Fuller's 1845 Bottle Conditioned Ale: What a great year!
Written: May 09 '01 (Updated Jun 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Live yeast, great complex aroma and flavor
Cons: Would taste even better in an English pub
The Bottom Line: The No.1 UK bottle conditioned ale. Offers excellent complexity of flavor and aroma. A must try for any real ale fan.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Fuller's 1845, Bottle Conditioned Ale |
I sat back tonight just aimlessly mulling through the pages of epinions, with the sports news playing in the background. Such has become my lifestyle. As often happens after work I’ll pop open a beer and switch between MS Word and Epinions as I scribble down various notes for what usually, either the same night or following day, becomes a review, depending on quantities consumed. What better accompaniment to this night, than a fine English brew in Fuller’s 1845 Bottle Conditioned Ale. I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t rather be in the pub with this one.
What’s in a Name?
Although the brewery’s history dates back to 1654, the current ownership has been in control since 1845. Need I say anymore? Indeed the beer is a celebration of the history of The Fuller’s brewery, released in 1995 commemorating 150 years. The beer does have a Royal touch, as the inaugural hops were added to the copper by The Prince of Wales (that’s Charles), during a visit.
Fuller's Bottle Conditioned ale, is a beer that has yeast added to it right before bottling. The yeast causes the beer to referment and carbonation to develop naturally. That’s right the yeast in the bottle is still alive, meaning that the beer will stay fresher longer, and will be better tasting. You should be warned here that if you want to avoid the yeast sitting in the bottom of the bottle you should pour very carefully. However the yeast does help keep away those hangovers.
Was it all worth it?
I should start by saying that 1845 was acknowledged by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) as Champion Bottle Conditioned Beer of Britain (1998-1999).
Pop the cap off and the first thing you should hear is a short fizz. I stuck my nose over the bottle and was greeted with an instant yeasty, woody aroma. If you’ve tried other Fuller’s ales, you’ll notice what the bottle conditioning does. The IPA, ESB and London Pride were all fairly low in foam, but when you pour the 1845, there’s an immediate sign of carbonation and foam. So much so that I’d only poured about 2 inches before I started taking notes again. Filling the glass up I still got 3 fingers of foam with very little effort. The body is fairly light with good notes of rising carbonation, revealing a nice reddish-brown color.
The aroma as I mentioned shows good signs of the yeast, and is a little perfumey, with a hint of peppery spice. You get a little maltiness at the front of the palate, although this does seem fairly brief. It turns a little citric and fruity mid-palate, and finishes pleasantly dry and bitter. Of course after my initial tastes I made sure to swill the bottle and get more of the yeast in there. As a result the body becomes a little more cloudy, while the palate gains a little chewiness and smoothens. At the same the mid-palate flavor seems a little more oaky.
So, was it all worth it? Well my reaction to this beer is a solid “wow”. No wonder it has become the number one bottle conditioned brand in the UK Take Home market. I was extremely impressed by this ale; it carries a sensational unique complexity, which I have not been over-exposed to in English ales. If you like your ales hoppy and slightly bitter, you cannot pass this one by. It’s actually something I’d recommend to any real ale fan. I should also add that it’s a contrast to other Fuller’s products available in the USA, which are filtered, and tend to be typified by a malty character.
Don’t try this beer with food, as I can’t see it being too flexible, and you may miss out on a great deal of character. If you buy one, save it for that special moment of relaxation. It’s just a shame that I couldn’t drag myself away from the computer while drinking it.
Recommended:
Yes
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andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
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