Fullers London Pride – An English Pale Ale
April 13, 2009
April is moving along and we are happily engaged in English Ale Month here at The Brew Club! Today’s English Ale is Fuller’s London Pride!
Bob the Brit recently posted about the Fullers London Porter, and gave it a 4 star rating. I haven’t seen the London Porter in the States, but I hoping that I’ll be able to try it sometime for myself. Lets see if the Fuller’s London Pride is a 4 star beer too!
A little bit about Fullers. The Fuller’s London Pride that we are reviewing today is considered Fuller’s flagship beer in the UK, and the London Pride pale ale, was named Champion Best Bitter at the Great British Beer Festival in 1995, and also in 1979. This beer has a load of other awards as well, so someone must think its good! Fuller’s also owns the George Gale & Co brewery which makes the Prize Old Ale reviewed by Liz a little while back.
Starting right off, this 4.7% ABV ale is light amber in color and crystal clear. It creates a nice whitish head with good clingy lacing. Not super-lacing like the Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Bitter had, but decent in its own right. The beer doesn’t seem overly carbonated looking at it in the glass, once its in there, its just clear! No bubbles, sediment or any of that sort of thing.
Smelling this beer, it seems there is some similarity in this English Pale Ale style of beer because I mostly notice a bready kind of aroma, along with some maltyness one might expect along with a little bit of hop sweetness as well. According to the Fullers website, these hops I am smelling are Target, Challenger and Northdown hops. Northdown hops. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Getting into the taste, to me, its very similar to the smell. Upon the first swig, you get some good flavor from the malts, and like the smell its kinda bready, mildly malty, then there are the hops that add some bitterness and balance to the mix. Mouthfeel is medium to light, this isn’t a heavy beer at all, and it wasn’t very filling either which isn’t a surprise considering there was hardly any carbonation. The finish is on the bitter and dry side – overall quite nice.
I’m going to say that I liked this Fuller’s London Pride a lot, and I can understand why many people consider it the ‘benchmark’ of the English Pale Ale style. I’ll hold judgment on that at least until the end of English Ale Month, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. If you want to see what the English Pale Ale style is all about, get yourself a Fullers London Pride. Can’t go wrong.
Rating: 
Posted in 4 Star Reviews, Ales, All Brews Reviewed, English Beers
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April 13th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I didn’t really like the London Pride, though I’ll agree it wasn’t bad. I like the ESB a little better but I think its a different animal.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Been a while since I’ve had this one. I did have a bottle of their Vintage Ale recently. It was a bottle of 2004 that I cellared for 5 years. They make some very good stuff.
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April 13th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I love all of the Fuller’s products. One of the last truly independent brewers of the “old guard” in England.
Around 10 or 15 years ago, my local hang here in central NJ (The Old Bay, New Brunswick which at the time was known for its incredible beer offerings) featured some very special authentic cask conditioned Fullers flown in especially for the Old Bay, and accompanied by none other than Anthony Fuller himself.
It was served exactly as it is in the UK, from a hand pumped beer engine. Great stuff it was, too…it survived its harrowing trip in great condition and was carefully cellared for a several days before serving…and the taste was nothing short of a revelation.
While the bottled products sent over here are carbonated for American tastes (or lack thereof); the cask conditioned beer had a properly low carbonation that allowed all of the great flavors to really come through.
Either way, London Pride and ESB are two of my favorite beers of all time.
April 14th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I love Fuller’s beers, and fortunately my local, The Fredericksburg Pub in VA, carries the “full” line of Fullers beers, including my favorite, Cheswick Bitter. Not on cask, but it is nice to get this gem in the US (first time ever brought to the US, I am told). They also pour Mr. Harry, which is a bit stronger and hoppier than in the UK, but is enjoyable none-the-less.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Once again, give Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Pale Ale a try. I’m just really a fan of their stuff.
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October 19th, 2009 at 4:18 am
I’m surprised this is available in the US. As a brit about to move state-side, I’m pretty relieved it’s there, but the bottled stuff isn’t a patch on non-gas pumped stuff I’m used to.
I suppose I’ll never see it again as it doesn’t travel well and I’ve little doubt that bars chill it before serving. Please tell me they don’t!
October 19th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Well Paul, I’m not sure if they chill it or not in the Bars, (probably do) but at least you can find it in the bottles here. There’s a few Fullers brews that we can enjoy here, so it will help you feel more at home!
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