Fullers Vintage Ale 2009

Formerly brewed at Fuller’s
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

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There are no better-balanced ales nor esb’s in the world than those from the Fullers brewery. How do they do it ... ? :=)))) 50cl bottle, design as usual. Bottle No. 049395. Pours a beautiful clear amber with a creamy, medium-sized off-white head. Good retention, limited lacing. Aroma of stewed prunes, lemon, roasted malt and yeast. Medium- to heavy-bodied esb with moderate carbonation. Thick, oily but still earthy mouth feel. Can’t be bettered. As I’ve come to expect from this company, the flavour is a heady, complex mix of fruity, spicy and resinous notes that include prunes, lemon, herbal spices, licorice, oak and toffee. An alluring semi-sweetness at first, soon to be balanced by an attack of bitter and sour notes, with a strong, resinous and bitter finish and a lingering semi-sweet, alcoholic after taste. Yummy! I’m hooked. The most complex, smoothest, most sessionable esb I know of - it just doesn’t get better than this! Belgian beers - overrated, the whole lot them (And too sickly-sweet by half!) English ales - underrated, again, the whole lot. I hope some day people will realize ... what took me years to realize.

Ett elegant och välbalanserat öl av högsta kvalitet. Smakrik och komplex. Här finns plommon, röda bär, sirap, dessertvin, russin, mörk söt choklad. Till detta kommer en lång och lagom besk eftersmak.

(bottle #005371) Clear ruby amber with no head. Aroma has raisins, sherry, brandy and hint of black treacle. Full bodied, even sticky, with carbonation poised between creaminess and brighter fizziness. Rich flavour starts with sweet raisin and toffee and develops burnt toffee notes that lead to a bittersweet finish. Alcohol is also quite apparent in the flavour towards the end. Overall a very impressive beer.

5th August 2009
Cask at GBBF. Clear brown beer. Semi dry and semi soft palate. Rich sweet malt. Hints of Port and Brandy. Finishes semi dry with a little cherry. Nice but less impressive than older vintages.

Bottle. deep golden colour with an off-white head. Aroma is malt, fruit, spices, caramel. Flavour is sweet, hop, alcohol, yeast, caramel, fruit, spices.. Nice beer.

Aroma of sweet malts, apricott, caramell with hints of alcohol. Taste that follows through. Wellbalanced. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle 50 cl at ekstedt vertical tasting on March 17, 2012
Hazy copper color, small off-white head. Grainy malty scent. Sweet, malty, raissin, chocolate taste. Smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness.
Very nice, very drinkable, I like it a lot.

l bottle at Håndverkerstuene. Bottle 069562. Red amber colour with a minimal head. Aroma feels a bit off. Very sweet with notes of plums, caramel malts, toffee and some hints of alcohol. Some hints of dust. Flavour is full with notes caramel, syrup and plums. Some alcohol. Sweet. Medium long aftertaste. Unfortunately it was a letdown compared to the 2010 version, although i all fairness it improved after a while.

Bottle 040585. Pretty light burnt orange brew with a small bubbly tan head with just a ring for retention and some slippery, dissipating lacing. Has a very nice caramel nose that seems to have the perfect sweetness... now that I said that I don’t think I’m finding any caramel... it’s more of a lightly caramelized sugar. Light pepper and some berry like fruit on the deepest of snorts. The taste is pretty good but the alcohol is staking its claim just enough to distract me. The spice is powered by weak pepper and it holds throughout. Bread, dark fruits, light cough drop stuff, a bit of syrupy fruit that fades to a faint burnt molasses lingering. Without the alcohol I think I would really like this but it annoys me, much like agents who use the site to sell their products. Bready and caramelly with other things and some hops. I’ve lost the will be be descriptive or whatever. Nice carbonation, etc. soft mouth feel. It’s a good beer if you allow it to be.

500ml bottle, no. 079295. Consumed on day of rate. Poured with a fine, loose & lasting creamy off-white head with a bright, golden-hued amber body beneath. Malty sweet and aromatic; lots of honey, treacle, brown sugar, a drop of cherry, spicy mid fruits and gentle peppery hop on the nose. Again, predominantly sweet on the palate with brown sugar & honey backed by yeasty touches, raisin tones and a marmalade pithiness in the end. Delicate in terms of bitterness with a subtle spicy, peppery dryness there in the finish. Still nice and lively on the palate. Lightly warming in the throat. Mouth-coating and supple whilst remaining quite crisp, dry and balanced. Never overwhelming or sticky sweet. Medium body & carbonation with a soft to mid-length finish.

Bottle at Chriso’s Fullers-Gales Tasting (thanks to Chris). It pours deep amber-brown, with a big white head. The nose is gingerbread, light spice, cake and toasted malt. The taste is wood, gingerbread, leather, alcohol warmth, fruit peel and spice, with a warming, dry finish. Full body, moderate carbonation and foamy mouth-feel. Good balance, dryer and less sweetness than some of the previous vintages. Tasty.