.

Looking over my bottle this is way past best before date by 5 months and it's still dang impressive. Even still this beer is delivering, will be trying this again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 23:18:45 | More by smakawhat

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear amber. Huge beige head. Best lacing I've ever seen in a beer.

S: Harsh malt. Reminds me of fish food pellets. Not quite metallic though.

T: Dark caramel. Fish food pellet maltiness. Gets better after a few sips. Pretty sweet. Lovely bitterness. Slightly, slightly on the metallic side.

O: Great, but don't drink after having something bright and fruity.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 20:10:37 | More by Hoppsbabo

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into tumbler.
Best before June 2013 making it 14 months old. Stored by me at cellar temp.

A- Slightly hazed ruby red with hints of brown. Two finger soapy off white head, recedes to a thick cap leaving gobs of lacing around the glass.

S- Cinnamon, brown sugar and some dark fruits. There is a touch of fresh baked bread and some almonds.

T- Sweet biscuits, cinnamon, brown sugar with some vanilla. Almonds and a touch of burnt toast.

M- Medium bodied, slightly creamy, decent carbonation.

O- This really is remarkable, the beer fresh was awesome, but this is breath taking. It's easy drinking, smooth, flavourful and overall just excellent.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 00:03:18 | More by korguy123

BogBoyJD

Ireland

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one from a 500ml bottle. Poured into Brewdog pint glass.

Thick 2-3 finger head, dense. Almost lIke a chocolate milkshake. Beautiful red color. I just dig in , can t wait. Head fades to perfect lacing. Never leaves

Lots of caramel on the nose. Hints of brandy. Dark charred fruits. Goes well!

Creamy, biscuity notes, and the burnt fruit. There's a slight bit of bitterness. More rounded than Brakspear. Not overly boozy.

Not really thick. Body is as it should be. Though nothing stands out here.

Overall Fullers brews never disappoint, they are good solid beers. I imagine that they represent what beer was like back in the day, so not to sound corny but it s like a brief view into the history of English brewing. The fact that they are so well received in current times says it all.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 20:53:16 | More by BogBoyJD

Plugwaster

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A nice beer, with good color and quite a bit of bitterness. Flat without a lot of head, and what head there was dissipated quickly. Caramel notes, as well as some fruit and herbal notes, not a lot of hop. A bit alcoholic, but not excessive considering this beer is 6.3% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 08:59:02 | More by Plugwaster

sfprint

Germany

3.13/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Light a slightly red cola, a hair lighter than coke with a soda head, mild soda like carbonation.
S: Red ale, approaching the porter neighborhood, also somewhat sweet and syrupy, cola malt. Fairly strong smell, slight alcohol.
T: I guess good for this style but I'm not in love. Too sweet which throws it.
M: A tad dry and tart.
O: Mediocre. I don't get what everyone's raving over.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 12:23:38 | More by sfprint

rarbring

Sweden

3.63/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A hazy red amber, a small off-white head with little lacing and small curtains.

A sweet fruity smell, raspberries and oranges.

Starting sweet, syrup, brown bread, red berries, butter and cherry seed.

Little carbonation, soft and smooth, a good body with a light dry finish.

A nice soft powerful real ale this was.

Serving type: cask

06-06-2012 20:50:11 | More by rarbring