Fullers ESB

by Nathaniel Tapley
(Beer Delegate, London, UK)

Fuller's ESB

Maybe I'm just getting spoilt.

For the last few months I've been trying new beers almost every week. I've been hunting out oddities, microbreweries and out-of-the-way drinking holes.

My wife's intending on giving birth to a child at the end of July, so I'm having to pack my days with as much child-free drinking as I can.

Recently, I've tried some wonderful beers in some wonderful places.

That's why I had such high hopes for Fuller's ESB. They proudly state that it has been "twice voted world champion bitter, three times voted champion beer of Britain... Fuller's ESB is acknowledged as one of the world's greatest beers."

One of the world's greatest beers? I've got to try me some of that.

So I did.

And it's OK. I won't be buying it again, but it was robust, bitter and let you know where it stood. It had maltiness, sweetness, and a bite. It's a big, bold beer, 5.9% by volume, and there was nothing particularly wrong with it. It was an above-average bitter with some good points.

But it didn't move me.

Recently I've tried spectacular beers, odd beers and miserable beers. This was unremarkable in every way.

It was fine, but it doesn't compare to the other ales I've tipped down me, so I won't be trying it again.

As I said, maybe I'm just spoilt...