Review: Booze: November 2006 Archives

London Porter
Fullers, London W4 2QB

Strength: 5.4%
Form: 500ml bottle
Price: Unsure, around £1.70 (Sainsbury's, Colliers Wood)

That it came from Sainsbury's rather than my usual supplier shows it's a mass product. I've also drunk more than a few pints of Fullers that appeared to have been made by Sarsons. I must have been drunk, desperate, insane or a combination of all three to pick this one up.

This beer comes in a pleasingly-heavy brown glass bottle, an ideal item to have to hand for if you're daft enough to go out drinking in Colliers Wood. The cap was a struggle to remove, but this was possibly as much due to it not exactly being the first in a quiet Sunday in on the pop. (Its predecessors were a Leffe and a double of "Slider" from Borough Market.)

Pouring it into a glass shows a very dark ale with a dirty brown head. Gingerly sniffing it revealed a pleasing sweet mocha aroma. Perhaps it's not that bad after all.

Quaffing it reveals a quite drinkable ale. The strength provides a pleasant sweetness which goes well with the chocolate flavouring. There's a slight bitter taste that lingers on the tongue and demands another mouthful. The pleasing chocolate flavour isn't just an initial hit that teases and then quickly evaporates, but continues towards the bottom of the glass. The final sip leads me to look wistfully at the empty glass.

Now, if they could only work on making London Pride drinkable...

Rating: 8 out of 10
Reviewed: 2006-11-26