Fullers Vintage Ale 2008

Brewed by Fullers
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

Bottle 142804. Rich reddish copper color with a decent beige/tan head. Strong aromas of roasted caramel and floral hops. Full body with creamy carbonation. Flavor is light brown sugar and lots of floral hop. Very clean and smooth. No oxidation yet. Finishes well balanced, and a touch of heat can be discerned. Drinks very well.

Bottle (#96498 of 150,000). Orange beer with a fluffy cream head providing good lacing. The nose is brown sugar, caramel and flowery hops. Tongue is rich fruity orangey sugary malts with a nice floral hop bitterness to the finish and the alcohol only coming through at the very end. Medium-thick palate with a smooth mouthfeel. Already nice but would probably get even smoother with cellaring.

Bottle 50 cl. Pours a clear amber golden with no head. Sweet aroma of overripe fruit, nuts and caramel. Quite full-bodied, overripe fruit, caramel and nuts. Lightly bitter finish with some alcohol. 310509

Bottle. Amber color. Malty, flowery soft hopbitter aroma with hints of biscuit and citrus. Malty sweetish flavor with blackcurrant butterscotch, flowers and a hint of salt. Well balanced, just a bit alcoholic ale.

Source:500 mL bottle at the brewery.
Glass:Taster glass.
Appearance:Clear orange pour with a small off white head.
Aroma:Brown sugar, molasses, caramel and earthy hops.
Flavor:Brown sugar, molasses, caramel malt and a brash alcohol finish.
Palate:Medium/full body with mild carbonation.
Overall:In need of some age. A little brash on the finish.

16.9oz bottle (in a box!), #126880. Pours a lovely ruby-tinged brown with a big mocha-colored head and lots of effervescence. Aroma is mild, predominated by wood and malt with some slight hints of hops and alcohol. Taste is rich and full, with a huge stout-like flavor of malt, caramel, coffee, and chocolate lingering for some time before ending on a somewhat sweet/somewhat astringent note of alcohol, dark fruit, and syrupy hops. Unimpressive until that first sip, and delicious after that.

Bottle #41670. Copper to a bright brown color with a very small cap. Sweet woody malts slightly roasted, mild amounts of alcohol and a out of place but pleasant banana is showing up in the aroma. My Marks for the aroma are only low because of the mildness of it not because it smells bad. Beer is rich an full with a bitter finish a large chocolaty flavour consumes the flavour of this beer. Lots of coffee and high quality dirt also show up. Can’t taste the alcohol but my stomach is getting very warm. Slight metallic flavour when brew starts to warm up. I can’t believe how sweet this is starting to taste but it finishes very bitter so it has a balance. Mmmmm…there’s that yummy taste of Alcohol in small amounts I like. Beer is ok

Bottle from LCBO. Coppery orange body, thin off-white head. Nose is rich raisiny malt, nice crisp English hop, some dark fruit character, nuttiness. Flavor is very nice rich caramel & toffee, raisin, a very slight burnt note, pleasant herbal hop. Long rich malt/raising & fruit finish.