BEER COMPARISON

Fuller's London PridevsFuller's ESB

THE HOPIQ TAKE

Both from the same brewery — Fuller's in Chiswick — and the comparison is basically about what Fuller's do at two different levels of commitment. London Pride is the session bitter: 4.7%, approachable, an honest pub beer you can drink three of without consequence. Fuller's ESB is the serious one: 5.5%, more malt, more hops, more everything. ESB actually won CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain three times. If you want to understand why Fuller's has the reputation it does, ESB is the answer. If you want to just sit in a pub and drink well, London Pride is the answer.

SIDE BY SIDE

	Fuller's London Pride	Fuller's ESB
ABV	4.7%	5.5%
IBU	35	35
Colour	Amber, SRM 12	Deep amber, SRM 14
Finish	Biscuit, mild hoppy, clean	Rich, complex, long, marmalade
Brewery	Fuller's Brewery	Fuller's Brewery

FLAVOUR PROFILE

Fuller's London Pride

Bitterness42

Sweetness48

Body48

Carbonation48

Aroma58

Fuller's ESB

Bitterness48

Sweetness60

Body65

Carbonation45

Aroma72

TASTING NOTES

Fuller's London Pride

Amber, clear, beautiful. The nose is biscuity malt with floral and slightly fruity hops — very British, very proper. The flavour is balanced: the malt sweetness arrives first, biscuity and slightly caramelised, then the hop bitterness cuts through and balances it. Medium body, medium carbonation. The finish is clean and slightly dry with a faint hop flavour. This is the benchmark session bitter — everything a British pub bitter should be and so rarely is.

Fuller's ESB

More of everything: deeper colour, bigger foam, more complex aroma. The nose has marmalade — an unmistakable Fuller's house character, the combination of Challenger and Goldings hops with their own yeast strain producing a distinctive orange marmalade quality. Fuller's call it 'Chiswick gold' — the quality that makes their beers identifiable in a blind tasting. The body is fuller, the malt richer, the finish longer. A genuinely great British beer that happens to be in the shadow of its younger sibling.

WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Choose Fuller's London Pride when…

→Long pub session — 4.7% means you can appreciate more of it
→Entry point to British bitter — approachable and lovable
→Lunch pairing — lighter body won't overwhelm midday food
→You want a proper pint without having to think about it

Choose Fuller's ESB when…

→Slow evening drinking where you want something to think about
→Fuller's ESB has won CAMRA Champion Beer three times — drink the award winner
→Food pairing with roast meats, game, strong cheese
→You want to taste what makes Fuller's the most respected brewery in London

Fuller's London PridevsFuller's ESB

THE HOPIQ TAKE

SIDE BY SIDE

	Fuller's London Pride	Fuller's ESB
ABV	4.7%	5.5%
IBU	35	35
Colour	Amber, SRM 12	Deep amber, SRM 14
Finish	Biscuit, mild hoppy, clean	Rich, complex, long, marmalade
Brewery	Fuller's Brewery	Fuller's Brewery

FLAVOUR PROFILE

Fuller's London Pride

Bitterness42

Sweetness48

Body48

Carbonation48

Aroma58

Fuller's ESB

Bitterness48

Sweetness60

Body65

Carbonation45

Aroma72

TASTING NOTES

Fuller's London Pride

Fuller's ESB

WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Choose Fuller's London Pride when…

→Long pub session — 4.7% means you can appreciate more of it
→Entry point to British bitter — approachable and lovable
→Lunch pairing — lighter body won't overwhelm midday food
→You want a proper pint without having to think about it

Choose Fuller's ESB when…

→Slow evening drinking where you want something to think about
→Fuller's ESB has won CAMRA Champion Beer three times — drink the award winner
→Food pairing with roast meats, game, strong cheese
→You want to taste what makes Fuller's the most respected brewery in London