London Black Cab Stout

Fuller’s

Chiswick, London, United Kingdom

Imported by Paulaner HP USA.

Named in honor of the iconic taxis, London Black Cab Stout is brewed using Imperial, Crystal, chocolate and golden malt and hopped with Golding, Target and Fuggles.

ABV: 4.5

ABW: 3.6

COLOR: 40

BITTERNESS: 40

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1046

AVAILABLE: AZ, CA, CO, IA, KY, FL, MA, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, OH, PA, TX, VA

The label has a tag line “with the knowledge,” a reference to the daunting exam every would-be cabbie has to sit, requiring them to memorize every street in the capital before they get a license. The jet-black beer with a ruby edge has a rich creamy malt aroma with molasses, licorice, bitter chocolate and peppery hops. Creamy malt builds in the mouth but is well-balanced by bitter hops, chocolate and licorice. The finish is lingering and complex, with bitter hops and chocolate challenging the dominance of roasted grain. “Where to, guv’nor?”
- Roger Protz

This nearly black beer raises a luxuriant tan head. The aroma is a complex mélange of roasted flavors—coffee, dark chocolate and molasses, with a dash of soy sauce. The palate is lightly fruity and flintily dry, finishing with a combined snap of hops and roast. At only 4.5 percent, this beer reminds me of how good the British are at brewing low-gravity beers. As light as it is, it’s not lacking for old-school vigor. This would be a nice session beer for winter nights, but it would also be surprisingly good with oysters.
- Garrett Oliver

Roger Protz
Author of 300 Beers to Try Before You Die and 300 More Beers to Try Before You Die. Respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and www.protzonbeer.co.uk.

Garrett Oliver
Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer, the author of The Brewmaster’s Table, and the veteran host of more than 900 beer dinners in 15 countries.