Brewery: Fuller’s
Location: London, England
ABV: 4.1% (Pride) / 5.9% (ESB)
Version: Draft (Pride) / Bottled (ESB)
Source: The Harrow, London

I spent yesterday down in London for work-related reasons and booked a later-than-usual return train to Manchester in order to go out for a couple of after-work beers with a few of m’colleagues. Remembering that there’s been a fair amount of buzz about Fuller’s London Porter I asked if there was a Fuller’s house within easy walking distance and was told by m’colleague Darren that yes, indeed, there was. Excellent! Or so I assumed…

The pub in question turned out to be The Harrow. Not a bad place, on first inspection – a proper drinking establishment that didn’t stink of chips and wasn’t belting out annoyingly loud music. But alas, a quick enquiry at the bar revealed that no, they weren’t serving the London Porter. They just had the three pumps of London Pride, all lined up in a row (which suggested something of a lack of lateral thinking, if you ask me) and either Organic Honey Dew (a bit too sweet for my palate) or ESB in bottles.

What the heck, I thought, and opted for a pint of the London Pride. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. A faintly nutty bitter with a nice blend of malt and hop notes, it was drinkable and not unpleasant (unlike the pint of Greene King Fireside that I’d tried at the St Bride’s Tavern at lunchtime, which was just rank – it must have been a bad pint). It just seemed to be a bit on the thin and watery side for my liking, with almost no head, just a few lonely bubbles floating around on the top. But then maybe that’s how the regulars prefer it?

Anyhow, for my second drink I opted for a bottle of ESB, which I’ve sampled and enjoyed before. I wasn’t disappointed with it this time, either. A more enticing aroma, a richer, stronger flavour, a superior mouthfeel; all-in-in-all a much more interesting and tasty beer than the Pride in just about every way. Although at 5.9% abv perhaps it was a good job I had to head off for my return train once I’d finished the glass.

So, The Harrow: nice pub, shame about the lack of London Porter. Maybe next time, eh?

Incidentally, I’d managed to score a First Class ticket back up to Manchester and the complimentary drinks trolley was offering a bitter… Fuller’s London Pride. Served from a 300ml can into a plastic tumbler, it didn’t actually taste all that different to the draft version. Oh, except that it had a better head. Hmmmm.