Pros: Rich and full, comes in a pint (plus a little extra) bottle, and is a beer that rewards slow enjoyment. Justifies my British-style pint glasses.
Cons: A little too bittersweet and just a trifle flat (I know that’s the British style, but I’m American and I likes my fizzydrinks).
Pretty drinkable. Will have to try this from the cask next time I’m in Merry Ol’.
Sandy Smith 
Fuller’s makes a good porter, no doubt about it. I do tend to concur with your opinion of carbonation. A little more spriteliness would serve a lot of their ales well, and this porter is no exception.
The problem with porters is there are two very different styles. American, and English. The English tends to have the better malt character – the American versions tend to have a very toasty flavor which I often find to be a little overpowering, creeping towards a coffee flavor better suited to American stouts. American porters do shine in texture and mouthfeel. The higher carbonation helps (higher than English styles, but still low by beer standards – pilsners they ain’t!), but there may also be a difference in some of the other malt characteristics as well.
Fine American porters include the unmatched Anchor Porter, Sierra Nevada’s fine Porter, and the beer sitting next to the keyboard, Highland Brewing’s Oatmeal Porter. When I make my triumphant return to brewing, I’m going to have to work on improving me and Greg’s porter recipe, based on Charles Papazian’s Sparrow Hawk Porter recipe.
Mmmm, beer.
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My next tastings:
Mackeson’s Triple Stout (bottle)
Young’s Oatmeal Stout (pint can)
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (pint can)
Tetley’s Draught English Ale (pint can)
Fischer Alsace Amber (bottle)
I’ve had most before, but don’t remember them that well (except the chocolate stout) and I don’t remember if I had them in pint cans, which may help the stouts feel a bit more lively. The Fischer was to experiment with French beer. One I’d had before from the Arden forest was quite tasty indeed.
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Tetley’s? The _tea_ people? They make beer too?
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I’m not sure it’s still the same company, but consider that there is an entire English style of beer called “IPA” which stands for “India Pale Ale,” because after a hard day of cracking the whip over your tea plantation workers, you need a bit of a drinky, old boy.
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Tetley breweries are a different company to the Tetley tea folk.
Can’t help feeling an upswelling of pride in our beloved British Beer 🙂
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Beer Note to Self: Mackeson’s Triple Stout
Kind of like Fuller’s London Porter, but less so. Less syrupy, but still a little syrupy. Low carbonation. An overall lighter taste. Would do with just a touch less sweetness and a little more carbonation. Still, quite drinkable. So many beers give me …
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Ahhh, the Fuller’s. I’m an American, but It ruined me on Anchor Porter and the other domestics. I just pours myself a shot and sips it like Jack Daniels. I even pause to smell it once in a while. A local “English” pub has it on tap, but I like the bottled version better.
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