Fullers Vintage Ale 2004

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

Bottle No. 48583. Bright, clear amber w/ thick, creamy beige head. Sweet, lightly fruity (orange marmalade?), freshly hoppy (dewy pine) aroma w/ caramel, vanilla, & a touch of earthy wood. Full-bodied & chewy feel. Sweet black licorice & molasses dominate the flavour w/ is also fruity (raisins, dried prunes), vinous & peppery. Finish is alcohol laden & quite sharp w/ a dry, almost roasty bitterness. This brew is still a little young and needs to mellow a bit.

Bottle (No. 78907) pours burnt orange, large white foamy head, lattice like lacing, with virtually no carbonation.   Somewhat malty nose, definite alcohol aroma, with minor biscuit.   Smooth malts up front, fairly sweet.   Not as robust or malt ladden as other English Strong Ales, which I like.   Medium body and mouthfeel.   Slightly biscuity finish, definitely malty, with a smooth sweetness.   Somewhat light, but enjoyable.

Bottle No. 78450
A light head forms from the pour that disipates in due time, no lacing. A string of light bubbles along with a goliath bubble rise to the surface every few seconds. The color is a mix of scotch and cherry, almost tawny colored. The nose is brightly malty like freshly milled grains along with a spicy hop bite and light perfume. The flavor has a light fig note to it along with that sweet fresh caramel taste and a bit of rosey alcohol scratches your palate as it goes down. A bit immature and childish right now, definately needs more aging time.

Bottle conditioned (#9051), from Sainsburys. Bronze, good fluffy lasting white head and a good prickle of natural condition. Obvious alcohol in the nose with traces of peppery hop and marmelade. Full bodied and tangy with some orange notes, pleasant hoppiness and a touch of oak but still with the alcohol noticable. Good solid blend of sweet marmelade maltiness, a tangy hop bitterness and warming alcohol in the finish

Aroma of malt, caramel, creme brule and allspice. Opaque orange/red, tiny tan head, lots of carbonation, and yards of lace. Tastes of plums, raisins, almonds, caramel, treacle, alcohol is apparent, with malt and some hops. Complex, very well balanced given it’s age, creamy smooth, delightfully bitter. Wonderfull! In a few years this should be something.

Bottle #67616. Just like the Fullers 03, but thinner. Needs some time to develop. Thanks to Bu11zeye for sharing.

My fourth Fuller’s vintage ale (after 1998, 2002, 2003) and the one that impressed me the least. Fairly clear, dark amber appearance although all the yeast in the bottle was poured. Creamy, off-white and rapidly dissipating head. Quit weak fruity, sweet aroma, caramel, raisins and some hops in the flavor. The body was surprisingly thin and disappointing compared to other vintages. All in all, a sophisticated but kind of dull brew. As you can see, this was my first rating on ratebeer. Glad to be here. Cheers everybody from Finland!

An English Ale in name this might be, but tastewise this is like sipping the most silky-smooth of dark Belgians -- with its outstanding creaminess, rock-steady head and fabulous mouthfeel, this matches some of the best from that land of moules frittes. There’s a very definite supreme quality feel about this lovely brew, with an overall wow-appeal that beggars description. And, mind you, this is not even a cellared version, imbibing this godly liquid as early as January 2005. Very reminiscent of Malheur 12, but this strikes me as even more luxurious. Worth the high asking price in Denmark (€7,25).