All Fuggled Up
General Lafayette Inn & Brewery

I went into Firkententh (@The Grey Lodge) excited to try this offering from a brewpub I rarely get over to. I was even more excited to know it would be gravity-poured. I knew little about Fuggles. Most beers I drink are West Coast USA hops or Bavarian.

It poured a brownish red. It looked like any average English ale (i.e. Bass). The lacing and head were minimal but I can't ding them since the beer was served up in 7 ounce plastic cups.

It smelled of grains and alcohol. Dare I say a tea-like aroma? I was not thrilled but it did not make me stop from going ahead and drinking it. Maybe I was getting cross-contamination from all the otehr beers been poured, spilled and drunk. Maybe it was the bar itself that smelled bad...doubtful.

Where things got ugly was with the taste. It just seem out of balance. It was very minerally. I would say medicinal. In fact, it reminded me of Chinese medicine (medicinal teas made with roots). I felt overwhelmed with bitterness. It wasn't like the bitterness you get from a DIPA either. Is this just characteristic of Fuggles?

I think this was a bad idea. Not all hops are created equal. Tons of Fuggles does not seem to make a nice ale. Perhaps this type of hops should only be used for a little bittering at the very end of the brew cycle?

I now know why Mr. Bryson had passed his 7 oz.'er down to me, free of charge.

Appears a cloudy reddish dark amber with a nice two finger bubbly head. Seems like most of the CO2 bubbles are trapped in pockets in the middle of the glass. Really nice lacing holds up on this brew.
Smell is beautiful. Full aromas of handfulls of fuggle hops with a nice earthy & floral notes backed up with a mouth watering caramel malt.
Taste is excellent. I was never a huge Sunset Red fan but this is the Red on 'roids...er hops that is. Smooth hoppy taste is warm and earthy with that Red malt brew backing it up.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very English like. This smooth brew is lacking the carbonation but who really cares with all of the other perks going on with this.
Drinkability is nice and easy to drink. I loved it. This was a pleasant surprise by Chris Leonard.

Finger licking good!

All Fuggled Up pours a basic amber to brown pint with a scant layer of ivory cap.

Scents are minimal Earthy and malty English style ale that do little to entice but stand tall nonetheless.

First swigs: Malty grainy front despite the hoppy bravado. Some perks of...yeah...Fuggles...but not much. A milling of mouth ale that sticks to a middle British ale standard.

Mouth feel is straight medium. Light carbonation.

Last swigs: Not a DFH randall ifthat is what you want, but a decent $10 growler fill (if you bring your own GLI growler) otherwise $15 a growler with the screwcap ain't worth it.

So you want to try a beer through "Randal the Enamel Animal"? Forget that... this goes through what is basically a whole keg full of hops!!! It's the standard Sunset Red, but blasted full of leafy, grassy, earthy, and mineralish Fuggles hops!

The body is hazy from all of the hops, and it's a dark amber beneath a creamy head of off-white that holds fairly well before dropping to a wide collar and whispy surface covering.

The nose reveals... surprise... Fuggles! There are some caramelish malt notes there as well, and it's quite tempting!

In the mouth it's delicately crisp with a very fine carbonation (it probably loses some going through the hops), medium-bodied, and smooth.

The flavor delivers a straight-forward combination of dryish, bready & caramelish malt smothered in leafy, grassy, earthy, and mineralish Fuggles hops! The bitterness is not increased, and it's very well-balanced. This is stunningly English in nature, but more hopped than you'd normally find. It's quite easy to drink, and would make a great session ale. Nicely done!