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Fuller's 1845 is a REAL MAN's Lawnmower Beer
by Belly Buddy Mark Stevens
At A Glance
Beer: Fuller's 1845, Bottle Conditioned Ale Pros: Smooth, sweet, malty, complex Cons: Somewhat hard to find The Bottom Line: A wonderfully complex bottle-conditioned ale with tons of rich smooth malt flavors and subtle nuances from live conditioning. Outstanding! Recommended: Yes
People talk a lot about "lawnmower beers," but I don't know what they mean. I live in the city and you need a mighty big beer after mowing the concrete.
Okay, so I didn't make up that joke. I stole it. It's actually one of beer guru Michael Jackson's quips. I sure identify with it though. Yesterday was spring cleaning day at the Stevens abode, and after slaving away in the 85 degree sunshine all afternoon I was ready for a serious brew -- not one of those wimpy watery bland concoctions from St. Louis, no sirree! I reached into the beer fridge for something fortifying, something tasty, I reached for a Fullers 1845 Ale.
I Love A Fine Old Ale...
Old ale is one of those styles that seems to have almost as many beers that are exceptions to the rules as their beers that exemplify the style. While most people agree that the beers are usually big and complex, you can find examples in England (like Adnams Old Ale) which are little more than bland, insipid bitters unworthy of the "old ale" moniker. (Rest assured, Fullers 1845 is not one of those miscreants.)
So what is it that makes an old ale "old". Usually, the term means that the beer is aged.
Old ales are generally malty beers, not hoppy (but there are some examples of prominently hopped old ales, and even other brands may need high hopping rates simply to balance a big starting gravity). A complex grain bill uses several types of caramel and colored malts to bring color and a range of toffee and roast (chocolate and coffee) flavors to the beer. Some brewers also add sugars or molasses to add further complexity to the beer (as well as boosting the gravity and alcohol). In the brewhouse, the brewers sometimes boost mashing temperatures a bit (to maybe 154-156 F.) so as to increase the proportion of unfermentable sugars in the wort.
Aging is the key distinguisher between old ales and beers that might be called strong ale or barleywine. Traditional english professional practice would be to age the beers in old oak barrels that retained microflora from previous batches, introducing microbes such as brettanomyces, which creates a somewhat tart acidic flavor and a distinctive barnyard or leather-like aroma. A brewery can blend beers from different barrels and beers aged different lengths of time to create a consistent beer that retains its complexity, but that is also consistent and smoother tasting.
Old ales can be amazingly variable, and I can't wait to sample this bottle of 1845 to see how it shapes up.
1845 in a Glass...
Before pouring this glass, I left the bottle outside the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let it warm up a bit to a more appropriate serving temperature.
There's something sacreligious about pouring a fine old ale into a mug or even a pint glass. These are complex beers meant to be savored. For this beer, I'll use a large goblet shaped like a brandy snifter so that I can fully appreciate all the nuances this beer offers. Let's pop the cap and check out those nuances, shall we?
Appearance:
Huge, very rocky head marks the extremely vigorous carbonation that you sometimes find with bottle-conditioned ales like this one. The color is a beautiful burnished copper with ruby red highlight that flash at the corners as you hold the glass up to the light; I would peg 1845 at roughly 16 on the SRM scale. Clarity is excellent on the first pour, but pours with a satisfying cloudiness on the second glass. Swirl the dregs if you want to add the live yeast sediment to the glass.
Aroma:
Complex acidic aroma with a slight lemon-like edge. Swirling the beer around in the glass, I get a little bit of yeast smell, like rising fresh bread in a warm kitchen. After the head dies down and I smell the beer a little later, I get an unmistakable kiss of earthy and peppery hops.
Flavor:
Lighter-bodied than I expected, probably due to high attenuation of a moderate starting gravity. I get a lot of fruitiness in this, with some pear and a little bit of fresh apple. The beer is extremely smooth with an excellent soft malt flavor full of caramel and the barest hint of roast cocoa. It's mostly sweet malt on the palate. I get a touch of alcoholic warming deep in my throat after I swallow, and there's a deep seated earthy hop bitterness in the aftertaste. I love the restrained hand on the hops that this beer shows -- the hops are definitely there to balance, but not so aggressive that they dominate the flavor.
Verdict:
I love this beer. Perhaps because it is a genuine bottle-conditioned real ale that can show variability from bottle to bottle, but more likely because it is a well-crafted beer that is a treat to drink. I admit that I have a lot of biases when evaluating old ales; I almost always pick the biggest examples as my favorites. 1845 is not a huge beer though. It has a fairly light body (I would guess it had a starting gravity of roughly 15 to 17 Plato); much lighter than big cousins like Thomas Hardys Ale or Gales Prize Old Ale. The more drinkable body though still manages to pack a big flavor wallop with a lot of complexity and a wonderful soft sweet malt flavor profile.
Perhaps I should have done my homework on this beer a bit more, because I don't really know any of the technical specs on it. I suspect it probably clocks in at the 6.5 to 7 percent level. Satisfyingly strong, but not excessive considering that this beer is sold in large bottles (1 pint, 2.6 ounces, according to the label).
This is definitely a beer that rewards the careful drinker. I think of 1845 as being like a peacock. At colder temperatures, 1845 loses much of its complexity and distinctiveness and is like the peacock with its tail feathers pulled in and dragging in the dirt, but when served at cellar temperatures or even warmer (roughly 50 degrees or warmer), it becomes a magnificent beer that rivals the best brews of the best brewers the world knows -- just like the peacock raising its feathers in a glorious plumage of gold, blue, and black. Serve it gently with respect and care and a treasure of flavors will grace your tongue.
About Fullers... Fullers (sometimes referred to as Fuller, Smith and Turner) is one of two grand brewing companies in downtown London (the other being Youngs). Fullers' griffin trademark has been gracing fine beers in London since 1654 -- a three and a half century long tradition of brewing excellence even if the bottles often tout the mere 150 year life span of the Fuller, Smith, Turner partnership forged in 1845, hence the commemorative date of this fine ale.
Fullers Griffin Brewery in Chiswick is a textbook example of how a traditional brewery can be thoroughly modernized while sacrificing nothing in terms of quality and tradition as exemplified in the beer itself. While locals may prefer a few pints of Fullers ESB, my favorite Fullers beer has always been the rich, robust, complex Fullers Golden Pride, which is a big barleywine (9 percent) aged in oak for 3 months. I can't say that I've ever any Fullers beer I didn't like.
Bottom Line
Next time you're in the mood for something big, bold, and tasty, reach for an 1845. I think you'll like it. I sure did!
Price per six-pack ($US): 20
Beer Rating: Better than most
