Fullers Vintage Ale 2004

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

good sweet honey aroma, good blend of hops and malts, has a bit of a roast malt taste, a very solid brew.

Cloudy, dark amber appearance; large, fast fading, beige head. Sweet. malty aroma full of ripe fruit and molassas. Musty at first, the flavor evolves nicely as it airs, adding depth and complexity to the malty profile. A passing nod to the subdued hop taste that contributes a woody quality. Full-bodied, moderately carbonated mouthfeel, with a noticable alcohol presence, leading to a sweet (almost cloying), long lasting finish.

16.9 oz bottle. Pours a deep copper colored body with a slight haze of extremely fine yeast. The head is small, fairly creamy, and beige in color. Aroma is malt dominated, but there’s clearly a good bit of oxidation already creeping in. No sense of any hops at all. Flavor really mimics the aroma, the oxidation really plays center stage, lots of sherry and papery notes, especially on the finish. Still very interesting though. Light alcohol, raisons, and some fruitiness. Fairly complex really. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with a lightly syrupy texture and moderate soft carbonation. Overall, this was OK, but this didn’t hold up as well as the 1999 did after a similar number of years.

Bottle # 86722. hazy amber. heavy yeast, cherry, and caramel aroma. a deep nose. Neutral flavor at first, then sweet and sour cherries, oak, caramel malt, and slight hops finish off the palate. Medium bodied. Very quaffable.

Bottle 86280 drank in November 2006: Pours a clear orange with a thin white head, after dumping the yeast in the bottom of the bottle into the glass it is a dark hazy color that is much better. The rest of my review will be after this extra yeast was dumped in. Aroma has brown sugar, caramel, plums and apples as it warms. Thin bodied for the style but still satisfying, mellow carbonation, starts and ends lightly sweet with a slight satisfying alcohol burn at the end.

Cold 16.9oz bottle No. 86280 : Pours a clear dark reddish amber color with a small light tan head that mostly dissolves. Aroma is of rich malts, fruit (apples? cherries?) nice yeast and alcohol with notes of wood and caramel. Taste is of rich smoked malts, nice yeast, fruit, subtle hops and caramel with some alcohol in the ending. Smooth, medium bodied and well carbonated.

Bottle # 86280 beautiful amber color and cream colored froth. Initial overtone of nutmeg with light bitter aftertaste. I’ve had older bottles of Fullers that are slightly less crisp. This almost tingled in my mouth. Roasted or Smoked Malts. All work well together. I suspect with age it will improve fruit and nut overtones.

Hazy amber-yellow pour with brief white head has a nose of tart apple, grass, dough, and cinammon. Palate is smooth, heavy, with medium carbonation. Flavor is whiskey heavy with a dry, astringent character. However, this assessment hardly does it justice as it is a revolving door of rich flavors from sweet fruits and nuts to bitter citrus. Vinous and rich, this is an achievement on many levels.