BREWER: Fuller’s, West London

STYLE: Strong English Ale

ABV: 6.3%

VESSEL: 330ml

MOB RATING: 60.5%

 

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

From the outset, everything about 1845 points to Fullers.  Their distinctive packaging is instantly recognisable – and that’s only a good thing.  All companies want their products to be easily associated to them.  The marketing team at Fullers can certainly be proud and hold their heads high: they have succeeded in their task.

 But for me, that’s where it stops with 1845. 

Despite it being a beer that slips down nice and easily, it lacks in the punch that matters the most – taste.  It’s harsh on the back of the throat and the after-taste lingers, when you wish it would just drift into the background or, preferably, never have been there in the first place.  In fact, you could easily liken the flavour to a well-known yeasty spread that one apparently loves or hates.  And that taste belongs on toast, not in such abundance in beer.

 1845 will have its fans and Fullers will know whom they are targeting this beer at.  To my mind, that will be a limited market and it certainly won’t be one that I’ll be joining in the near future.  There’s much better out there…

.

TASTE: 29/50

NOSE: 4/10

SIPABILITY: 7/10

SESSION: 7/10

PACKAGING: 6/10

NAME: 4/5

INFO: 2/5

S-TOTAL: 59/100

 

 

JYMI SAY’S…

Shrove Tuesday, 2005

Sammy takes on the Pancake duties and lines up four per flat member, fair play to the man. Once finished I, rather unappreciatively, blurted out the words, “I could do another eight of those without even thinking about it you know”.

Folk laughed….. Sammy fired up the frying pan.

Now, knowing I’m not one to cry off from an eating challenge Sam proceeded to make every pancake he made, unbeknown to me, just that little bit thicker every time.

I spent the next hour going from extreme confidence to utter despair. Facing into the last two I turned into a sweaty mess wondering if I’d make it out of this nightmare alive. After the twelfth pancake was finished I can now only tell you second hand what happened as I was in batter delirium.

Word is I was writhing around on the kitchen floor mumbling “Mate, I’m serious, my stomach is going to explode”. Sam laughed. “Seriously man, you need to call an ambulance”. Sam laughed.

And so to the beer, 1845!!

On first sipping this ale you are met with one massive taste hit! Literally ‘sit you back in your chair’ good. From there it starts to mellow out a little and just turns into a jolly nice pint of beer. However, as the end approaches you begin to feel full. As you finish you question whether you could have another as it is so very rich and heavy. Too many of these would leave me calling out “Mate, I’m serious, my stomach is going to explode”. However, this is a good drop that Fuller’s have created for their 150 year beer.

In case you were wondering how Shrove Tuesday 2005 concluded.. Sam and I have not spoken since that day. He actually contacted me a couple of months ago asking if I wanted to co-write a booze blog with him… I told him to f*#k off.

 

TASTE: 34/50

NOSE: 6/10

SIPABILITY: 4/10

SESSION: 4/10

PACKAGING: 6/10

NAME: 4/5

INFO: 4/5

J-TOTAL: 62/100

 

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 60.5%