Fuller's Brewery Vintage Ale 2000

Vintage Ale 2000

 

Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick, Greater London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  Traditional Beer - Old Ale Series Out of Production
Score
7.51
ABV: 8.5% IBU: - Ticks: 64
85,000 bottles of Vintage Ale were produced with an organic theme, using Champion Optic Malt and Organic Target Hops. A fresh hop aroma with notes of honey and toffee, leads to a slightly sweeter taste and burnt, bitter aftertaste.
 

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8.5
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

One of this legendary beer’s early vintages – Fuller’s started this tradition in 1997 – now 24 years old, so I guess this is the ultimate test to see how well this beer stands the test of time (as a classically designed English barleywine, it should perform fine…). Cheers to tderoeck for sharing this spectacular vintage beer. Pale greyish beige, moussey head, breaking but still retaining remarkably well; clear copper red robe with fiery amber glow. Aroma of dried fig, dry caramel, old hazelnut shells, medium dry sherry from ageing, toasted bread, golden raisins, tea, dry cookies, whisky, oxidized rosé wine, vague spicy hint of bayleaf – in all, beautifully ‘maderised’ by age without any of the less appealing oxidation effects. Clean, slick onset, sweetish dried fruits (dried fig, dried persimmon), softishly carbonated with full, vinous mouthfeel; dry-caramelly, thinly biscuity and gently toasty maltiness, slightly oxidized retronasally but in a rather flattering, sherry-ish way, quite refined and agreeably warmed by brandy-like alcohol, a tad peppery even, with a toasty edge of malts lingering along with a soft and subtle leafy hop bitter accent. Long, soothing, warming, vinous finish, rich and balanced like it ought to be – I had a few of these when they were younger and found them, though doubtlessly delicious, often a bit on the boozy side, but here the alcohol sharpness has been shaved off a bit by age while all the malty and fruity complexity of the beer has been retained. Indeed it has lost nothing of its grandeur – on the contrary even, ageing has only made it more noble and sophisticated. This is oldskool English barleywine and high class drinking – a rare treat and truly majestic (and, not unimportantly, dating from way back when the brewery fell into Asahi’s clutches).

Tried on 13 Nov 2024 at 19:49


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle shared at craft beer junction bermondsey Bottle share. Many thanks. A clear amber copper coloured pour with a a halo of beige head. Aroma is cola cubes, caramel, green apple. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, ages. Caramel, dried fruit, cola cubes, nutty. Palate is semi sweet, nutty, dried fruit, moderate carbonation.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Dec 2023 at 19:06


7

Tried on 13 Dec 2023 at 18:52


6.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle @ Johns. Pours dark golden with a creamy tan head, light lacings. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, oxidation, honey, toffee, wood, little alcohol. Flavor is rather sweet and rather oxidated, malty, caramel, honey, toffee, wood, alcohol. Medium body, soft carbonation, sweet finish. Way past its prime. 130416

Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2016 at 14:53


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle "2000 vintage" #54129. Slightly hazy dark amber with medium tan head. Aroma is malt, caramel, dusty, oxidized, toasted and dark fruit. Flavour is malt, caramel, dark fruit, oxidized, medium sweet, little dark fruit, cognac, tofffee, biscuit, cake, chocolate and a little bitter.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2016 at 14:52


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle @ Aarhus tasting. Clear amber with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel, honey, toffee and oxidized. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet and moderate bitter finish. Way past it’s prime. 130416

Tried from Bottle on 13 Apr 2016 at 14:51


8.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

MARCH 2016. Quite close to the fresher 2012 vintage we’ve had at the same tasting, but certainly less malty and a bit old, dusty and oxidized. After all these years, there’s still a bit of hops there in the finish. Not as mind blowing as I remember it the first time, but still excellent. 9-4-8-4-16=4,2



JULY 2015. No. 53697. Hazy amber, tan head. Super intense and complex - dried fruit with oxidation sherry notes that balance the big sweetness, a touch of warming alcohol. Silky smooth mouth-feel. World class. 9-4-9-4-18=4,4

Tried on 28 Jul 2015 at 08:33


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

1pt 2.6 fl oz bottle. Bottle no. 55733. Pours a clear deep coppery golden amber colour with a creamy off-white foam head leaving lots of lacing. Nose is nutty, malts and toffee, raisins, sherry. Flavour of malt, caramel, sweet toffee, brown sugar, honey, milk chocolate, light roasted, earthy and nutty. Smooth mouthfeel, medium to full bodied, sofy carbonation, lingering sweetish warm boozy earthy light bitter finish. Very drinkable, this bottle has aged well!

Tried from Bottle on 29 May 2015 at 12:21


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

bottle at home ... copper ... big tan head ... soft toffee fruit malt nose ... musty toffee fruit nose ... soft toffee ... soft fruits .. soft sweet toffee malts .. soft blackcurrent ... soft sweet fruit malts ...

Tried from Bottle on 28 May 2015 at 13:57


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle 55652 at Craigs. Pours hazy golden brown with a thin white head. Aromas of light caramel, nuts, sherry, light cardboard. Taste is marmalade, boozy, light toffee. Sweet finish.

Tried from Bottle on 28 May 2015 at 13:53