Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2002

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

550 ml bottle sampled January 2012. Hazy, reddish brown body with a moderate sized off-white head. Aroma has a light hint of oxidation, but not really annoying, there is caramel malt, light fruit and a fine alcoholic touch of Sherry/Madeira. Flavor is sweet malt, caramel, fruity and a mild kind of bitterness in the direction of bitter fruit. Fine body and a smooth and slightly bitter aftertaste. Almost ten years old and the most fruity flavor of the vintage series.

500 ml bottle thanks to Kirk. Pours a cloudy copper color with a medium orange/white head. A big dusty nose of yeast and caramel. The flavor is robust with caramel, port, more dust, earthy, sweet oranges, lots of yeast. Really nice, has held up great . The oxidation fits in well.

Bottle shared by Doug, thanks
Appearance: Cloudy golden with a small off-white head and some lacing
Aroma: Toasted malts, caramel and dusty
Taste: Caramel, fruity and dusty
Nice, smooth

Copper, hazy, thin head. Aroma o toffee, a little leather in this 11 year old bottle, raisins, a very light cedar-like note. Flavor of toffee, an earthy leathery note, nutty notes, some tobacco, raisins. This 2002 vintage is drinking very well in 2013. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Poured from a 550ml bottle, thanks to Doug. Big toffee and fruity nose. Flavors of leather, toffee, coffee, caramel. A tasty beer that has held up well.

Bottle.Muddy brown appearance and left some sediment.Medium body with a lot of sweetness that lingered for a long while. Tried nine years after it was released and it hasn’t aged well. Not one of their good years.

UPDATED: FEB 11, 2013 10 years old. Hazy dark red amber with a average, frothy, lacy, lasting, beige head. Smells of figs, plums, raisins, cherries and sweet malt, caramel, that after years has smoothed out to leather, wood and dark bread. Full oily smooth and smooth. Sweet taste of trail mix: Nuts, dried fruit, raisins with caramel, malt, and lightly toasted malt. Some alcohol lingers but its been smoothed out over time. Wood and leather with that vintage aged dry bitter finish. Liquid figs. So smooth to sip, I enjoyed throughout the night. Biscuit goodness.

Sample during tasting @ Ölrepubliken. Pours hazy amber with no head worth mentioning. Smell is sweet and malty with caramel, alcohol, toffee, rubber, lemon zest, overripe plums, raisins, sweet dark bread, cherries in liqueur, moist soil and hints of leather and cardboard. Taste is sweet, bitter and malty with caramel, toffee, alcohol, leather, orange zest, moist wood, grass, vanilla fudge and leather. Mouthfeel is round, oily bitter, tiny boozy and medium to full bodied. Finish is tiny sweet, bitter and tiny sour with caramel, lemon fudge, wood, leather and grass. Very nice but would probably have been even better about 2 years ago...

Bottle, 55cl. Bottle # 23378. A lightly unclear one, copper to amber in color and with a minimal sized beige head. Just a layer of bubbles actually. The aroma has caramel, hints of camphor, some oxidation, dried fruits and notes of sherry. It’s warming and lightly bitter on the palate, full-bodied, and with flavors of caramel, beef stock and some oxidation. Lasting finish with caramel, oxidation and some bitterness. A bit dull maybe, but not bad considering it’s nearly ten years old. 120106

Bottle. Dark amber color. Sherry, raisin and oak in the aroma. Sewer. Also sewer in the flavor. Raisin.. Sherry. Candied fruit. Some remaining hopbitterness and toffee. Alcohol. The old age is showing. Still enjoyable.