Apparently, there's a glut of Fuller's Vintage Ale on the UK market at the moment, and it's being sold in supermarkets for next to nothing. I paid something quite a distance from nothing for my bottle, but without it I'd have been lost for a special anniversary beer for this month's Session, and that wouldn't do at all.There's no shortage of limited edition special beers covered on this blog: they're the ones I normally make a beeline for, like the superb but different 10th anniversary stouts from The Porterhouse and Carlow Brewing, or the IPA Emerson's made when they hit double figures.
But I was a bit wary when the selection on Dublin's off licence shelves left me no option but Fuller's Vintage 2007. This is another 10th anniversary beer, and I felt a little guilty at the thought of cracking it open since these bottle conditioned strong ales are known to improve for ages and ages. But no less an authority than The Zythophile said lash into the 2007s now, so I did.It seemed a bit flat as I poured it, and the big head kinda fizzed up on me unexpectedly. It was plain even as the dark amber liquid came out of the bottle that this is a very viscous beer. Sure enough, one sip has me looking for a knife and fork. There's sugar on the nose in abundance, and hints of apple and cinnamon. The taste is as sweet as would be expected: big sticky malt, with liquorice and plums at the front followed by a spicy hops bitterness (the Super Styrians, I'd imagine) and then a lovely warming lip-smacking carmel smokiness right at the very end. And all sitting on a dirty, greasy thick body which carries a surprising amount of fizz for all that, but in a dry cleansing sparkling way.
No, I won't be shelling out another €10 for a second bottle of this. Not when I can get 75cl of O'Hara's Celebration for less than half that, but £1.39 or equivalent I could definitely countenance, and I'd love to find out how it shapes up after a couple of years' cellaring. I'll be keeping an eye out, next time I'm up north.
I'm convinced! At lunch time I am going to track some down! I may email Stonch to find out where he saw it cheap.
ReplyDeleteIt was Waitrose, I believe.
ReplyDeleteWaitrose, I am going to take a stab that it was the waitrose in the Brunswick cetre (the one near the Lamb). Knowing my luck, I'll hike the 20 minutes to get there and there will be none left!
ReplyDeleteAh well, you can always nip in to The Lamb and do some "research". I notice you haven't done Kew Gold yet.
ReplyDeleteI've had a bottle of this knocking around for a while, and much like you, I was holding out. I like the sound of the apple cinnamon aspect, but I think I'll hold it a while longer, unless I track some more down on the cheap.
ReplyDeleteThis glut seems to be nowhere near me :-(
ReplyDeleteI expect the London supermarkets sold out of it long ago, and it's the branches of Waitrose in the mythical land of "Zone 7" that are sitting on stockpiles of Fullers Vintage.
ReplyDelete(I'm implying that people in London are more cultured and appreciate finer things more than heathens outside the gates).
Wow, 10 euro. It is about $7.99 here in Austin, TX, USA. Maybe I should grab another. I was saving one, now thinking twice about my choice.
ReplyDeleteYes: beer is expensive in Ireland. It's why I prefer to go to other people's countries to drink.
ReplyDeleteAnd I who thought beer was expensive here in Sweden. Last time Fuller's Vintage Ale was available at our state-owned liquor stores, in November 2007, it cost 57.30 Swedish Crowns for a half-liter bottle, which was approximately 6.25 Euros.
ReplyDeleteHave a bottle of this at home. Might try stock up on some in England though otherwise Ill never drink it.
ReplyDelete