Fuller's Vintage Ale 2012
Style: Barley Wine
Alcohol Content: 8.5%
From: Chiswick, London, United Kingdom
Purchased From: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom
Style: Barley Wine
Alcohol Content: 8.5%
From: Chiswick, London, United Kingdom
Purchased From: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom
A little while back me and Kev attended the Great British Beer Festival, and some time that afternoon, twitter informed us that Fullers would be tapping their most recent vintage ale. I got all excited as my 3rd was poured and went into raptures as it slipped down a treat- a definite highlight of the day.
Today, as I was browsing in Hampton' Hill's Noble Green Wines, I was elated to spot this on the shelf: Fullers 2012 Vintage Ale. Judging by my previous experience at the festival I put it in my basket immediately! It's been brewed with three of 2012s finest hop varieties: goldings, sovereign and target, which have been combined with yeast and organic barley from Nelson Park Estate in Wiltshire.
And now for a description of a brewery that is very close to my heart; Fullers. Fullers reside in Chiswick, London (a mere fifteen minutes drive from my home) and have been brewing on the site of their Griffin brewery since the sixteenth century. Not only do they brew a fantastic range of beers, they also own 380 pubs with over 168 of these being located within the M25. In fact some of my earliest drinking memories involve drinking a pint of their London Pride in the Red Lion pub in Staines.
The Griffin Brewery now produces a range of 10 core beers which includes their flagship London Pride and their multi award winning ESB. As of 2013, the brewery produces 215,000 barrels of beer per annum and their biggest export market is Sweden (this is very interesting considering the Swedish Market is very heavily regulated).
Colour: Pours a clear deep amber, with low effervescence. The head quickly runs to the side of the glass. The bubbles emanate slowly from the bottom of the glass, and unless you looked for them, you'll think this beer had gone flat.
Aroma: Rum soaked raisins dominate the aroma, with a base of banana and walnut loaf. Smells like a rich fruit cake with a definite sweet edge. You can really get a good sense of the alcohol content from a good whiff too.
Body: Full bodied and clings to the back on the tongue- that low level of carbonation really tickles the mouth pleasantly. Lovely!
Taste: The smells translate in the taste. It's bold and rich, with a stodgy fruitiness, a bit like a dense stollen. Definite banana notes, and rum soaked raisins. The alcoholic content sits well within this beer, with its age coming through in whiskey tones. Notes of caramel and toffee are also present but come through more on the aftertaste: It's lovely and warming- a great one for bonfire night! The more I drink, the more my cockles warm, leaving a slight tingling behind on my lips. I have to admit that it does not live up to the 2014 vintage, but nor does it lag behind either. A solid effort, that is enjoyable in itself, especially on a winter's, blustery, dark nights.
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