RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Fullers Vintage Ale 2004

 (RETIRED)
Fullers Vintage Ale 2004 - English Strong Ale

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
96
overall
Formerly brewed at Fullers
Style: English Strong Ale

London, England

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

Regional Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
2813.74/5.03.72/5.0Special8.5%98.4English pint, Trappist glass
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
95,000 bottles were produced for 2004's Vintage, which once again employed a traditional approach, this time brewed with Goldings hops and Maris Otter malt. Distinctive cherry notes are evident, before a warming finish that mellows with age. Also limited availability in the Cask, mainly in the London area.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Boutip (2334), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/102/513/20
Apr 17, 2007  
Bottle: Poured a deep brown/burgundy color ale with a nice off-white foamy head with good retention. Aroma of dry malt with some light bitter hops is intriguing. Taste is dominated by sweet malt but I thought that the plums/dry figs characteristics that I so dearly love in the previous version of the vintage ale were not as accentuated as they were. The hops provided a dry finish which I thought clash with the sweet side of the malt. I guess I was expecting a bit less hops then – I think I will age my second bottle some more to see if I can get rid of some of those hops.


 Indra (2023), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 17, 2007  
Bottle # 90700. Aroma is softly fruity and sweet, featuring hints of raisin, red apple, black cherry, spun sugar and honey, and with a floral backdrop. Deep rosy color with amber highlights, a fastly subsiding head and minimal lacing. Flavor profile is richly malty, really rather decadent, with plenty of sugar-coated dried fruits, an herbal, tobbacoish undercurrent, faint suggestions of butterscotch and a lightly bitter tinge at the finish, which is long and very gently alcoholic. Mouthfeel is smooth and lightly sticky with a lushly full body. I had aged this one in the cellar since it was newly released and decided to give it a go at 2.5 years. Seems to be rather well-integrated for it.


 OhioDad (2491), Hilliard, Ohio, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 12, 2007  
Pint bottle #91987 via trade with Walt! - Thanks! - Pours caramel with ruby highlights and a nice tan head that stays pretty well and laces some. Aromas of caramel, raisin, toffee, cherry, and some almonds. Flavor is toffee, caramel, raisin, almonds, and just a kiss of chocolate covered cherry. Palate is smooth and very easy to drink. Lingering sweet aftertaste. Very nice.. A couple of years in the bottle didn’t hurt this one I’d say..


 beachbum25 (778), Powellville, Maryland, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/518/20
Feb 25, 2007  
16.9 Oz Bottle-#72441-Assateague Island Oasis/Island Store Beer & Wine, Berlin Md. Poured a reddish brown color w/a moderate foamy head. Sweet liquor aroma. Sweet malted flavor w/traces of caramel, toffee, barley, cherrywood, appricots, has a lot going on. Deep, rich, complex flavor, kind of leathery, chewy. Reminds you somewhat of a Barleywine due to the sweetness. Long full sweet finish. Very good. Gonna have to get another one to celler.


 robinvboyer (1419), Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/105/517/20
Feb 13, 2007  
bottle at The Beer Bistro in December 2006. This has mellowed quite a bit. the boozy harshness is all but gone. nice malt aroma, and a nice english hoppiness to it. flavour is malty, and caramel, with a bit of spiciness. Palate is sooooooo smooth, like velvet. This has aged very nicely.


 fordest (1954), Santee/San Diego, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/517/20
Jan 26, 2007  
Bottle thanks to BeerandBlues2. Dark brown/reddish pour with a nice head. Lots of dark fruit and caramel on the aroma. More of the same maltiness in the flavor with a touch of dust on the finish. Pretty darn yummy.


 ekstedt (2411), Göteborg, Sweden
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/104/517/20
Jan 20, 2007  
Pours a nice red/amber colour with stable head. Malty aroma with some burtn notes. Flavour reveals some sweetness wich is nicely balanced by earthy hops. Alcohol present but well integrated.


 shigadeyo (2210), Harrison, Ohio, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/515/20
Jan 19, 2007  
Sampled from bottle at the River’s Bend Barleywine/Old Ale Tasting on 1/18/2007...

Bottle #65143: Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2004 poured a clear dark copper/amber color. It was pretty clear and had a small crown. The aroma contained honey, wood (oxidation?), and an almost generic "beer"-like scent. The flavor had a light cherry-almond taste to it and a dry finish. The body was lighter than expected, but still around the medium mark. Overall I thought this was a pretty good beer, but I guess I was hoping for something more after just having the Thomas Hardy’s Ales! Regardless, I am quite happy that I had the opportunity to sample this quality beer! 8.5% ABV.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More English Strong Ales

Fullers 1845 (3.8)

Dark Star Critical Mass (3.71)

Harveys Quatercentenary Ale (3.7)

Traquair House Ale (3.69)

Avery Old Jubilation Ale (3.65)

Museum Bullion (3.64)

LaConner Tannenbaum Ale (3.64)

Fullers Vintage Ale 2008 (3.62)

Deschutes Jubelale (3.62)

Rahr & Sons End of Winter Warmer (3.61)

Oakham Oblivion (3.61)

Town Hall Hamlets Curse (3.6)

Wild Duck Sasquatch Strong Ale (3.6)

Belhaven Wee Heavy / 90 Shilling (Bottle) (3.59)

Ushers Tawny Ale (3.58)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC