3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
UPDATED: JAN 6, 2007 (Bottle) Pours mahogany red. Spicy, fruity, toffee, bread aroma with hints of chocolate, hops and brown sugar.Flavour of dark bread, grapefruit and chocolate. Spicy, medium citric bitter finish. No smotth. pretty bitter and harsh mouthfeel. medium body.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
16.9 oz bottle. Clear pink brown with a whipped ivory head. Nose of caramel, hay and lemon candies. Medium body with a sharp carb tang. Taste is caramel and raisin then bitter and grassy; a little sticky. Well made but not so complex.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: MAY 31, 2008 500ml bottle at The White Horse, Parson’s Green, 27th July 2007. This is superb barley wine. The aroma sets the scene with a rich barley malt aroma and hints of other warming flavours (it made me think of old-fashioned cough sweets!) The dark red amber appearance just says ’rich’ and the taste does not disappoiht. Lots of spicy fruit cake flavours against a background of balanced malt and hops. The palate is suitably full and long lasting, with the warming alcohol coming through to just the right degree.
Cask - sampled on St. George’s Day 2008 at the Prince Albert, Strawberry Hill. Very similar to the bottled version (equally good!) and I scored it the same.
3.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
UPDATED: FEB 3, 2008 Bottle conditioned and riby brown.. Aroma of caramel, oak and figs. Earthy and fudgy. Medium to full bodied. Smooth malts but totally dry. Flavor of dark chocolate, caramel, and a sweet hop bite. Cocoa and woody. Bitter Earthy English hop finish. Toffee and anise. Full palate with fruity undertones. The taste leaves the mouth feeling tingly with the effervescence and sherry notes. This is a delicious beer. Somewhat blunted.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottled. Deep amber colour with plenty of conditioning on this fellow. Quite rustic looking. Big bottle to finish the night off with, thank god for Mr. Laidaw, taking half off me. At 6.3% it would have been a long way to the bottom of this final beer. It had been a big day for Pete, he taken his first jump from a plane this day, then assault with a hot Pakistani Curry and 6 different sorts of beer. I think he was chuffed.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
A very good beer, but not the best in the Fullers lineup. My sampling was of unknown age, but this beer should survive a few years and it could not have been more than 2-3 years old. Poured lightly hazy red-amber with a dense khaki head. Rich raisiny/fig aroma, not much hop aroma (herbal). Nicely balanced palate, its lightly sweet with caramel and raisin notes, followed by an herbal cough drop finish, which was surprisingly dry, with a light lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel was lightly tingly from the carbonation.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: SEP 9, 2007 500ml bottle. Richly toffeeish, toasty malt aroma, sweet and lightly herbal, with tinges of spice, golden raisin, apricot, caramel, dried flowers and a faint nuttiness. Deep red-orange color, lightly hazy, with a lasting, creamy, off-white head leaving a fine pattern of lace. Flavor is predominantly malty, prominent dark brown sugar and toasted grain bread combine with suggestions of date, anise, citrus and wood, seeing a late influx of gentle, spicy bitterness and hop flavor. Smooth and finely effervescent palate, body is medium. Quite flavorful and nicely balanced.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Such a perfect example of the style. I agree with Kevin that the malt shines here, without as much of the thick sweetness as in the Vintage 1999. Here the drawback might be the palate is a tad thin. Wonderful long lingering malty finish, alcohol burns so slightly, aroma is heaven with a slice of spiced rum fruitcake. Real real good. Beautiful presentation.
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