Pride goeth before eff-all

I'm heading off this afternoon on the first of a couple of trips to Sunny Islands with Bad Beer. To steel myself for a long week of weak lager, I decided I needed a big English ale to send me off, and picked Fuller's Golden Pride, an 8.5% ABV thumper from the guys in west London.

While pouring the red-gold ale it was necessary to coax a head onto it, and it didn't really last. This, coupled with the sweet and malty aroma, made me afraid it might be another special-brew-in-disguise like the Gordon Finest I suffered through recently. My mind was put at rest with the first sip, however. It's certainly full of sugary malt, but there's loads more as well: caramel, smoke and spices of the sort I normally associate with much darker brews. With all of that going on it comes close to being cloying and difficult, but does manage to avoid it. One of these is enough in a session, but it's an enjoyable one.

Right. I am now fortified for what comes next. Reports on just how bad the situation is will follow. Knut tells me I'll be able to get some Russian beers. Better to travel with hope, eh?