I posted several months ago I had a few bad experiences with Fuller's 1845, specifically a nasty bitterness in the aftertaste. I decided to keep one bottle in the fridge for 3 months and see if that made any difference. I'd like to report that bottle of 1845 was one of the best bottles of beer I've had in my life, you cannot imagine how perfect it was. I'll be stocking my fridge with several pints and put them through the same "aging process", along with a few Stingos.
Curious, how does the 1845 compare to Sam Smith's Yorkshire Stingo? Looks like they're ranked #1 and #2 for the style, respectively. I had a Yorkshire the other night and found it unique, but not especially great. But it's also entirely possible I just didn't "get it." And at $14, ounce for ounce it was among the more expensive beers I've purchased. Guess I expected more for the price.
Nope, Garden Stater. The bottles of 1845 had a BBD of early 2013 and I bought them in early 2012. All of the bottles I drank were from that same batch and exhibited varying degrees of bitterness, except for the last one which was "aged" 3 additional months.
I tried a Stingo recently, 2011 vinatge...it was good. The bottle of 1845 I had over the weekend blew Stingo away. I'll be doing several comparisons in the months to come, I have a few Stingos in the fridge aging and will be buying more 1845s soon.
I've had bottles of 1845 that I really liked, but the last 2 or 3 were on the outs. Most of the ones that I see are 1.5-2 years old; I'd like to try it fresher.
I agree, Stingo is over priced. Its good but nothing great, 1845 is better in my opinion. Cheapest I ever saw Stingo for was $10.99 and that was NJ. NY is like 12-13.99
FarmerTed, 1845 has a BBD printed low on the back. 1845 is supposed to be robust, ie it will age well under proper conditions. I would never buy one nor drink one beyond the BBD though.
I think Stingo is overpriced too, but I might change my mind if the ones I'm aging turn out really good. Interesting, Whole Foods on Houston St in NYC jacked-up their price on 1845 from $4.99 to $11.99.....seems like a pricing mistake to me.
I don't find them to be very similar. AB seems much hoppier to me, as well as more malt flavor. That said, I much prefer 1845. It is my favorite bottled beer.
The ABs I've had over the years varied considerably, from a strong hop finish to almost no trace of hops. Whether that was by design, aging, handling etc. I don't know. When I first tried 1845 AB was the first thing which came to mind. That bottle of 1845 I had over the weekend was one of the best I've ever had, no exaggeration. I can't say that about AB. BTW, how much do you pay for a pint of 1845?
Bought one last week and I paid around $4 for it. Haven't drank it yet, but I've had it before&its a very good beer, can't wait to revisit
All the stores (in NYC) sell 1845 for about $5, but the Whole Foods on Houston St has them labeled at $11.49 !!!! I'll be going down there this weekend to resupply and I'm going to mention the price to the employees...it's got to be a mistake. Thanks.
