The above advert is from the April 1995 edition of the London Drinker, the still very much published of the London Branches of CAMRA.
I’ve been drinking Fullers ESB since the 1970s but I don’t recall this seasonal special. Fullers have very few pubs in North London so perhaps that is not surprising. Judging by the description the beer may have been more malt focused and less hoppy than the West Coast IPAs that can be found today.
The strength of 4.8% is probably also a bit lower than might be expected now.
Fullers brewed a 5% IPA, Bengal Lancer, from 2009 which seems to have been recently discontinued by Asahi, who own Fullers Brewery (but not Fullers pubs)
In London in 1995 the only IPA you were regularly likely to come across was Charrington’s IPA which was definitely a malty beer.
Preferred Pride and can’t remember that Charringtons beer. As a child I was confused by Charringtons supplying beer and coal to my part of Sarf London. Different firms I realised later