Fuller's Vintage Ale 2006
Jan 1, 2010 15:54:15 GMT -5
Post by Beer Baron on Jan 1, 2010 15:54:15 GMT -5
Greetings and Happy New Year to all the Punsters out there! I have been rolling this idea around in my head for a little while. I decided to introduce my weekly, or semi-weekly column about a little something I like to drink called beer. You may or may not know that "beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea." Thank you wikipedia. Now, I enjoy all types of beers, some more than others, and with this column, I would like to share new beers and the old favorites so that you may enjoy them as well. Each week, I will try at least two beers. With visual aids and a review of taste, hopefully you'll join me as I give the old one-two to my liver.
For the second New Years in a row, I am a little under the weather. I didn't go out and party, I just went out and saw a movie that got out at midnight. When I got home, I cracked open just one beer, but it was a doozy of a beer to start the 2010 with. This is the only time I won't review two beers. The first thing I had when I got home was robotussin! So, without further ado, I present to you:
Fuller's Vintage Ale 2006
Fuller's is a British beer and it category is an "English Strong Ale." Strong is the key word here because Fuller's clocks in at 8.5% alcohol. Strong indeed, and very similar to a Belgium ale. Though only similar in the alcohol content, not the taste, but I will get to that. I bought this beer sometime in 2006, and much like a whiskey, this beer was meant to age. I had almost forgotten that I had this until about 2 months ago I was going through my stock. It reads on the bottle to drink before the end of 2009, so I thought this would be the perfect first beer here. Though it also says on the bottle, and I quote,
"Although we are obliged to state a best before date of 2009, like a fine wine or whisky, this mellow and golden ale will improve with age for many more years. For best results keep upright in a cool, dark room or cellar. Being bottle conditioned, it forms a natural sediment; so pour carefully, sit back, and enjoy this, the very finest of Fuller's ales."
God, I love the Brits! Yes, notice that I stayed true to the Queen's english and left "whisky." So basically, they had to say that the beer should be best drank before the end of 2009 for standards. However, as a result of the fine quality of ingredients Fullers has used, you could drink this 5, 10, 20 years from the bottling date. That is not normal for beer at all. You don't age a bottle of Coors in hopes that it will miraculously turn into something more amazing and complex than Banquet Beer. No, you do this for wine, some types of liquor, cigars, etc. With that being said, it's time for the tasting!
You know you're getting something good when the beer bottle comes in a thick cardboard presentation box. It's all about drinking in style!
The bottle is a little larger than your normal beer bottle.
This beer is numbered 73,985 out of exactly 100,000 bottles. You won't find this at your local supermarket. The piece of paper inside the box details all of the past Vintage Ales. Fuller's started the Vintage line in 1997, and each year had a different taste, some sweeter, some tasting like brandy. In 2000 they brewed 85,000 bottles. In 2001, only 30,000, and in 2003, 50,000 bottles.
"This ale is just not classy enough! We something that will put it over! How about a paper wrapper that says Limited Edition 2006 on it! Brilliant!"
Time to pour this thing.
Held up to the light, Fuller's is a dark amber color. Looks very malty, about to be delicious.
I tried to do a smell test before I sipped it, but my nose was stuffed up. No dice on that smell test! After a few seconds of letting it breathe, I took my first sip. My first reaction is that it's a very woodsy taste, and it's very warm taste. I can taste some type of spice, but I can't make it out just yet. This is a very tasty beer, and it is to be sipped slowly to fully enjoy it. It is very smooth going down and the after taste is citrus/spice "flavour". For an 8.5% alcohol beer this does not have the bitter taste that most of the Beligums have. On the back of the bottle the label reads that it is brewed with brewed with Fuggles and Super Styrian hops, floor malted Optic malt. As I get into the bottle, I now taste a hint of orange and citrus. The beer has a creamy malt flavor. Towards the end of the bottle the flavor is very bittersweet and has a warming finish. It's all about a beer that will warm you up in jolly old England.
Excellent beer, and I do wish I had bought more than one. Fuller's is a filling beer though not filling like a Guinness. It's less malty and creamy than Guinness, but packs more flavor and range. If you are familiar with British style beers, then you will love this Fuller's. A person who drinks "whisky"(the British version of American Whiskey) and Scotch may also really like this strong ale. For people who enjoy a lighter lager, I advise you to please give the stronger beers like this a try because they are such a treat to enjoy and sip. Ales, such as this, are packed with such a large amount of flavor, that they transcend beer, and become some type of hybrid style beer. I may try and track down this year's ale, it was just that good. I love beer, what can I say? So remember Punsters, there are no bad beers, some are just better than others. Which is true for the Fuller's Vintage Ale 2006. Hope you enjoyed the first edition of To Beer or Not Two Beer[/b]!
For the second New Years in a row, I am a little under the weather. I didn't go out and party, I just went out and saw a movie that got out at midnight. When I got home, I cracked open just one beer, but it was a doozy of a beer to start the 2010 with. This is the only time I won't review two beers. The first thing I had when I got home was robotussin! So, without further ado, I present to you:
Fuller's Vintage Ale 2006
Fuller's is a British beer and it category is an "English Strong Ale." Strong is the key word here because Fuller's clocks in at 8.5% alcohol. Strong indeed, and very similar to a Belgium ale. Though only similar in the alcohol content, not the taste, but I will get to that. I bought this beer sometime in 2006, and much like a whiskey, this beer was meant to age. I had almost forgotten that I had this until about 2 months ago I was going through my stock. It reads on the bottle to drink before the end of 2009, so I thought this would be the perfect first beer here. Though it also says on the bottle, and I quote,
"Although we are obliged to state a best before date of 2009, like a fine wine or whisky, this mellow and golden ale will improve with age for many more years. For best results keep upright in a cool, dark room or cellar. Being bottle conditioned, it forms a natural sediment; so pour carefully, sit back, and enjoy this, the very finest of Fuller's ales."
God, I love the Brits! Yes, notice that I stayed true to the Queen's english and left "whisky." So basically, they had to say that the beer should be best drank before the end of 2009 for standards. However, as a result of the fine quality of ingredients Fullers has used, you could drink this 5, 10, 20 years from the bottling date. That is not normal for beer at all. You don't age a bottle of Coors in hopes that it will miraculously turn into something more amazing and complex than Banquet Beer. No, you do this for wine, some types of liquor, cigars, etc. With that being said, it's time for the tasting!
You know you're getting something good when the beer bottle comes in a thick cardboard presentation box. It's all about drinking in style!The bottle is a little larger than your normal beer bottle.
This beer is numbered 73,985 out of exactly 100,000 bottles. You won't find this at your local supermarket. The piece of paper inside the box details all of the past Vintage Ales. Fuller's started the Vintage line in 1997, and each year had a different taste, some sweeter, some tasting like brandy. In 2000 they brewed 85,000 bottles. In 2001, only 30,000, and in 2003, 50,000 bottles.
"This ale is just not classy enough! We something that will put it over! How about a paper wrapper that says Limited Edition 2006 on it! Brilliant!"
Time to pour this thing.
Held up to the light, Fuller's is a dark amber color. Looks very malty, about to be delicious.
I tried to do a smell test before I sipped it, but my nose was stuffed up. No dice on that smell test! After a few seconds of letting it breathe, I took my first sip. My first reaction is that it's a very woodsy taste, and it's very warm taste. I can taste some type of spice, but I can't make it out just yet. This is a very tasty beer, and it is to be sipped slowly to fully enjoy it. It is very smooth going down and the after taste is citrus/spice "flavour". For an 8.5% alcohol beer this does not have the bitter taste that most of the Beligums have. On the back of the bottle the label reads that it is brewed with brewed with Fuggles and Super Styrian hops, floor malted Optic malt. As I get into the bottle, I now taste a hint of orange and citrus. The beer has a creamy malt flavor. Towards the end of the bottle the flavor is very bittersweet and has a warming finish. It's all about a beer that will warm you up in jolly old England.
Excellent beer, and I do wish I had bought more than one. Fuller's is a filling beer though not filling like a Guinness. It's less malty and creamy than Guinness, but packs more flavor and range. If you are familiar with British style beers, then you will love this Fuller's. A person who drinks "whisky"(the British version of American Whiskey) and Scotch may also really like this strong ale. For people who enjoy a lighter lager, I advise you to please give the stronger beers like this a try because they are such a treat to enjoy and sip. Ales, such as this, are packed with such a large amount of flavor, that they transcend beer, and become some type of hybrid style beer. I may try and track down this year's ale, it was just that good. I love beer, what can I say? So remember Punsters, there are no bad beers, some are just better than others. Which is true for the Fuller's Vintage Ale 2006. Hope you enjoyed the first edition of To Beer or Not Two Beer[/b]!
