Fullers Vintage Ale 2007

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

Bottle #05425. Pours bright amber with little to no head. Aroma is actually a bit malty, with a bit of a yeasty smell as well. Picked up on a bit of spices as well, almost like cinnamon. Flavour is spicy, and lacks the complexity I was expecting. Bitter clean finish. In truth, I’m quite disappointed with this. I suppose I will have to let this age a bit, but I remember the 2006 being significantly better even without aging.

Bottle #121805 and served in Fullers Pint glass: Deep amber hue with lasting frothy head and good lace. Surprisingly hoppy nose for the genre, very grassy and herbal with an apple and strawberry esters, biscuity Maris Otter and a hint of dusty yeast. The taste is mildly fruit and malty with a balance of bitter and a note of bready finish. The mouth feel is soft and dry. I am not sure what to think of this beer for it seems not deep enough with malt and too hop forward but then that could be interesting in a few years. I just dunno... overproduced? Get back to me in 2010.

Bottle. A dark amber beer with a off-white head. The aroma and taste is of malt, floral hops and fruits, so is the taste. Medium body with a light sweet finish.

Pours clear amber with a thick, creamy, off-white head. Somewhat light, semi-sweet doughy/fruity malt aroma, with floral hops, and a bit of alcohol. Herbal/floral hops right upfront, with just a bit of malty sweetness mid-palate that is quickly subdued by bitterness, and a good bit of alcohol. Palate is medium, bitter, alcoholic, and oily. Not bad, but the alcohol comes on way too strong.

nice amber/brownish color. Clear, with a nice eggshell head, with great lacing. Aroma is english hops, smokey malt, and alcohol. Flavour is hoppy, but a tad bit harsh, not very round around the edges. I’ve had the 2004, 2005, 2006 vintages also, and i must say this is the best of the 4 so far right out of the box. These beers tend to really balance, and mellow, and really come together with age, but this one out of the box is by far the most drinkable of all the years i’ve mentionned. I’m VERY anxious to see what this is like in years to come.

THOUGHTS: Very Brittish, but very subdued. I like Brittish when done right. I’m just not skilled enough to explain some of them. This was OK but I think it would be better after aging. I might have to buy another of these. Somewhat whiskey like. I guess it’s the burn. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, medium orangey amber with a very small, white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was light malt and moderate herb and flower hops. The initial flavor was lighlty sweet, while the finish was moderately sweet and moderately to heavily bitter with a long duration. The flavor had some caramel malt to it, but was mostly flower and herb hops. The medium body was syrupy and a little oily with fizzy carbonation and a moderate alcoholic finish.

500 ml Bottle 123044 from Country Club Liquors; Nose of caramel, grassy hops, and light spices; dark copper with a big beige head; flavor of hop bitterness, light fruit, and peppery spices; finish is mild hop bitterness.

Bottle from the LCBO. Golden body with a rapidly dissipating white head. Caramel malts, wood and grass on the nose. Very nice mouthfeel - smooth with a good level of carbonation. The taste is a symphony of caramel, honey, spices and berries, but seems to be lacking something that would push it over the edge into a masterpiece. I’m sure a few years in a cellar would work wonders for this.