Fuller's IPA: Not quite what the troops would have expected
Written: May 04 '01 (Updated May 08 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice malty flavor and aroma, slight hop, highly-reputed brewery
Cons: A little thin and not hoppy enough
The Bottom Line: A good beer, and easy drinking. Nice malty flavor. Worth trying but not quite hoppy enough.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Fuller's India Pale Ale |
Based in London, it’s actually the first brewery you’ll see if you fly in to Heathrow, Fuller’s claim to be the capital’s oldest brewer. Interestingly, I remember Young’s making the same claim but I don’t have the date at hand. The Griffin brewery, home of Fuller’s has been on the same site since 1654, although the present company only came into being in 1845. Since CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) first held their Champion Beer of Britain competition, Fuller's have won the Beer of the Year award five times. ESB has been voted Best Strong Ale an unprecedented seven times making it something of a legend, while many USA drinkers will have seen London Pride, the company’s flagship unfortunately not listed by epinions but check out beerfly’s review at:
http://andaryl.epinions.com/content_1431871620
The IPA style
I don’t want to go into the IPA style in too much detail here, as I have already covered it in a couple of previous reviews and intend to write a “What you should know about IPA’s” over the weekend. In general IPA’s are higher in hops and alcohol than a traditional English Pale Ale, having being brewed for shipment to expatriates in India during the 1800’s.
First Impressions
All Fuller’s bottles evoke images of tradition. The IPA I was drinking comes in an 18.6 oz bottle, of good sturdy stature. It makes you want to get a hold and feel of the bottle, almost as tempting as picking up a baseball bat. The words “Independent Family Brewery” are engraved in the glass, while the colors; brown bottle and a well-designed label encourage confidence in the product.
The Proof
Upon releasing the cap, the initial aroma is a raisin-like maltiness. The pour takes a little effort and persuasion. It’s not too foamy, despite my heavy-handed pour. A light foam does form but quickly thins down. There is good evidence of carbonation with a constant stream of bubbles running up the glass. This is very pale in color and somewhat light in body compared to the other IPA’s I’ve been tasting lately, a pale amber, almost lager like.
Another check on the aroma once again confirms the raisin malt, with a light hint of hops hiding somewhere behind. Again in the flavor there’s an instant taste of malt, while the palate is rather light with a little carbonation. The fruitiness spreads around the mouth, until it reaches the back of the palate, where the hop and sourness come into play.
The Verdict
First of all I have to say, good beer, and pretty easy drinking. However I have to follow up and say it’s not the best IPA I’ve tasted lately. The hop has about the same amount of finish as Samuel Smith’s IPA, but the malt is lower. For me it didn’t quite seem to go far enough in either direction, which combined with the thin palate, was something of a disappointment to me. On the better sight I have to compliment the malt flavors and the easy-drinkability of this ale. If you haven’t tried it before give it a go. Like Samuel Smith’s, it’s an easy introduction to IPA’s. Personally though I’ve had one and don’t need another.
The Last Word
If you’re looking for the hops and citric bite in an IPA try the USA versions; Pikes and Anderson Valley are good examples. If you want something smoother with more emphasis on the malt, try Samuel Smith’s.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
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