Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2003

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

Bottle at Akkurat. It pours deep mahogany brown, thin off-white head. The nose is rather sweet, tangerine, orange peel, Christmas cake, spice and Brown sugar. The taste is wood, leather, brown sugar, honey, date, raisin, currant, spice and orange pith, with a very dry finish. Full body, fine carb and slightly sticky mouth-feel. An enjoyable beer, but not one of the best Fuller vintages.

Vertical tasting with 2001, 2008, 2009 and served in Fuller no--nik pint glass:

App :Slightly hazy deep amber with mahogany highlights, small frothy head and some spotty lace. Aroma: Very heavy marzipan and crystal malt influence, grassy and noble hops, some minty and dill esters, a touch of lemongrass and heather, raisins and dates. You can almost smell an old wool sweater when approaching this beer.

The taste starts with heavy marzipan, prune, pear, bready and yeast. Unlike the great FVA of the past this never seems to go to another level. Almost one dimensional which I find almost shocking. Seems too sweet and bready versus that forceful noble hop character often found with these.

I was very happy to land a bottle of 2003 but now I tasted it, I would rather have many bottles of the easier to find 2009. This did not age nearly as well as 1998, 99, nor 2001. That makes me sad.

Bottle conditioned, 500ml, No. 04341. Chestnut with beige head. Super beer, smooth, malty and port like, warming on a cold night with tints of alcohol. The hops are still present in a peppery like note. Great stuff.

500ml bottle, No. 51280, many thanks to Richard for sharing. Pours an orange-amber coloured body, partly cloudy and with a tiny, but lasting, filmy layer on the surface. Smooth aroma of dried fruits and sweet malts. Rich, blended flavour of dried apricots, plums, raisins and prunes on a backbone of soft tartness. Discreet hints of yeast. Long-lived, bittersweet tail. Rounded and soft in the mouth. A tasty drink for very special occasions (dinner party, Tromsdalen 24.10.2009).

Pours copper with a thin white head. Smells of fruit, caramel, spice, citrus. Tastes resiny with some fruity hints and caramel. Finish yields some earthiness.

Poured a fizzy mahogany with a small fizzy/frothy off-white head. Aroma of red wine grapes, dark fruits, a bit of piney hoppiness. Flavor follows with fruit notes, biscuit and toffee, a bit of alcohol. Body starting to feel a bit thin and flat after four or five years. Overall still has a nice flavor profile to it, even if perhaps a tad degraded.

500 ml. brown bottle. Part of a vertical tasting held for my close friends. Poured out a deep amber color, with orange highlights. Small tan head fades quickly. Aromas are of rum soaked dried fruit, orange jam, some earthy hops. Flavors are of orange jam, rum soaked raisins, strong malts. Thick mouthfeel, rich & chewy. Finished slightly dry, but really good overall.

Bottle #22128. Clear copper coloured with a thin off-white head; rich aroma of stewed fruits, apricots, raisins and prunes with traces of alcohol; body is quite thin with vinous flavours, chewy malt and warming alcohol; dry and warming finish. Smooth and exceptionally sippable.

Bottled #14419
Nut brown color, small off-white head. Nutty, vintage aroma, similar to 2000 vintage (sampled in this same session), but weaker. Dry liquerish and a bit cellary flavor. Alcoholic, woody hoppy, a bit harsh. I suppose that this is something what vintage 2007 will be over the years.

Bottled. Amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is raisins, malts and alcohol with mild touches of vanilla and wood. Flavour is quite sharp alcohol, grass, raisins, sweet malts, hops and some wooden and vanillaish notes.