Fullers Vintage Ale 1998

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

Waffles topped with vanilla ice cream and lavender floral tones, with some port-like alcoholic sweetness in the uniquely appealing aroma. Opaque brown-tan with a fine-bubbled partial cover of creamy off-white head that leaves some sudsy lacing. Vinous, thick, port-like, bready, earthy, floral, chocolate and marzipan flavours with some mild dark fruit character. Gentle finishing bitterness. Medium body with soft carbonation and creamy texture. Seems like seven years is the sweet-spot for this one! Bottle (#31675) enjoyed with beerbuzzmontreal, MartinT, Olivier_MTL, Rastacouere and Yowie.

7-year-old bottle:

The Lure:
Caramel-covered cherries and maple syrup on waffles with a touch of port make quite a hedonistic breakfast. Peaches, citrusy and grassy hops and freshly-turned earth blow in from the open window.

The Festivities:
A glass of port wine, lawnmower clippings and a bouquet of flowers on the table. A drop of cream on a bowl of assorted berries.

Transcendence:
Still a hearty, fulfilling meal after all those years.

Pours a murky amber color with no head. Aroma and flavor of doughy yeast, rockets candy, mild alcohol and maybe lavender. Light to medium body, creamy mouthfeel, soft carbonation.

Not much head covers this cloudy orange beer. Mostly candyish honey and rockets candies aroma. Maple and orange create a more citric character than 97 and 99 vintages. Less earth and chocolate notes also lend the idea of an overall less well kept malt deepness. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of marries otter in there to procure those typical bready bitter caramel tones that, here, have aged as well as most bold sweet barleywines can be expected to have. Soft carbonation seems to fit the light-medium body here, but more fullness would be welcome. Thanks John!

Pours a dark but clear amber. Great aroma as it warms...sweet malts and cara-toffee notes. Flavor is similar with lotsa sweet caramel maltiness, and a tad of hop presence and a nice alcohol kick. While not thin...it’s not as full bodied as I would’ve liked...still, a great ale---aged pretty damn well.

(Bottle) Pours a lightly cloudy amber with a thin white head. Aroma of caramel, fruit, and toffee (quite similar to the 1997 vintage). Flavor of malt and caramel. Thanks for sharing Walt!

Pour is honey amber color with a thin off white head...smell is caramel, pepper, and alcohol...taste is deliciously warm and sweet, almost burgundy-like...finish is dry and too quick...

Bottle. More perfumey than the 97. Taste notes of burnt wood, tannins, honey, and bitter on the back end. Very good.