Fullers Vintage Ale 2004

Formerly brewed at Fullers
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

Amazing woody fruity aroma at the start that dissipates over time into something more like the beer. A full creamy head. This is way different than any of the others and it seems a bit off. Just doesn’t sit well.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.