Fullers Vintage Ale 2007

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

Bottle. Pours deep mahogany with a large, frothy, off-white head, lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (caramel, cookie, nutty), average hops (perfume, flowers), light yeast (dough) with notes of apple, pear, date, and alcohol. Full bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

An amber color with a frothy beige head. Fruity aroma with lots of hops coming thru, fresh and aromatic. Creamy mouthfeel, good cabonation and a bitter tone overall. More hoppy in the beginning but turns malty towards the finish, grassy and a slightly burnt taste. Not too bitter but a more rough taste at the moment. A dry, hoppy palate.

Pours to a reddish amber hue, with a never-ending head... a beautiful ’look’ to the beer... Tastes quite malty, with a nice hopped bitterness to finish... an excellent beer!

Bottle, sampled in a brandy sniffer. Pours a deep, mysterious amber with an ample head of off-white. An aroma of hay and dehydrated flowers greets the nose. Flavor is a sweet pepper with dots of grass, earth, and carrot. Nice mouthfeel. Good example of a malty British ale, but it doesn’t stand out.

bottle ..clear copper pour, big white head, good lace. aroma of sweet caramel malt , fruity and underlying earthy hop .rich fruity, caramel flavor with a lasting bitter finish . creamy and medium bodied .excellent ale

I had this with a light box lunch, to celebrate the conclusion of the Carter Center’s conference on a right to access to information. It was a lovely, robust ale, with sparkling notes of caramel and fruit, a tangy mid-palate sense, enlivened by an alcoholic sensibility that neither offended nor overwhelmed. I can’t explain the relative decline in its ratings over the years; this is still every bit as good as it was in the past. Bottle #124342.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is medium amber. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain, cookie, caramel), lightly to moderately hoppy (apricot, flowers). Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Not very aromatic, but what’s there is pleasant and clean. Quite sweet, but in a rich/decadent way, and there’s certainly ample bitterness in the finish to keep it drinkable. Way better than the last two years (which were drain pours), but still seems short of greatness.

Number 200 for me. I really enjoyed the 2005 that I drank a month or two ago. Aroma of molasses, apple, and some mild hops. Pours with a large, extra creamy, off-white head with excellent retention and great spider lacing down the glass. Body is very different than the 05. Clear amber that appears fizzy. Taste is nice, the finish is yeasty with a sour-salty bite. Will improve with age. Mouthfeel is very creamy with light carbonation and moderate alcohol in the finish. I have another bottle that I am waiting to open in late 2009.