Fullers Vintage Ale 2008

Brewed by Fullers
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

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.

Botella, no. 97243. Pale orange colour. Dark fruity sweet caramel malty alco aroma. Quite sweet dark fruity deep malty alco flavour Sweet fruity bit alco finish. Rather too sweet but still pleasant.

This beer pours a deep amber/brown with little to no head. The aroma is apples, sweet brown sugar, malt and a little hops. The flavors really do a good job of mathing the aromas, apples, malt and hops with little to no brown sugar. Very nice mouthfeel and it is not overly sweet. A very well crafted beer.

Pours a clear, medium brown color with a very thin light head and very few bubbles. The aroma is malty and a bit sour. This beer has a lot of flavor. It is full of hops and malt and feels almost creamy in the mouth. There is also a distinct raison flavor and the aftertaste is a bit like carmel, but the beer is not overly sweet to drink. Based on the light, clear appearance it is surprising how much body this beer has. This beer is a bit heavy, but other than that it is a solid drink.

Bottle from regionals (#28720). Pours a redish orange, thin off white head.
Aroma is potent, sweet caramel malt pervades, a spicey character underlies, quite a bit of alcohol in there as well as raisiny fruit.
The flavour is quite sweet - caramel, syrupy texture.
Hops are present, a bit sugary still. Bitterness doesn’t quite compensate. There is a slight raisiny fruit which is nice but faint.
Very drinkable, might be better in a year or so.

Hazy orange to amber color. Thin, fine-textured and creamy head. The aroma is rich in malts and English hops. Rich and juicy maltiness is almost barleywine-like. Sweeet fruitiness of dates, plums, raisins and maybe some strawberry. A hint of clove-like spiciness. Finishes fresh and hoppy: resin, pine forest, fresh-cut grass and some herbs. Light touch of alcohol in the finish too. The flavor has raisiny fruitiness and caramelly malts. It´s even a bit syrupy. The finish is bittersweet with grassy hoppiness. The palate is medium bodied, slick and oily. Carbonation is just on the right level to give the necessary backbone. Overall it´s a stylish and very drinkable strong ale. Well crafted, everything is where it should be. Some ageing would do to cut the sweetness an bit and get more complex flavors.

I’ve always hated how expensive these vintage ales are... Pours to a deep rusty red body with a nice large bubbly white head. I wish it had lacing. The aroma is clean Maris Otter and floral hops. The flavor is lightly bitter with subtle fruity hops atop a clean pale malt. The palate is medium bodied and clean. A well made, but "boring" beer.

It’s warm copper with a white head. The aroma has notes of raisin, malt, caramel and more dried fruit. The flavor has sweetness and notes of malt, caramel, light alcohol, fruit and raisin.