Fullers Vintage Ale 1997

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

Bottle shared Saturday night at BCTC, 7/21/07
Nicely settled out, clear ruby-amber with thick lacing and still a lovely head. Sweet, this is promising!
Nuts, marzipan, rich caramel and wonderful sherry oxidation tones fill the nose. Maris otter has gone buckwild in both the aroma and flavor, leaving that rich honey-caramel note. The yeast has thrown out countless esters and taken with the malt and oxidation, it’s heavily fruity and a bit bready on the end. No flaws or alcohol noted.
Sweet, almost fatiguingly so! I would never have expected this to be so full bodied and well-malted at this age, thinking it would instead be more bready, dry and with more oxidation. Nope, not at all. Chewy, sugary vanilla wafers, caramel and brown sugar with cherries, strawberries and peaches. Strong sweet sherry notes and a bit of port from the darker malts. Really interesting. If my tolerance for sweetness was a bit higher, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more. Despite that, you still have to appreciate this 10 year old filtered beer having survived this elegantly. Low carbonation at this point, but certainly still ample. Slick, nearly creamy at times, texture.

50cL bottle, courtesy of ClarkVV @ BCTC 2007. Thanks, Clark! Pours a clear, dark ruby-red color; off-white head with fine-bubbled lacing. Oxidized caramel and chewy dried fruits in the aroma. Medium-to-full, chewy mouthfeel: dense, oxidized caramel and dried dark fruits; chewy viscous malt character. Lengthy, dried fruit and brown sugar finish; plenty of caramel.

[ Bottle shared by Clark at BCTC ’07 ] Poured a dark orangey amber with dark brown hues. Carbonation has held up well. Brown sugar, rich caramel malts, slightly vinous in the finish. This beer held up extremely well. Thanks Clark!

Bottle. Hazy amber colour with a medium creamy head. Rich malty aroma andt taste with notes of fruits and spice. Very balanced.

Bottle. Nice head with medium duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are malt, sugar with some alocohol. Good palate.

Bottle. Tasted along side 2000 and 2004 versions and it is slightly better than 2000 and much better than 2004. This is a fantastic beer. Creamy off-white excellent fully lasting head. Amber colour. Exstremely well balanced sweet/bitter aroma and flavor. Fantastic palate. Enjoy it if you can find one.

Bottle @ Falling Rock vintage beer sale poured a hazy copper with a small lingering ivory head. Aromas of carmel, toffee, light oxidation and some fruity notes. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, toffee, vanilla and light apple with a smooth lightly sweet finish.

Bottle. # 44700. Pours a slightly hazy amber colour with a fast disappearing off-white head. Malty vinous aroma with lots of dark fruit. Malty flavor with lots of dark fruits and caramel. Warming malty finish with some caramel in the aftertaste.