Past Masters XX Strong Ale
Fuller's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright amber with a light head, couple fingers thick off a careful pour. Slippery lacings.

Aroma is all near-burnt caramel with a noticeable alcohol.

Bread pudding up front, starts to change as the heavy malt mingles with the yeast we all know and love. Result is fresh orange, but slightly candied. Bittering hops take over at the beginning of the end, with warm alcohol closing things out. Surprisingly juicy finish.

You're always in good hands with Fuller's. That said, not many surprises here. Definitely in the same vein as Pride, ESB, Vintage, etc.

The colour is dark amber (30 EBC), the liquid is clear. The three finger head is beige and compact, good retention and some lacing.

The smell is malty with toffee, treacle and some alcohol. Biscuits, and fruit candy. It is a bit thin with some chemical hints in the background.

The taste is at first a bit porter-sour with some bitter notes. Hay and dried flowers from the hops. Caramel and toffee. It is somewhat thin for the style and strength, perhaps that is historically correct? Medium body. Prunes and hints of raisins in the aftertaste, together with some red berries. The finish is very malty with some dusty notes.

The carbonation is light, the small bubbles fresh and short-lived. The liquid is mid-smooth.

As said earlier, it is a bit too light. Apart from that this is a very pleasant and very English ale.

 

 

Ochre deep amber colour head quickly disappears but leaves pretty enough white bubbles.

Muted floral notes combine with liquorice hints on the nose aromas rhubarb, Christmas cake, peaches and nectarines.

Tastes give hints of cherry cola, burn't sugar peppery bitterness leaves the mouth but not a heavy aftertaste the alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing.

Not heavy going and nicely carbonated.

Well rounded and balanced stops the 7.5% being sickly and makes a great end of the night ale.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a snifter glass to a light copper brown colour with a very small white head. The head vanished without trace in a minute or two leaving but a few bubbles atop the beer!

The nose is all about dried/matured fruits. Dates, figs, sultanas maybe a little almond in there? A sweet alcohol aroma is present but in no way excessive! Also a lingering toffee/caramel note.

The taste runs fairly parallel with the nose in the dried fruit scenario. A sweet malty flavour also comes into play allied to some subtle hopping and a little caramel.

Mouthfeel - this beer is a little over carbonated for my liking with a good medium body.

Overall a good strong ale from Fullers, well balanced in terms of flavour and strength, no real sense of 7.5% when drinking. It is just let down a little by the carbonation in my opinion.

500ml bottle. Pint glass. Enjoyed on sep´11. Reddish copper in color. Fairly clear appearance. Yellowish white froth. Slowly dissipated head leaves some lacing spots. Moderate malt aroma with orange zest hues. Malty, slightly citric flavor. Subtle hoppiness & bitter mouthfeel. Gentle warming sensation. Medium body, moderate carbonation. Dry finish & rough orange aftertaste. Good company in cold weather.

From notes:

Appearance: amber colour; very slight mist; head fades fast

Aroma: grassy, hops come through strongly; some sweetness of citrus fruit (orange)

Taste & Mouthfeel: creamy, slightly fatty texture; butterscotch; bitter but not in a hoppy way; good carbonation and great balance

Overall: pretty straightforward flavour, but very well balanced - great play between bitter and rich maltiness; very interesting texture

Pours clear chestnut with little in regards to head or lacing.

The aroma is fairly malty with a hint of raisin and some hop spiciness.

The flavor is somewhat consistent with Fuller's other offerings with a nice boost to the intensity. At the same time, it's still remarkably smooth. The sweetness is in the front, but the majority of the flavor is in the bitter foundation. Hops are always slightly present and the malt seems well integrated.

The body is moderately full, and somewhat heavy. The finish is dry and slightly sticky.

Overall, this was a solid addition to the fullers lineup. It definitely opens up nicely as it warms up. I can't say this is one of my favorite strong ales, but it was made well and completely worth picking up.

Bottle: Poured a deep amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of deep caramel malt with semi-sweet notes with light floral undertones. Taste is dominated by a solid malt backbone with a nice touch of semi-dry caramel malt with floral notes and light dry English hops. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well brewed with a solid malt backbone from a brewery whose malt presence is always to my liking.

Burnt orange colour with light haze. Massive white head has nice retention and lace. Nose is toasted bread, caramel, orchard fruit, raisins, and alcohol. Its flavour is malty and sweet with lightly toasted bread and caramel notes. There is a big complementary ripe and juicy nectarine character, with lighter sweet apple and raisin tones. Black tea and moderate bitterness in the lingering finish. Medium-bodied with low carbonation. Very smooth, lightly syrupy, very mild alcohol warmth. Bold but approachable flavour and lovely mouthfeel, but not quite as good as the Double Stout.

 

Pours peachy body with one-quarter inch of retained head. Malty aroma. The taste is malty, a bit fruity, with a bit of alcohol in the finish. Only OK drinkable. A pint is too much to more than sip and nurse over a long period. Average mouthfeel. Appropriate, if not a bit over carbonated. LCBO.