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Fuller's Past Masters
by Willard Clarke, 12/10
Fuller's, the large family independent brewery in Chiswick, west London, has delved into brewing's past with the first of a range of beers called Past Masters. The XX Strong Ale is based on a recipe from September 1891 and used a long-forgotten malting barley called Plumage Archer.
Fuller's head brewer John Keeling said: "Our brew books are very old, very thick and there are lots of them. We found fascinating insights into the work of my brewing predecessors.
For instance, there were brews that used no English malt at all - in the 19th century. There are brewers doing that today and calling it innovation. I call it a rediscovering of the past."
Brewing manager Derek Prentice told me that Plumage Archer was recreated and grown organically before being malted by Simpson�s. Along with pale malt, the beer includes 4% crystal
malt and No 2 invert sugar. The hops are traditional English varieties, Fuggles and Goldings, with Goldings also used as a late copper hop and dry hop. The hops created 63
bitterness units but that figure was reduced to 55 units for packaging.
the beer
Fullers, Past Masters XX Strong Ale (England) 
Past Masters XX Strong Ale is 7.5% and bottle conditioned and has a burnished copper colour, with spicy and peppery hops on the nose, the characteristic Fuller�s orange marmalade note from the yeast, with biscuity malt and a toffee note.
The palate is rich and warming, with tart fruit, spicy hops, nutty malt and chewy butterscotch. The long, complex finish has peppery hops, bitter orange fruit, juicy malt and a
continuing note of butterscotch. Malt: high. Fruit: high. Hops: high. 7.5% ABV, 50cl, �44 for a case of 12, Fuller�s Shop, Chiswick Lane South, London W4 2QB and
fullers.co.uk.
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