Coopers Vintage Ale

Brewed by Coopers Brewery
Style: English Strong Ale
Regency Park, South Australia, Australia

Best by fall 2006. Cloudy dark orange with a large head, good lacing and retention. Aroma is fruity with caramel, also some notes of what were once hops. There are also some light port notes. Flavor brings this with a smooth sweetness, medium to light bodied. Not great, not bad.

12.7 oz bottle that pours hazy sediment like amber to brown color with thin ring of off white foam. The aroma is plums, dates, cherries and raisins as well as hints of molasses and vanilla. The flavor is similar to the aroma with dark pruned fruitiness, maybe some grapes, a bit of pepper and some maltiness. Overall the flavor notes work pretty well together.

Bottle. Red/brown with a small head. Aromas are sweet and yeasty with a light plumminess. Some bubblegum. Flavours are sweet caramel malts with winter fruit. Earthy and spicy hopping. OK, but not too special.

Bottle (can’t read the date)... Murky caramel-colored ale with a small, wispy, white head. Sweet caramel aroma and flavor. Basically, it’s liquid caramel with some subtle apple and pear esters. Although it’s sweet, it’s not too sweet! Medium-bodied and milky with medium carbonation. Rich, caramelly finish with a small hop tingle. Thanks to vyvvy for shipping the bottle to me!

2006 vintage. Tasted December 2006. Murky chestnut with a fizzy, disappearing off-white head. Almost enough yeast to pitch directly into your fermenter. Aroma is caramelly, with tea-like hints. More caramel in the mouth, a little drying toffee character, dark fruits and alcohol warmth. Some stony notes in the medium bitterness. Mild astringency and yeasty bite on the palate. Med-heavy mouthfeel, light carbonation. Didn’t come together like I’d hoped. May improve with age but probably won’t be great.

2004 vintage. Hard drinking in the sense that sensory overload saw me get sick of drinking it before the glass was finished. Loads of suspended particles in the beer, probably better suited to people who enjoy vintage ales. However the first few tastes were excellent.

Bottled. 2006 Vintage. A dark amber coloured beer with a ruby hue and a thin circling of beige bubbles. The aroma is fruity and malty with raisins and sultanas, and blackberries. The taste has good alcohol notes. There is a large bite of bitter lemons late on preceded by more raisins and a good malty backbone. Some vanilla notes thrown in for good measure. A tasty beer from a brewery I’ve been very disappointed in.

Bottle from Rivers Bend. Poured dark brownish hue with medium off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Good aroma of malt and sweet fruit. Medium to full body with a sticky texture. Medium complex tart fruit flavor with small bitter finish of moderate duration. Solid drinkable beer.