Coopers Vintage Ale

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

Batch #4 - Oct 2002 This is not a brew I expected to run across at my local beer store, but there it was. So here goes. Murky orange-amber with a tvery tight off-white head that colpases in the middle but clings to the glass tenaciously. The aroma is a bit phenolic along with some fruits and somr rich savory components. The flavor is very English in style, malts buttery almost , minimal hoppiness and very minimal bitterness. II get some exotic fruit, though maybe this is just my mind transporting me to the land of Oz. Dry finish, phenols show up here. Overall pretty good but not excellent.

Bottled. Batch number 4 - October 2002. Pours a tanned peach with a faint tan head. Aroma is sweet with alcohol, fruit and brown sugar. The taste is alcohol, raw sugar, dark fruit, and rich malt. A bit thinner tasting and palate-wise than the aroma would suggest. Finish is almost bland. Not a bad beer, but just not enough of an assault on the tongue as I thought it would be when I smelled it.

2002 Batch. Dark Amber colouring with an off-white head. Strong sweet fruity, sugar aroma. Aroma is alot stronger than the sweet, fruity, tangy, nutty flavour. Waiting in anticipation for what the 2003 batch will be like.

2002 bottle thanks to Mutant. Well I waited the suggested 18 months exactly (coincidence). Pours a reddish-brown, hazy with light bubbles and good oat colored head. Looks like a classic english strong. Aroma is quite enveloping, candied sugar from the caramel and sweet toffee, candied apples, some dates, light prunes and maybe a hint of cherry and vanilla. Flavor seems to be less exciting than the aroma, one sweet fruity note is played, with some vanilla, almonds, sugar cookies and dry astringent hops playing about in the background. Towards the end of the beer, I’m quite bored. Decent, but no where near the elegance and subtle multitude of complexities seen in the Fullers line. I agree it hides the alcohol, but I need more flavor.

Starts ciderish and tart then decends into a rich creamy vanilla/caramel flavor. Just a joy. Hides the alch so well and leaves a lovely lingering mellow flavor. I’ll be back.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer pours a cloudy chestnut color with a trace of a white head and huge amounts of sediment. The aroma is a fabulous blend of sweet, tang, nut and caramel. The texture is thick. The flavor is dominated by elements of molasses, maple, caramel, and a little sweet tanginess. The aftertaste is a bit bitter. Overall and incredible scent mixed with an interestingly complex sweet flavor. I will definitely be trying this one again.

Fruit spice malt spiritus aroma with amber colour and no head. Bitter malt spiritus flavour with long fizzy palate.

Bottled. 2002 Vintage. Hazy amber. Yeast particles. Nutty aroma. Richly malty and nutty with an alcohol presence. Some hoppiness.