Fullers ESB (Bottle/Keg)

Beautiful. A mouthful of malt. Toffee and biscuit. No foamy wishy washy ale, but a real mouth filler. Well balanced with english hops (no aggressive citrusy piny stuff here). Low carbonation as is ideal for this style. Despite it’s strength a beer you can really get stuck into.

Bottle. Average size creamy white head with a clear orange body. Nice malt aroma and citrus aroma from the hop. Good balanced flavor and a nice bitter finish.

On tap at the incredibly hard to find English Pub in Naples, FL. Orange/amber body and a fingernail of off-white head. Good-looking lacing and a very fruity aroma of cherries. Flavors are almost candy-like with strawberry, subtle hops, grains, and biscuits. Medium body, and very, very low carbonation, the bartender (who’s from England) explained that the British love beer with low carbonation. Explains how they can drink ten pints in an hour.

35.5 cl bottle. Pours a deep copper with basically no head. Looks thick and hop oily. Aroma is very sweet; first with caramelled malts and toffee, then citrus. It’s well balanced and only slightly bitter. Very smooth and low carbonation. I only really note the bitterness in the very pleasantly drawn out finish. My first special bitter makes me want to try more.

I’ve had this many times on cask but have decided to rate this after a pint of it on keg at a wonderfully dingy bar in Wellington on the other side of the world to its home. Looks pretty good in the glass, perhaps a slight chill haze but it was served at about -2 degrees….not much nose to speak of but I think my memory was fitting in the blanks, oranges and biscuity malt yum! Flavours are all about oranges and peppery hops with a huge blast of malt, just a slight boiled vege flavour from the long journey but it tastes pretty damn good over here!

caramel matl aroma, with a hint of golden syrup. Amber with a lingering head. Delicate malt and caramel flavour, with a gentle bitterness, and alcohol note, and touch of honey to finish. Wonderful smooth mouthfeel with gentel carbonation.

(Bottle). Aroma is Indistinct, rather cardboardish, Color a lovely reddish copper. Small, off white, rapidly dissipating head. Flavor very pleasant, mild, smooth, with some fruity notes. Finish is pleasing, with a slight bitterness. Excellent drinkability.

Pours copper with a frothy head that last for a minute or two. Smells malty and tastes creamy and like a muted sweet caramel with small amounts of carbonation.