Fullers ESB, Extra Special Bitter

 Here’s beer three in The Best of the Mixed Six-Pack, Fuller’s ESB, 5.9% ABV. ESB or Extra Special Bitter, this Fuller’s ESB uses Northdown, Target, Challenger, and Goldings hops. Fuller’s ESB has been brewed beside the Thames river in London England since 1845, and according to the label is has been voted Britain’s best. Fuller’s ESB pours a caramel copper color with a one finger quickly fleeing white head that leave almost no trace of ever being there. The aroma is of slight faint fruity caramel with some malted notes. Taste is at first sip a bit strong with a malty jam/marmalade fruity note and a then a bitter off flavor comes it really making it hard to enjoy, and as it washes over the back of your tongue the off putting bitter flavor grows. The mouth feel is on the higher side of medium with a slight bitter creaminess. Fuller’s ESB finish rough with a big bitter caramel that leads into a sticky bitter and slightly sour like taste that lingers around kind over staying it welcome. Now this Fuller’s ESB is not bitter like an IPA, no its more of a candy bitterness and not in a good way. This Fuller’s ESB is a F+. I did get to the end of this beer just to give it a far change of a review, but I didn’t like this at all and I usually like ESB, but I have had mostly American versions of the ESB style and this is only my second English ESB, the first was before The Best Beer Blog was ever an idea. Fuller’s ESB isn’t balanced and has a strong candy bitterness that wipes out any other flavor, or just takes over the beer, and the alcohol taste is too predominate on here and combining with the bitter flavor just makes this beer taste like bad medicine. It is just good enough to finish the bottle but that the only good quality out of many bad ones. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!