Fullers Vintage Ale 2004

Cherry wood nose. Deep copper color, foamy off-white head. Winey grape tastes, sweet, some toffee. Compley with lots of character. Medium body. Alcohol kick gives a brandy-like character. Impeccable balance. Classy- great beer.

Bottle No. 70479. Pours to a thick and dense bubbly beige head atop a glowing coppery amber body. The aroma is caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and rice pudding like in middle school. The flavor is where this beer excels. Nice cinnamon and molasses with dried dark fruits, black pepper, and vanilla. The palate is medium bodied with some noticeable alcohol and carbonated kick. A pretty good brew but could mellow for a year or 2.

Bottle 75155. Clear, amber body with copper streaks and tight, fluffy, tan bubbles sitting atop. Sweet aroma of raisin, toffee, bread pudding, toasted grains, marshmellow, cinnamon rolls,very mild hops and some light, warming alcohol. Off notes of lightly soured milk. The body is thick, full and lightly carbonated. The flavor is dominated by the sweetness. The toffee, caramel and the nuts are the strong suit, but bits of earthy, noble character shine from time to time. The warming alcohol is soothing and fulfilling. While not the best Fuller’s Vintage, it’s still not terrible.

Beautiful pour, deep copper, with an ivory head, like all the other Fullers Vintage. Malt and other grain, rye as in Hop Rod Rye, maybe? Alcohol fully masked. Stong bitterness, more than the 2005, but less spice. Possible minty tone to the hops? I doubt it, but something hard to place. Less dried fruit than the other years. Lovely, but I am going to let the rest of the case sit for a bit longer. // Wow! This has aged wonderfully! Even a little better than the individual components of the ranking might suggest.

#91883... Poured a copper color with a medium sized, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel, nuts, biscuity malts, light citrus fruits, molasses, and wood. Taste of maple sugar, nutmeg, smoked peat malt, light bitter / citrusy hops, and faint alcohol in the finish.

1 pt. 0.9 fl. oz (N^O 81623, a bit over a year old): Shimmering, clear ruby-bronze. A persistent ivory cream rests on top, a bit more full at the edges…Toasted, sugary orange slice aroma with alcoholic grains, honey and cantaloupe. Smooth palate with a subtle creaminess, but a little under carbonated. Sticky, bitter caramel flavour with toasted rye and other grains adds a depth to the alcohol laced hops and sweet bubble gum. A pretty nice tasting brew, but not as developed or complex as the other Vintage Ales I have had.

Huge Brownish white head. Amber color. Smells of cherries with a hint of whisky. Nose goes malty sweet to bitter in mid palate and burns at the end of the palate with a slight bitter and dry finish. Nice complicated palate very signature. The bitterness is hard to place.

Bottle #86104. Lots of molasses in the nose with cognac hints present as well. Sweet, maple-syrupy notes are also present with some mild European hoppiness in the nose. Transparent amber-copper color with a small off-white head. Start is a bit peppery, turning a bit sweet and chocolate-like. Molasses flavors follow with more maltiness. Some alcohol is presesnt in the middle. Finishes with a glance of bitter hoppiness. This is nice, but it’s a bit hot.