Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2009

Formerly brewed at Fuller’s
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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500 ml bottle (bottle #108591) a gift from bhensonb! Nose is sweet brandy soaked raisins, hints of toffee and alcohol, and a bit of a musty old ale note. Clear copper rust color with a small beige head. Flavor is lightly sweet with only a very faint contrasting bitterness, mixed with some golden rain notes and finishing with some alcohol warmth.

Aroma: concentrated, rich aromatic malty raisin. Flavor: smooth caramel, raisin, orange. Doesn’t finish as long as the 2007. Comment: with only 3 years of age it is still too young, though the aroma is good. Needs 5 years minimum.

Bottle (50cl). No. 051014. Lovely, deep amber colour, slightly hazy. Half-inch, semi-sticky head, booze-like swirl, leaves some lacing. Sweet malty aroma with toffee, cookies, caramel, dried figs, hint of resin, menthol and sherry vinegar. Medium/full body, soft carbonation. Sweet taste, yet superbly balanced by a mild bitterness, some acidity and hint of salt. Long bittersweet aftertaste.

Bottle from somewhere in Blighty. Poured a slightly hazy rosy chestnut brown with a thick off white head. The aroma is rich yeasty and alcoholic. The flavour is medium to strong bitter, hugely rich, with lots of red berries and malt. A super heart warming beer to share.

50cl bottle courtesy of and shared with jmgreenuk. Thanks. Thin white head. Ckear amber pour. Lovely aroma. Nice rich smooth taste.

500 ml bottle. Slightly hazy deep golden body with a nice off-white head. Mild aroma of caramel malt with a hint of fruit. Flavor is sweet caramel malt, fruity, some bouillon with hint of herbs and balanced bitterness. Fine body and aftertaste.

Bottle. Gift from Neko-chan. Tasting session. This one was the best of a flight of four vinatges: 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011. It’s probably at its peak. Rich aroma. Bursting with warm, ripe flavors. Very good.

16.9oz bottle (No 147040) - pours a murky dark orange with ivory head and thin lacing. Based on the pour and age, I figured it would smell nutty and it does. Nose also adds caramel and basement aromas. Flavor contributes with toffee, alcohol, fermented fruit and a little resin. I’d liken this to a slightly bitter Belgian tripel. Sweet with enough bitterness to keep interesting. This beer alone, makes me appreciate British beers a lot more, in that there are some that go beyond your typical pub beer and will entice me to search for others like it. A standout beer from England.

50 cl bottle.
Originally rated on 20091118.
Pours copper color with a small head. Aroma of ripe fruits, caramel malts, toffee and some sugar. Flavor of yeast, caramel malts, toffee, ripe fruits and some mild dark berry notes.

Bottle #054828. 500 mL bottle from the LCBO, served in a snifter. Pours clear copper with a moderate, beige head that fades to a thin remnant and leaves a small amount of fine lace. The nose is big and bold, with loads of caramel, candy sugar, figs, brandy and a touch of English hops. The flavour is moderately sweet throughout, with honey, brown sugar, fruit and just a hint of hops towards the end. A hint of sherry comes through late, and it closes with a delicate peppery, slightly alcoholic finish. On the palate, it is medium in body with a smooth, milky texture and soft carbonation. Overall, this is a great English strong ale--malty and sweet, with a huge amount of complexity. A beautiful brew that has aged and mellowed nicely. 2013-01-07