Fuller’s

Why it matters

One of the few London family brewers to survive twentieth-century consolidation, and a consistent reference point for London bitter and for English strong ale.

Details

Reference beers

• Fuller’s 18456.3% ABV

  A bottle-conditioned strong ale brewed to mark the brewery’s anniversary, and a clear example of the ground between strong bitter and barley wine.

• Fuller's ESB5.5–5.9% ABV

  The beer that gave "ESB" to the world as a style name, marmalade-rich and considerably stronger than the bitters around it.

• Fuller's London Porter5.4% ABV

  A widely available modern English porter — chocolate, coffee and soft dark fruit — and a useful direct comparison against Irish dry stout.

• Fuller's London Pride4.1–4.7% ABV

  The most widely available London bitter, malt-forward and marmalade-tinged, and a reliable reference for what best bitter is meant to be.

• Fuller’s Vintage Ale8.5% ABV

  A bottle-conditioned English strong ale released once a year and dated, so the vintages can be compared directly.

BeerHQ carries only the products that anchor something. This is not the brewery’s full range.

Styles it is associated with

• Best bitter — A step up from ordinary bitter in strength and depth, with more malt body while staying firmly sessionable.
• Old ale — A matured English strong ale with dried fruit, treacle and often a trace of oxidative or wild character from age.
• English porter — The original dark British beer: chocolate and light coffee over a nutty malt base, restrained rather than aggressive.

Traditions

• British cask ale — Beer that completes its fermentation in the container it is served from and is dispensed without added gas, at cellar rather than fridge temperature.