Vintage Ale 2012
Fuller's Brewery in London, Greater London, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Series Out of Production|
Score
7.32
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The 2012 Vintage Ale, our 16th, is brewed with three of this year’s finest hop varieties including, Goldings, award winning Sovereign and Target hops. These combined with our unique yeast and organic barley grown by Sir James Fuller on the Neston Park Estate result in a wonderful limited edition brew that has a luxurious flavour.
Individually packed and numbered, this bottle is one of only one hundred and twenty five thousand produced
Although we are obliged to state a best before date of 2015, like a fine wine or whisky, this mellow golden ale will improve with age for many more years
Being bottle conditioned, the beer will form a natural sediment, so pour carefully, sit back, and enjoy this, the very finest of Fuller’s ales.
Individually packed and numbered, this bottle is one of only one hundred and twenty five thousand produced
Although we are obliged to state a best before date of 2015, like a fine wine or whisky, this mellow golden ale will improve with age for many more years
Being bottle conditioned, the beer will form a natural sediment, so pour carefully, sit back, and enjoy this, the very finest of Fuller’s ales.
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8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sample 100 ml. Hazy amber-red, beige head. Big malty aroma, lots of ripe fruit, quince jam, alcohol-infused candies. The taste is not that extremely sweet, again malty and fruity, biscuit, light bitterness and just a hint of alcohol. Pretty smooth and easy-drinking body.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Mar 2016
at 03:24
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
2012, best before end of 2015.
Initial pour shows a clear rust coloured brew sitting under an inch of foam; second pour and it gets distinctly cloudy. Bottle conditioned and all.
The first aroma I notice is that of orange citrus. Beyond that, there’s the usual nose of caramel malt with more semi sweet semi bitter notes of molasses.
Drinking this is pleasurable. Tastes like it smells with the addition of a bit of oxidation in the finish. Not unusual nor distracting.
Smooth mouthfeel with very little presence of the alcohol in the taste or smell.
I bought 5 editions of this curious beer, 2009-2010-2012-2014-2015. 09 was lovely, 10 not so much. I would buy this and the 09 again. ~US$10 each.
Initial pour shows a clear rust coloured brew sitting under an inch of foam; second pour and it gets distinctly cloudy. Bottle conditioned and all.
The first aroma I notice is that of orange citrus. Beyond that, there’s the usual nose of caramel malt with more semi sweet semi bitter notes of molasses.
Drinking this is pleasurable. Tastes like it smells with the addition of a bit of oxidation in the finish. Not unusual nor distracting.
Smooth mouthfeel with very little presence of the alcohol in the taste or smell.
I bought 5 editions of this curious beer, 2009-2010-2012-2014-2015. 09 was lovely, 10 not so much. I would buy this and the 09 again. ~US$10 each.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Feb 2016
at 07:19
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
50cl bottle (No# 01777 - probably from Vinmonopolet Vika, Oslo). Pours clear amber with a fairly modest off-white head. Malty and caramelly aroma with notes of honey, dried fruits and hints of citrus and alcohol. Sweet, smooth, quite complex and flavourful with some bitterness. Warming and quite nice although it’s not exactly my favourite style.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Feb 2016
at 16:06
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottled 500ml (#29664)
3 years old bottle. Clear amber color, small white head. Toffee, malts, sherry in the nose. Medium-bodied. Dried fruits, a bit nutty, toffee, light alcohol, some oxidized notes. Even this is not so old, feels a bit past its prime. Somewhat simple without edges.
3 years old bottle. Clear amber color, small white head. Toffee, malts, sherry in the nose. Medium-bodied. Dried fruits, a bit nutty, toffee, light alcohol, some oxidized notes. Even this is not so old, feels a bit past its prime. Somewhat simple without edges.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Dec 2015
at 15:52
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(Bottle) Amber colour with frothy, off-white head. Malty, fruity nose with apricot marmalade, orange, honey, treacle-toffee, caramel and a touch of chocolate. Malty, fruity taste with notes of apricot marmalade, orange peel, honey, treacle-toffee, caramel, toast and a finish with a balanced citric bitterness and a touch of alcohol. Medium body, with a certain sweetness. Well balanced and really tasty, as usual. Very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Nov 2015
at 13:31
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
50 cl bottle @ home, BBE 2015. Rated on 10.10.2015
Bottle #32360, vertical with Golden Pride from same year
Aroma is moldy and mild – with apricot, some alcohol and toffee. Even some metal. Flavour has alcohol, menthol, mold and apricot. Perhaps already past its prime. Gets a lot better towards the end of the glass. At first: 6-4-6-3-13=3.2, at the end 7-4-7-3-13=3.4
50 cl bottle @ home, rated on 06.08.2016
A lot better now; harsh score average: 3.7.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Oct 2015
at 09:49
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Bottle 56220 from The Parcel Yard. Pours rich dark amber (or ripe apricot?) with a beige head. Aroma is fruity with some rich roasty malt support. Near full bodied. Flavor is rather roasty malt, but very smooth, some slight darkish fruits, The hopps are a bit earthy as well as fruity. Sometimes a quaff seems to be fresh light stone fruit juice. Sometimes the hops seem a bit oxidized (which I believe to be a signature of the series and one reason I love it). Ale to cherish. I think the finish is not dry, but I think it qualifies as bitter. Love it!
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Sep 2015
at 13:29