Tag Archives: Fuller’s

Beer of the Week – Fuller’s Cask-Conditioned ESB

Posted on March 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Beer of the Week – Fuller’s Cask-Conditioned ESB

This article was originally written in March 2007 for the food & drink website Taste T.O., and republished here in September 2011 (but back-dated to match the original publication date) after the Taste T.O. blog was shut down and taken offline.

OK, full disclosure time: I haven’t actually tried this week’s Beer of the Week yet, at least not in cask-conditioned form. But given the timing of this week’s column, I couldn’t resist featuring Fuller’s Cask-Conditioned ESB as my pick.

For you see, today marks a very momentous occasion, as for the first time in a long time – perhaps ever – a cask ale from the UK will be available at a bar in Toronto. Fans of cask ale here are somewhat satiated by the products of a few local breweries being available at a handful of local pubs in cask-conditioned form, but tonight at 6:00 PM, Ralph at Volo (587 Yonge Street) will be tapping a cask of Fuller’s ESB (Extra Special Bitter), giving many local beer drinkers (including yours truly) their first taste of a real, traditional ale from across the pond.

I have had the bottled version of Fuller’s ESB, and although it was a while ago, I seem to have enjoyed it if my notes from the time are any indication:

Clear amber with a moderate off-white head that leaves some great lacing. Pleasant sweet & earthy malt on the nose. Slight creamy mouthfeel, solid malt notes to start the flavour, and good bitterness in the finish. A tasty & easy drinking bitter.

I expect the cask version will be at least as good. If you want a better idea of what to expect, you can check the ratings at RateBeer, where 72 people have given it an average score of 3.42 out of 5.0, which is quite respectable.

Bottom line: If you have any interest in good beer, and you are able to do so, you really should try to make it down to Volo tonight. Maybe this will be the first in a series of casks making their way across the Atlantic for thirsty Ontario ale quaffers, but if not, won’t you be kicking yourself for missing out on this one?

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Beer of the Week – Fuller’s London Pride

Posted on March 6, 2007 | Comments Off on Beer of the Week – Fuller’s London Pride

This article was originally written in March 2007 for the food & drink website Taste T.O., and republished here in September 2011 (but back-dated to match the original publication date) after the Taste T.O. blog was shut down and taken offline.

If you’ve been shopping for beer at the LCBO recently, you’ve probably noticed that the number of canned beers on the shelves has been increasing quite dramatically. A lot of them are beers of the type that you’re probably used to seeing in cans, from US bargain brands like Yankee Jim and Old Milwaukee, to an array of indistinguishable lagers from the former Eastern bloc.

But due to the same environmental initiatives that have led to the recently launched deposit return program, the LCBO has been actively sourcing other canned beers, and the result has been some surprising additions to the aluminium-clad line-up on the shelves. Most notably, there has been a mini-spike in UK ales being added to the inventory.

Now, there are some who feel that cans are not a suitable container for good quality beer. They argue that the package imparts a tinny flavour to the beer, or that it somehow cheapens the product. The first point has been rendered moot by newer technologies that ensure no metallic flavours leech into the beer. And as for the second point, it’s just a prejudice that people will have to get over. After all, the most important thing is that beer inside the container is kept in good condition, and it could be argued that in many cases, a can does a better job of that than a bottle.

A good example of the can’s superiority over the bottle can be found in Fuller’s London Pride ($2.75/500 mL, LCBO 676767). This UK-brewed bitter was previously available here in bottles, and while it was a pleasant enough ale, it always seemed to have a slightly stale character. In cans, however, I’ve found it to be fresh and lively, with well-defined bready and slightly fruity malt in the aroma, and grassy hops coming through to impart a pleasant sweet-bitter balance in the flavour.

So, please don’t fear the cans. They’re allowing us to experience some great UK ales (not to mention a few world class Pilsners that have sneaked in with the rest of the Euro-lagers) in a state that is much closer to optimum condition than a bottle could ever offer. Now, if only we could convince the LCBO to start bringing in some of the fantastic US craft beers that are available in cans…

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