Tonight’s review comes to us from London, England and is produced by Fuller Smith and Turner PLC at the Griffin Brewery Chiswick.

According to the website, fullers.co.uk, the brewery has a core range of 14 different styles plus various seasonals to choose from.   

The brew I want to study this evening is called the Fullers 1845.

Some info on the drink.

In 1995, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Fuller Smith & Turner partnership, Fuller’s commissioned a special, celebration bottle conditioned ale.  The result was 1845.   A more auspicious beginning the brew could not have:  the inaugural beer’s hops were added to the copper by none other than HRH The Prince of Wales, during a royal visit to Fuller’s!

Since its introduction, 1845 has become a firm favourite with its wonderfully rich flavours helping the beer to win numerous awards around the globe including the CAMRA Champion Bottle Conditioned Beer of Britain.

Sounds good to me.  Let’s get started.

The beer comes in a hefty 16.9 oz. bottle and stands at a sound 6.3% ABV.

Once the pour was finished I saw that the 1845 was a mix of colors.  It appeared a semi-clear amber/copper and burnt orange with dark yellow accents at the bottom of the glass.  The head was off white, very creamy and tight.  It really stuck around for a while and had some very nice lacing.

At first the aroma came off a bit strong with a prevalent alcohol fragrance, although after I studied it a bit more I started to find a whole array of tones.  Dark fruit conjured up notes of grape, dried raisin and plum blended harmoniously with a soft buttery note.  A bread and biscuit malt came through, which also revealed a minute yeasty grain.  A lot going on in the nose.  It smells really nice.

The taste shows a dry breadiness with an alcohol punch.  The fruit seems to sweeten the dryness by striking a congruence to a Christmas fruitcake.  No bitterness to speak of really.  Just a solid, even, well balanced taste.  It’s not quite as complex as the aroma, but that’s ok.  It’s still very good.

The mouthfeel was medium, dry and smooth.  The palate was coated with plenty of flavor and right at the end I was confronted with a welcome alcohol warmth.

This beer is pretty darn good.  The only complaint I have is that it may be a bit too sturdy with the alcohol characteristics.  Of which, I found a bit puzzling considering the medium ABV range.  It almost presented a slight “wine” profile.  Other than that, I still found it enjoyable and would have no problem drinking this on occasion.  I’m better off having tried this brew for sure and it was a nice, welcome change for me.

Have you had the 1845?

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment if you like.

Score:  4.1 out of 5
Grade:  A-