Coopers Vintage Ale

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

2002 vintage. Poured a somewhat hazy strong tea color. Little head a a few chunkies. Aroma initially was malty and rich with some cinnamon. Unfortunately that faded in a matter of a few minutes to a lesser version with some cigar tobacco,leather and wet blanket. Tasted of watery dark fruit,mild honey with cigar wrappings floating around. Interesting but not something I want more than one at a sitting. Mouthfeel was too watery.

2004 vintage. Presented as a burnished hazy copper colour with a big fluffy off-white head. Aroma was big as expected - stewed fruit, port like alcohol, vanila and some bush honey. Flavour hits you with a biscuity malt followed up with fruit and a big alcohol kick in the finish. The only down-side is the oddly watery palate. Good though.

Not very impressive for a once a year special brew. Poured a cloudy dark orange dispite the best pouring technique I could muster. Aroma is soft but ripe fruits and citrusy hops can be detected. The are some good flavors of peach, apricot, vanilla, caramel, and hops(american?). Body does not seem too watery, but I expected a fuller body for this style and the flavors the beer has.

Poured from 12.7 oz bottle. 2002 Vintage. Pours dark fusty brown with a cream coloured thin head. This is a rustic brew with weathered leather, tobacco, and chicory on the nose and roasted chestnuts and madeira on the palate. A long and warming finish makes it perfect for winter. As usual with Coopers beers this one has a thick layer of sediment at the bottom which provides an earthy, bready character to the beer. Pleasant.

Oct-2002 vintage. Maybe 4 years is too many. This brew was like sludge. Big fat chunks of yeast float lazily through a river of muddy brown crap. Tasted more like a weak semi-sweet Belgian without any of the style. I just don’t think this beer has enough alchohol content to be properly preserved for 4 years. There was a really decent beer in there at one time. Unfortunately, it was a drain pour.

Bottled Oct. 2002: Golden brown body, with a lot of particulates in the pour. As many have said, even a very gentle pour puts a lot of the yeast into your glass, though it’s not a detraction from the beer itself. Very small head, if you can call it one. A strong aroma of almost a brandy quality. Initial brown sugar taste with endings of sharp carbonation. Honey accents are noticable.

Best before 10-09-06 Bottle poured a cloudy copper with a small, quickly dissapating amber head. Aromas of carmel, a bit of dark fruit, toffee, and a hint of cocoa. Palate was medium bodied. Flavors of dark fruit, toffee, and a hint of honey with a clean, sweet finish.

This bottle was a Oct 2004 vintage. Pours out an incredible foamy head with a nutty aroma that wasn’t very pronounced. I had a TON of spent yeast in my bottle in huge chunks that gave an odd appearance. My wife gave me a funny look when she saw the yeast floating around (and this was AFTER a careful pour). Taste was rather muted for my taste with some mild flavors getting the bill like cereal (think bran flakes) and yeast. It was much too watered down for my tastes. I wonder if it wasn’t properly stored because it seemed rather lifeless for a strong ale. Finsih was smooth and clean. I’d have to say that I really didn’t care for this and probably won’t buy it again. Perhaps I got a bum bottle but at $3/per I don’t think I will gamble again. Too many better beers to get.