Fuller's Vintage Ale 2008

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Rated June 2008. 50cl bottle pours with a clear mahogany colored body that supports a nice looking near white head of foam. The aroma offers up booze infused plums, figs and some dates and cherries as well. Behind the fruitiness is a faint molasses sort of maltiness. The taste delivers smooth blueberry, plum, dates and fig like sweet fruity esters. It thins out to midway as the jamminess recedes a bit to reveal a bit of molasses and chocolate malts. Really nice. I think this vintage is peaking right here at ten years.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Been cellaring for a while, No. 71701. Pours a hazy amber colour with a beige creamy head, good retention and some creamy lace. Dark fruit aromas with caramel malts and some nutty notes. The taste has the figs, raisins, nuts with the toffee and the hops appear in the finish. Mild grassiness giving a little bitterness. What lingers is quite nice.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle # 43209. Cloudy copper pour, creamy beige head, and a ring was born. Subdued aroma compared to the 2007 vintage consumed a day earlier. Alcohol, malt and dark fruit, in no particular order. Flavour was all of that, nicely balanced and not too sweet (take note, Innis & Gunn!). Smooth, rich mouthfeel. Nice finish, echoing the flavour.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

500ml bottle, 2nd of the cellared Fulers I pulled this week. Same tawney colored clouded look, small off white cap with fair retention, modest effervescence. Aroma is a fantastic amamlgum of sweet malts, fruits, musty teaty tones and some vanilla undertones. Flavor is pure deight - mellow, rounded fully blended omplexity of malts, hops and yat products - malty, caramel, vanilla, nuts, spice - wonderful - extremely drinkable. wished I put down more of this.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

The 2008 version is quite possibly the easiest drinking 8.5% beer I've ever had. A beautiful brownish-red pour reminiscent of a Trappist Quad. Sweet malt, dark fruit, and anise were prevalent in the nose. The flavour was sweet with caramel, vanilla, and spices and went down well.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

bottle # 105181... drank at 4:25pm .. 4/27/09 @coops .. . light honey biscuit aromas.. . medium bitterness with a nice back maltinessm like a whopper, or a blowjob .. .. pretty easy to drink, maybe to sweet for me, which is weird, because every morning i drink at least two (2) liters of hummingbird water .,. . abv is well hidden.. . a very well made brew, as always, i have enjoyed past years better but then again i stopped sucking my thumb at 2 and stopped giving bitches anal at 20.. so...

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I’ve sat on this one for a few months, patiently earmarking it for my birthday. Serve it up with striped trout and succotash and I’ve got the makings of a meal. Into my Ommegang goblet it displays a golden copper hue. A big off white frothy head, dissapates disappointingly too soon. Leaves a light stickly lacing. The aroma is strong, malty, yeasty and sour. I’m impressed. The body is light and mild. Nice carbonation to boot. I like the taste. Complex blending of malt in all it’s sweet-sour glory with a balancing note of hops. Let this one warm and the alcohol comes through loud and clear. The wait was well worth it.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

So far, this might be my favorite year of Fullers Vintage ale. I’ve always enjoyed ESA’s and this one is in fine form. An aroma caramel apples, baked pears, wet dirt, and chocolate. Flavor is sweet but still enjoyable. Honey, rum raisins, a bit plummy with a touch of earthy hops and alcohol to keep things from going off the deep end of sweetness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Bottled (from Alko Arkadia, Helsinki). Amber colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is fruity, wooden, toffeeish along with quite evident nuttyness and zest. Flavour is hoppy, nutty with some mild spices and licorice. Alcohol gives a huge sweet peak towards the finish. Aftertaste is raisins, mild alcohol, some flowery hops as well as spices. This already tastes very promising for cellaring.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Craig, Thanks again for sending your box. I should be ready to ship before then end of the week. I will include some extras for my tardiness. Phil