Bottle online from the source. The earliest of the 12 Vintages of Xmas released by Fullers in late 2023. Pours near clear chestnut with an orange tinge, beige foam. Aroma: liquid christmas cake. Big raisin vibe. Caramel, toffee, figs, dates, pretty much the whole cake. Taste: moderate sweet with similar bitterness, similar to aroma, brown sugar, dried & dark fruits. Rich & boozy. Medium body with soft carbonation. For a 22yo beer with a crown cap it's lasted remarkably well.

Pint at the Kings Cross station bar while waiting for delayed train. I'd just been through a tough interview for a CEO role with the investors so this was deserved. Perfect pour with a really rich and inviting colour in three glass. It was perfectly kept so the flavour was great, with rich malts and some balanced hops. This was lovely for a freezing day in London.

50cl @ Ratebeer Odense, Rosenørnsvej, early Winter, 2024. Pours amber red with a fluffy head. Doughy malty. Citrus, marmelade. Bone dry. Caramel, crystal malty. Sipper. Sophisticated though old School and conservative.

Ratebeer Odense, November Tasting. Hazy amber with a lasting white head. Aroma of malty aroma with marmalade and a touch of blackcurrant. Sweet malty flavour with fruity hops and a quite bitter finish.

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).

Boxed bottle. I’m guessing Waitrose. Clear deep amber. Impressive swede. Tart vine fruit. Semi sweet biscuit malt. Light oxidation. Taste is sweet up front. Nice tang of fruit bitterness. Rich and slick but stays twangy. Lingering vinous bitterness to finish.