Fullers Vintage Ale 2008

Pours a hazy copper, with a sudsy lace - very sweet aroma, with notes of vanilla syrup, caramel, frosted breakfast cereals, rock candy - some apple-ish tartness underneath that helps to balanc that - sweet and one-dimensional flavor - strong flavors of vanilla syrup, treacle - some spicy alcohol and a faint dose of hops - a little bit of floral character way in the back - this is a serious disappointment, on par with the southern tier cuvee series - I can’t believe that such an experienced brewer could make something so terribly sweet and boring.

Bottle from Cracked Kettle. Dark orange body with nice malty head. Nose of caramel and toffee. Rich, syrupy flavours of malts, toffee and sugar. Some hops in there too. Very nice balance. Good stuff.

500ml bottle from, you know what I can’t remember. Oh I remember St Albans BF 09 and bloody expensive it was too. A fiver I think. A maltier more syrupy offering for this vintage. Ok, so the younger vintages always are a bit syrupy and malty and take a bit of time to calm down, but the hops here are almost inconsequential. Almost lager pukey malts. Not a very good vintage to be honest. The 2006 you can get in the Barrow Boy and Banker in Borough is far superior to this year. Probably the worst year I’ve had. I’ve always liked this beer, but unless this is a duff bottle, then its the worst year so far.

Bottle #06307. Pours golden orangey brown with a creamy beige head that shrinks quickly to surface cover. Aroma is sweet and complex: notes of caramel, raisins, burnt sugar, dates, oak, biscuity malt and plums. Flavour features a bit more hops than the aroma but otherwise shows similar characteristics, particularly the raisin, burnt sugar/toffee and malt notes. There are also hints of orange and sweet spices in the mix. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, medium body with a slightly bitter finish that lingers a bit. A really nice vintage ale that seems like it would improve even more with time, I just wish I had another in the cellar.

Pours copper with small beige head. Nose is very malt centric, with toffee & caramel dominant & raisin/cherry fruit esters, As expected spicy hops provide support. Palate is full with malts providing richness, Hops kick in from the mid-palate and ride the finish with sharp spicy bitterness. Carbonation is low as expected. Certainly a tad rough around the edges at this point in time & would love to get some more with a bit of age on it. Still, quintessentially uk barley wine right here.

1 pt. 0.9 oz. bottle. Number 149942 of Vintage 2008. Pours a exuberant head, with extensive lacing, over a slightly cloudy, with some floaters, light copper (SRM 12-13) body.....nose is heavy with caramel malts (toffee, caramel).....taste is caramel, toffee, bit of dried fruit (cherry) finishing with a light bitter sharpness....mouth feel is heavy, full, alcohol obviously present, but not hot, carbonation low. Rich thick, heavy, redolent of alcohol, and multiple layers of flavor, a delicious creation. The BJCP lists it as an "Old Ale".

This orange/copper ale poured with a foamy beige head and a toffee aroma. There is a rich caramel malt flavor with a lot of toffee and some plum. There is a warming alcohol trail.

Bottle. Pours a clear deep amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty dark fruit aroma with some hints of caramel. Sweetish malty caramel and dark fruit flavor. Has a sweetish malty dark fruit finish with some weak hints of alcohol and some hints of bitterness in the aftertaste.