Fuller's 1845 - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

vkv822

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

16.9oz bottle; tulip snifter.

Pours copper, with a big foamy, soapy looking off white head.

Toffee and caramel, with some light mineral-yeast notes and dried dark fruit.

The mineral notes are less pronounced and the toffee/caramel and dried dark fruit are more balanced.

Medium body, with soft carbonation that makes the body feel a bit lighter.

An enjoyable beer, though it did seem subdued at times.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 09:09:13 | More by vkv822

tony223366

California

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 3+ fingers off just off-white head. It's fluffy, thick and full of all kinds of different sized bubbles. The beer itself is copper colored with rich ruby shades when you put the glass in front of light. Fantastic clarity. Man, this looks so tasty.

S: Man, such a complex and subtle aroma. I get huge fruity, estery aromas. But what really hits me is the crusted bread malt aromas. And they smell good. Just tons of yeast. No hops are apparent but I really don't need them.

T: Wow, this is really good. Every step of flavor as it travels over my palate is excellent and well balanced. I'll do the best I can to break them up. The first flavor I get is the really nice fruitiness. After that I get some big malt depth that includes the bready, crusty malts. Then it moves back to the fruits and touches on just a light peppery flavor. The beer itself finishes smooth with some chocolate and just the hint of hops. It's a stunner!

M: This is the only place that the beer falters. The body is fine, it's smooth and medium bodied. However the carbonation is a little too tight. As per other English beers I really think this would finish perfectly just slightly cool and with little carbonation. I guess when your beer is bottle conditioned that's probably hard to accomplish though, so I can't fault them too much.

O: A truly excellent and classic beer. It's been a while since I had a beer that is a must drink for anybody exploring the world of beer. Truly a classic and truly worth the acclaim.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 04:55:08 | More by tony223366

shand

Florida

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

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a nonic.

This beer pours out a deep red-brown color with a finger of off-white head. The aroma is very English, with dark fruits, toffee, caramel, honey, chocolate, and some spicing. Very complex, yet distinctly English. The taste is good, with a complex banquet of slightly roasted malts, dark fruits, chocolate, spices, toffee and cream that comes just as fast as it goes, leaving just the slightest hint of roast, fruit and creaminess on the tongue. The mouthfeel is fairly prickly for the style at first, but is strongly drying. Overall, it's a very good English ale that's a bit more aggressive than I expected. Its strong flavors make it a good beer for the steadfast American craft drinker to aquatint themselves with some English flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:24:30 | More by shand

GregBlatz

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clearance case at local beer store. $24/case of 12 big bottles. Fresh to another 6mos :-)

A - hazy copper orange in color. Head is big and pillow like. Lacing very nicely.

S - caramel and butterscotch are dominant. Hint of iron. Very sweet malt aroma.

T - sweet caramel and toffee. Strong hop bitterness to counter the aggressive sweetness. Finishes sweet but not cloyingly so. A burnt toffee finish.

M - full bodied. High finishing gravity. Subtle alcohol warmth. Mild carbonation.

O - wow, hard to find big fresh aggressive British ales and this is one of them. I'm going to wipe the store out of them :-)

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:32:50 | More by GregBlatz

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

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

Sample: 1 bottle 2005 (aged 7 years)

A: Very minimal head even upon pour, some decent lacing, moderate internal carbonation, dark red-orange in color

S: Dried fruit, some citrus, touches of sweetness throughout, even notes of chocolate

T: Flavor mirrors the scent, definite fruitiness, seems a bit passed its prime in terms of flavor intensity, some alcohol and nice light cocoa finish though

M: Very smooth, tastes almost light, easy to drink, aftertaste not lingering or overpowering at all

O: A great aged beer, still some nice elements despite the fact that this is certainly over-aged

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:42:34 | More by MatthewWilde

Giggy

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark amber to copper colored. 2 finger tan head after the pour. Head lasts and aspects of the foam lingers to the finish.

S: Heaven. Rich caramel. Roasted malts. Spices. Nutmeg. Slight citrus.

T: Smooth and rich. Slightly bitter yet has a well rounded dark malt taste. Fruity and hoppy.

M: Dry finish. Medium body. Creamy.

O: Nice beer, well balanced. Nice comfort beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:51:28 | More by Giggy

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Appearance. Pours a nice, pretty clear, caramel-red with half a finger of off-white head.

Smell. Light molasses and toasty grain, honey and a little light fruit.

Taste. Molasses, toasty grain, caramel and a little bit of bitter, earthy hops.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with medium+ carbonation.

Overall. Nice bigger beer that doesn't demand a lot of attention. Good casual drinker.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 03:25:28 | More by Rutager

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

New bottle pour technique produces a mahogany body with thick tight white head that sticks.

Aromas of leather, shaving soap, dairy fudge and tapioca.

Rich deep taste, the 100 day bottle conditioning shines through like nobodies business, toffee, cream fight on your tongue with malts and hints of ginger.
In comes a real brewers mash tasting hop and leaves on a bitter note.

Thick, Thick chewy mouthfeel low perfect carb

gorgeous ale, real end of dinner/night drink.

Now repeat in cockney accent

Lav - a - ley!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 23:14:21 | More by EmperorBevis

gc4hokies

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium/dark amber color. Very clear for bottle conditioned. Head is full, frothy, fairly large bubbles. Nice lacing

Aroma reminds me of molasses with a hint of honey. This beer is all about the malt.

The taste follows the aroma, molasses, honey, and malt. Sweet up front and in the middle. Finishes fairly dry with a nice hop bite.

Mouthfeel is solid. Viscous but not cloying. The carbonation provides a crispness at the end.

Overall, if you like English malt, this is a must try. Excellent flavor and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 23:50:52 | More by gc4hokies

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

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

Hazy amber brown appearance with lots of bubbly head that slowly settles down leaving some lacing. Smell consists of maple, chocolate, caramel, malt and dark fruit; good combination.

Taste is very malty, along with most of the features above. Picked up chocolate, maple, various dark fruit and yeast. Also has a lingering booze taste with a hint of hops and nuts. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Aftertaste is bitter and malty.

Overall this beer is strong, but creamy and smooth as well. Has some excellent features and well balanced. The strength and booziness makes this seem similar to a port. Look forward to drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 02:31:08 | More by CrazyMike

mikeyv35

New York

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Date: 01/17/12
Type: 16.9oz. Bottle
Vintage: Best By 11/2/12
Glass: Ommegang Chalice

A classic I have not had for a long time and have never reviewed.

Pours a mahoghany brown in color w/ a 1/2 finger tan head that leaves minimal lacing. Aromas of biscuit, light fruits, and slight mustiness. Nose was the most disappointing aspect of this brew for me, kind of bland. The taste started off w/ biscuit, caramel, and toffee, which lead into mild dark fruits, and finished w/ just a touch of hop bitterness. Medium bodied and lush w/ adequate carbonation. Very sessionable and easy to drink.

Overall, a classic that I finally took the time to review, and one that I would visit again anytime. I don't think it is the best English Strong Ale in the world(despite being rated so), but definately top 5.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 04:03:48 | More by mikeyv35

Pintofbrown

Iowa

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

I had this Fuller's offering in a shaker pint.

Appearance- The head is thin and very fizzy, a slight khaki color. The beer is a dark auburn and ruby. It is not fully transparent, a little hazy in nature.

Smell- It is equal doses of honey, a cherry-like note, and a slight floral hop.

Taste- This strong ale is very malty. It is a biscuit-like malt that builds all the way through the drink. The honey hits mid-drink and sweetens the ale even more. There is very little hop bitterness anywhere in the drink.

The hops are a little earthy and estery. It is more raisin like than cherry, but that is probably due to the honey like sweetness that is present.

Even some roasted malt starts to show after the palate adjusts. This ale has great flavor and is very complex.

Mouth feel- This has a solid medium body. The carbonation is done well, creamy and easy to drink. There is a slightly caustic aspect to it.

Overall- This strong ale is anything but. This has wonderful flavors and is easy to drink. Do yourself a favor and have this ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 16:40:20 | More by Pintofbrown

jkanavel

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cream-eggshell head. Head retention is a little less than average, but it coats the glass beautifully. Color is a dark copper to mahogany.

S: milk chocolate, caramel, buttery pancakes.

T: Smooth maltiness up front, with hits of chocolate and plum. yeasty, and a little dry and hoppy off the back. mmm

M: Crisp carbonation, but full bodied. Very smooth. Chewy. I can roll it around in my mouth before the carbation turns evervescent and sizzles on my tongue.

O: I love this beer. The balance of flavors is great, leaning a little bit towards the sweeter side.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 21:46:56 | More by jkanavel

plfahey

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16.9 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Amber brown color with a moderate cast of haze from the bottle conditioning. Creamy beige-tan colored head has decent retention.

Aroma-Figgy dried fruit with background plums and raisins. Yeasty sourdough bread with brown, toasty bread crusts and burnt caramel. A hint of woody oak, though I'm not sure if it's aged in wood. Slight, green hop character. A slightly stale, oxidized nutty character gives a pleasant, sherry-like complexity.

Flavor-Nutty, toasty malt flavor with slight stale oxidation flavors. Toast and nutty malt character obscures most of the caramel and fruit character, but there are still traces of christmas fruitcake, with the suggestion of figs. Some orangey, earthy yeast character, and moderately low hop bitterness show in the finish, with woody green hop notes emerging to complement the malt which lingers long into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel-Smooth, medium body with moderately light, soft carbonation. Pleasant and mellow.

Fantastic-complex and awesome English Ale from Fuller's, though I would expect no less. Incredible malt and yeast profile, simply splendid.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 05:24:05 | More by plfahey

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: 1" tan coloured head over deep amber liquid.

S: Oak, maple, yeast and rich malt.

T: Deep rich toffee malt with oak and the slight presence of bitter pine and citrus hops.

M: Medium to thin viscosity with medium carbonation. Very smooth.

O: A lot of flavour in this smooth English Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 04:10:51 | More by DaftCaskBC

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A tremendous looking beer, with a crystal clear dark gold color with reddish highlights, a big fluffy off-white head that has excellent retention and lots of sudsy lace coating the glass from top to bottom.

Aroma is sweet and malty, with a pleasant booziness coming after some dried candied fruits; lightly metallic on the back end.

The taste is more bitter and hopped and in a traditional British way than the nose lets on. Fruitiness is very subtle and there's minimal sweetness despite the aroma. Nice interplay between bitterness, chewy maltiness, and underlying booziness. Dry, wine-like finish with lingering alcohol heat and bitterness.

Prickly carbonation with a medium-full body, a touch of stickiness, very rounded and smooth. Really excels in this department. An extremely well-made beer that has an understated alchol punch; deceptively strong.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 15:28:51 | More by tobelerone

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep ruddy brown colour with a large and tightly formed beige head. Head is retentive, and leaves ringlets of lace on the walls of the glass. Slight haze. Big toasted bread aroma with top notes of dried fruit, nuts, and the slightest suggestion of chocolate. Big malty flavour, sweet with a balancing bitter finish. Leads with well-toasted bread before transitioning into toasted nuts and citrus. A big raisin note lasts well into it's long finish, complimented by cocoa powder. Lingering bitterness. Lovely.

Medium bodied with low carbonation. Feels smooth and rich. A substantial (but not heavy!) beer with great depth, complexity, and integration.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 06:36:19 | More by mintjellie

dankster

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I like the fullers ESB and London pride alot but this one is almost too big for me.

A- dark red with tan head about one finger

S- Big malts and dark fruit coming to me

T- Again very Maltly. some hops but dark fruit like current and plum are very strong. dark roasty malts also

M- thick and smooth but heavy in the mouth. just ok

O- Just ok but not something i will buy again. sorry fuller's this one is a miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 20:07:48 | More by dankster

fx20736

New York

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

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Nonic, served at Cellar Temp.

Rich, gorgeous Mahogany imbued amber supports a billowy khaki head that leaves lovely swaths of lacing.

Aroma of toasted caramel, plums, hazelnuts and a whiff of cocoa.

mouthfeel: superbly structured.

Taste plum jam on toast with a dusting of cocoa powder with just a kiss of hops for balance and depth.

Notes: this may not be as complex or as winey as Yorkshire Stingo but it is so toe curlingly yummy. This is a wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 19:26:05 | More by fx20736

rwathree

Iowa

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

16oz bottle, poured into tulip:

A: dark caramel brown color that lets in just enough light to show off the beer's clarity. Thick off-white head, about an inch high, that goes down slowly. Nice.

S: vine fruit, alcohol, traces of caramel. Not that complex, but very appealing.

T: but damn if the taste isn't complex. The alcohol is turned down, the tart fruit flavors hit up front and then fade into toasted malts, tobacco, a touch of brown sugar, and hop bitterness. I'd maybe like the alcohol to be more prominent, but it's to be expected that it wouldn't be.

M: starts off creamy, but I'm pretty quickly struck by how watery this is. The carbonation is decent, but I find this surprisingly thin.

O: Body aside, this is pretty nice. The person who sold it to me described this as "Barleywine light," and I think that's a solid read. This is a nice nightcap beer for people with responsibilities the next morning.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 06:09:08 | More by rwathree

leokbelo

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a bubbly/hazy dark grape colored on a pint glass. 1 inch foamy head, dissipates to a nice lacing till the end.
Sweet on the nose, caramel, raising and bread.
Sweet flavor, malty, yeasty, refreshing, with some hops in the back. Very smooth, extremely drinkable.
What a great beer, a meal in a bottle for sure!
The 6.5% abv creeps up at the end, a very drinkable ale.
A Celebration alright!
Cheers and here's to another 150 years of great Fuller's Ales!!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 19:22:58 | More by leokbelo

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500mL bottle into tulip. best before Feb 01 2013.

A: a pretty clear caramel hued body. a real slight haze on an otherwise pretty clear brew. a slightly reddish off-white head is very busty. great retention and lacing. good looking brew indeed.

S: a little bit of heat, but rather slight. a toffee aroma as well. an almost sour fruitiness. green apples? pear for sure. im not getting any hop bitterness on this malty/fruity aroma.

T: a very interesting flavor, nothing like i can identify with another brew. a tawny sort of rye spicyness. drinks more like a port. definitely a nuttiness with a roasted component that gives it the slightest touch of smoke. sweetness lingers into the finish.

M: a lower carbonation on a full body.

D: a very interesting brew. the sort of aged, port-like qualities are very evident, which makes this a great evening sipper. good brew to have on a cold night where the wind is blowing, which is exactly what is happening right now.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 03:09:24 | More by Jimmys

airforbes1

New York

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

After thoroughly enjoying London Pride, I was eager to try Fuller's 1845. And now is the moment of truth!

I could smell this beer even before I completely had the cap off. Impressive! The aroma is perfume-y with overtones of tart fruit. Green apples, perhaps? The head poured three fingers thick before it subsided. The color is comparable to dark mahogany. This seems promising.

Wow, there's a lot going on with the taste. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say I taste grape, apple, and butterscotch, with some slight woody bitterness on the finish. It toes the line of being too sweet, but doesn't cross it. The flavors are well synchronized. The mouthfeel is great...each sip seems to leave a coating on my tongue.

As much as I liked London Pride, this blows it away. Fuller's packs a lot of flavor into this 6.3% ale. This is one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 01:17:33 | More by airforbes1

zander4dawin

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A rock solid creamy, toasty, somewhat sweet beer. It is amber in color and leaves behind a creamy, soapy head. A truly very crafted beer that can stand the test of time and a must try for all beer lovers. Definitely malt forward but some bitterness present to balance the beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 15:07:25 | More by zander4dawin

Nerudamann

Arizona

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – strong dark amber color with about two or two-and-a-half fingers’ worth of frothy khaki-colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – sweet and malty, with hints of caramel and maybe some brown sugar.

Taste – it tastes like it smell, but with a lot more bitter bite than I would have ever expected. I can’t really taste the hops, but their bitter qualities are definitely there. The hints of caramel and sugar that were in the aroma aren’t in the taste.

Mouthfeel – definitely more on the creamier side.

Overall – very interesting brew! Good-tasting and fun to think about.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 02:26:03 | More by Nerudamann