Vintage Ale 2025
Fuller's

Hazy amber brown colour with a creamy off-white head.
Aroma: candied fruits, caramel, toffee, sweet malt, some whisky, hint of cacao.
Taste: candied fruits, toffee, sweet malt, light whisky. Round flavour and mouthfeel. Well balanced with a light bitterness.

 

As a drinker, I approve of BA creating a 2025 Vintage. It seems that there are differences in the recipe as described by the brewer on their fancy box (which is worth the price, as is the ale.) So creating an annual vintage is good in my book and, besides, UnTappd has almost 3900 Uniques on the 2025 Vintage alone. So, go with the flow.

I'm less keen on 2025 being styled as an English Strong since I detect some of the Old Ale blended stale in here (despite me drinking this so young. But then, I don't have a cellar anymore -- just a suitcase -- so I'm not a participant in February Cellulary.)

All that said, Vintage Ale is always a joy to return to. It is celebrated as a high example of the brewers' art and deserves to be celebrated.

It is hard to get a high ABV brew to Look foamy, but at least this one Looks a pretty amber. Smells are the full-on sweet malt and dark fruit that we come to expect. Tastes follow, both complex and simple. I take this dichotomy as a clue of a master brewer. Almost viscous, certainly full in my mouth. And welcome.

I celebrated this Vintage with a selection of English cheeses. All good to be enjoying the best traditions of my people.

I use to get these annually, but it has been a few years. Already seems a bit oxidized (common since they changes the bottle). Huge fruitcake & caramel sweetness, some bitterness, hops are practically absent, alcohol entirely hidden. Good, but not what it once was. Overly filtered? Extra crystal to make up the body?

Poured at fridge temp. Pours a nice brown with minimal head. The nose is bread, biscuits, caramel, malts, plums, and a bit of honey. Very smooth and nice.

The taste is fantastic. More fruity than on the nose. Caramel, plums, apricots, figs, bread, slight citrus hop note, honey, leather, wet grass, and a nice grainy note.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied. The aftertaste is slightly bitter and balanced by a caramel note. Lovely beer.

500 ml bottle in cardboard box, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 8.4%. Beautiful clear amber colour, large to moderate off-white head. Pleasant aroma of malts, toffee, caramel and dark dried fruits. Flavour with the same elements, also notes of stewed fruits, a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.

Bottle conditioned. Clear amber with a very light tan billowy head.
A fruity aroma with light toffee malt. Dark hedgerow fruit with citrus. Some rum and raisin fudge.
The marmalade Fuller's yeast comes through upon tasting. Rich fruitcake and treacle is apparent.
A cask like feel with a dry bitter finish.
I'm looking forward to this one ageing.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 500mL in a pint glass. From the Huron Church Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. Best before December 31/28. My first beer from the London, England brewery. Resolutely adored by Gracie the cat...

L- A lovely deep chestnut brown, pours clear with lively rising CO2 into a 15mm pale tan fine-bubble cap. Holds very well.
S- Unfortunately I am congested... but I do get a tiny facet of fruit here.
T- Iiiinteresting! It's almost a contemporary IPA-style fruit-hop note on the front, That's different than anticipated, as visually it suggests deep rich malts will dominate. The latter are there, but the 'IPA-hops' are what dominate and linger for me.
F- Clearly a hefty beer, as it warms a touch the richness rises. The latter reminds me of some barley wines...
O- This years brew seems to have moved slightly away from being at core very 'trad'. I wonder if this is an Xmas 'hefty' pitched towards the slightly younger who seem to favour this kind of hop profile.

Bought from Waitrose 500ml bottle (No. 48177) BB: 31/12/28.