Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Time to head back to colder climes and a traditional Old Winter Ale from Fuller’s…
“As the days become shorter and the temperature drops, this beer is a perfect accompaniment with its malt, cookie and liquorice aroma and nutty, biscuity flavours.”
Though I am not terribly fond of the logo and font used on the graphic, I am down with the overall goal of this transatlantic test.
“This July and August, London- based Fuller’s Brewery invites you to explore the differences and similarities between American craft beers and the traditional British styles that inspired them. And aside from having a great educational beer experience, you are entered to win weekly giveaways and a trip to London (including a VIP tour of the Fuller’s brewery) just for sharing your comments with us.”
I love giveaways. And especially if it involves a brewery tour and not a logo’d pint glass.
“How does it work? Go to one of the participating bars or restaurants , and try a Fuller’s beer side-by-side with a beer from one of our partner breweries, Upland Brewing Co. and Epic Brewing. Then go back to the British Class Meets American Craft website and write in your thoughts. You’ll be automatically entered to win!
No participating bars or restaurants near you? No problem! Just go to your local bottle shop and create your own comparison by picking up a Fuller’s beer and an American craft beer of the same style.”
This is a nice mix of breweries. Granted no/zero Upland beers here in L.A. but a compare and contrast of Fuller’s to Epic would be much fun.
“Fuller’s and other British breweries pioneered many beer styles that inspired American craft brewers in their quest to improve the condition of American beer (pale ale, ESB, porter, and IPA, to name just a few). We look forward to hearing your thoughts as you compare the characteristics of Fuller’s British ales to American beers.”
Let’s hope the internet trolls don’t spoil this.
I will be looking for this Fuller’s offering on shelves but I don’t know why they couldn’t mature the beer for 150 days to match the anniversary.
Dogfish Head has resurrected a few ancient recipes but it is good to see that the folks at Fuller’s (teamed with Ron Pattinson) have dug into their own backyard to bring back some old recipes from their archives.
As their website explains, “The Brew Book has been the bible of brewing at Fuller’s since 1845. Every recipe of every beer ever brewed at the Griffin Brewery has been recorded in meticulous details, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers.
Today’s Master Brewer, John Keeling, will be recreating a number of epic ales, named ‘Past Masters’, with those precise recipes from the Brew Book.
Sourcing ingredients as close as possible to those originally used, each Past Master will be brewed with traditional techniques to recreate a truly authentic taste.
Only one Past Masters beer will be brewed in a single batch for each release. Each will be unique in its character, and will be a very special opportunity for beer lovers to taste the beer of our forefathers.”
And these are the first two beers made:
“XX Strong Ale
The first beer in the Past Masters series we have chosen to recreate is XX, a strong ale which is perfect for bottle conditioning. Brewed at 7.5% ABV, with the original recipe first used on September 2, 1891, it is dark, rich and full flavoured, with a distinctly warming character.
XX is deeply satisfying, and an unforgettable experience for those who love traditional English beer.
Double Stout
Past Masters Double Stout is the second in the series, brewed to a recipe from 4th August 1893 – a time when ‘stout’ meant ‘strong’. Its signature ingredient is Plumage Archer barley, carefully malted and kilned using 19th Century methods. Dark, brown and creamy this beer is brewed to 7.4% ABV and balances a rich fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes.”
We travel to England for our next seasonal ale. And the English make some excellent warmers that don’t assault the palate.
Fuller’s makes Jack Frost which they describe as, “brewed with Crystal malt and a dash of blackberries, Jack Frost delivers a fruity, robust yet refreshing flavour that lingers long on the palate.”
TODAY: England V. Germany
No one would have thought this would have been possible. A titanic clash in the 2nd round. Can Germany regain the flair of game 1? Can England find the scoring that came so easily in qualifying?
Since this will be a battle, I have selected an appropriate beer. Bengal Lancer from Fullers. According to the fantastic Jeff Evans (if you don’t have one of his books, you are not a true beer geek).. “To my mind, Bengal Lancer sensibly marries a high score on the hop register with excellent drinkability. Bundles of Golding, Fuggle and Target hops present a resin-like bite and dry the palate, bringing tropical fruit and lemon jelly flavours to complement sweet, biscuity malt.
A little peppery warmth reminds you that this is not exactly a quaffing beer, but the way the leafy hops and their tangy fruit dominate the very dry finish means that you’re hardly likely to bolt the glass anyway. In short, it’s a solid, satisfying beer with bags of character.
The number of serious, grown-up IPAs available in the UK is increasing every day. Fuller’s latest take on the style is one of the best.”
