Fuller's Vintage Ale 2010

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

Purchased at the LCBO, back in the day when it came out. Best before end 2013, bottle No. 078279. Pours a slightly hazy honey-amber colour with a frothy beige head, good retention and lots of foamy lacing. Aromas of fruitcake with raisins, oranges and nuts. Mild toffee with a little alcohol. Mildly dry mouthfeel. The flavours are better blended with dates, caramel malts, hints of minty grass and pepper. Kind of a lingering feel of eating a unripened banana. Pretty nice overall and seems a little milder than older versions.

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

500ml from BCLDB 39th & Cambie. Bottle #0493777 and "best before end 2013". Looks like I missed it by quite a bit, but seemingly without detriment to the enjoyability of this beer. Nice looking pour as always with these Fullers Vintages, that being a clear, dark copper beneath a ring-creating creamy beige head. Aroma had caramel, alcohol, and dark fruit. Flavour was much the same, obvious alcohol but without a burn. Really nice beer.

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

took a break from the vintages for a couple of years, mostly in part to the last couple of vintages not showing up.. . pours a deep amber maple syrup .. . nice rich aroma, sweet and molassesy .. . light oxidation and a touch of brandy, interesting meld of flavours .. . good now, drink! .. . . If I had a mine shaft, I don't think I would just abandon it. There's got to be a better way..

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

The 2010 version is the weakest version in a log time. The pour is a brownish-red pour, solid, with a brown head. Caramel malt and toffee comprise most of the aroma while the flavour was almost watered down nut malt, and a thin feel.

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

500 ml bottle, Vintage 2010, bottle No. 036761, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 8.5%. Beautiful clear amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Surprisingly moderate aroma, notes of "dusty" hops, some oaky and vinous notes in the background. The flavour is oaky and medium sweet, with hints of dark dried fruits, but also with distinct notes of Target and Goldings hops. Highly drinkable as it is now, but will no doubt mellow and mature with time.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Bottle # 048799. Reddish honey brown with an 1 ½” tall noisy cap, had good retention. A woody sourish aroma with leather and an aroma I can only describe as new tent. Taste is better with thick sweet malts and a hoppy bitterness. Brew almost turned peachy what I thought was odd. Very earthy hint of floral more sweet bitter and possible nuts but I can’t confirm that. Brew is turning more leathery as I drink…. I’m enjoying the nice thick body. This is a good brew that never disappoints every year.

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

Bottle #058905 (from Alko, Vaasa). Rubyish amber colour, mediumsized beige head that leaves some lace. Aroma is fruity and floral hops with some mild malts and mild toffeeish notes. Flavour is fruity hops, some sweet malts, mild liquorice and some mild herbal notes. And quite thin as well. I’ve had FVA fresh yearly since 2005, and this is the most dissappointing FVA since. Hope it will develop a bit with aging.

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

Bottle #029166. Pours out out in a bright clear amber colour with a firm dense white head. Bright peppery, grassy aroma with fruity notes of apricots and pear marmalade. Full-bodied with rather young and hot sensations of peppery alcohol with undertones of grass, almonds, soil, apricots and mild cayenne. Long solid finish of orangey and grassy hops with a a bit too strong alcohol heat. Another cellar object for sure.