Coopers Vintage Ale

Brewed by Coopers Brewery
Style: English Strong Ale
Regency Park, South Australia, Australia

375 ml bottle from Bieropholie, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. DE 23/09.

App.: Almost clear, deep copper with a weak, off-white head. Aroma: Nutty, dark fruits, some molasses and brown sugar, a vegetal note that I can’t quite identify, maybe canned peas?, a little earthy burnt sugar. Palate: Medium body, moderate carbonation. Flav.: The vegetal note is more pronounced, still some decent nutty, dark dried fruits and brown sugar malts, a touch woody, some rum, a wee bit of minty herbals; dry with some bitterness and a pleasant brown sugar/nutty finish.

Not nearly as nice as other Vintage Ales.

Bottle. Poured a hazy brown with a tan head that settled to a ring and left light lace. Aroma of prunes, brown sugar, and molasses. The flavor initially was dark fruits and apple but turned to chocolate as it warmed. Light to medium body with a chocolate aftertaste.

Bottle poured into a tulip glass produced a finger worth of white head that faded fast. The body of the brew was a clear copper color Aromas’ of dark fruits are up front raisins and plums. The malt sweetness is there as well in the nose. The flavor is really well balanced he first one I have experienced in a strong ale it starts of sweet up front but a nice bitter finish cleanses the mouth as you finish. Medium feel in the mouth with light carbonation Nice old ale I’d buy it if I see it easy to drink and enjoyable at that I could see me drinking a couple of these in a sitting Serving type: bottle

2009. smells like a shandy (lemonade and lager): corn, cirtus hops and malt sweetness. got some kind of funky esters going on too. a fair bit of hops but they are not particular pleasant, neither is the malt, too sweet. lingering liqorice bitterness. pretty average but I think it will develop with some age to melt the flavours together.

2009 bottle, turned. Large pillowy light beige head. Tempestuous and very hazy orange amber. Nose has dough and hay with some herbal hop notes. The palate is surprisingly creamy. It starts with some moderate orange and stone-fruit sweetness and finishes with a quite astringent bitterness. I expect I’d like this more after it’s settled down a bit.

2008 bottle; poured dark amberish color with a persistent off white head. Aroma of caramel, sweet malt, and fruit. Flavor was fairly solid, but not overlly flavorfull. Flavors of fruit, yeast and caramel, with a light bit of hopping. Moderately sweet. An average beer for me.

0,375 ml bottle vintage 2008, bought at Biererei, Vienna.
Poured hazy deep amber-reddish brown with a medium, creamy, tan lacing head. Moderated, pleasant aroma of toasty malt and light cocoa, some mild vinous tartness, fruts like raisins, fig, fine hop. Opens slowly by the air, but very pleasant and complex aroma. Like the flavor with its own fruity character of light toasty malt and some caramel, fine raisins and the fig again. Mild spicies and pleasant hop in the finish. Fine vinous aftertaste with a fine hop character. Nice, very nice.

The beer pours a dark amber color with a nice head. There are floaties throughout when held up to the light. It’s a fairly murky beer. The smell is strong with some sweetness and ethanol. It’s somewhat reminiscent of maple syrup with a bit of fruit. Despite this sweetness, the taste carries a fair amount of bitterness, as well. The flavor doesn’t quite balance out ultimately, and the alcohol also shows up a bit much. It’s a strong beer that drinks even less smoothly than it’s abv of 7.5% would suggest. There is a good deal of carbonation, a bit bracing when paired with the bitter notes. I enjoyed the beer but probably wouldn’t buy it again.