Fullers Breweries Fullers Vintage Ale (2015 ed) - Review by: @Robyn_Seto

Mar 24

Mar 24 Fullers Breweries Fullers Vintage Ale (2015 ed) - Review by: @Robyn_Seto

Every year since 1997, the English brewery, Fuller’s has produced their annual Vintage Ale. For this week’s Mature March entry, I present Fuller’s 2015 Vintage Ale. 2015 marked not just the 19th year of Fuller’s Vintage Ale production, but also Fuller’s 50th Anniversary of the use of Maris Otter, a British malt. Fuller’s Brewery has been producing beer since 1845 in Chadwick, London. Such a celebratory beer deserves a special spot in Mature March!

Each beer includes a commemorative box and a small insert that provides information on each beer going back to the first one produced in 1997. 2015’s box even states Fuller’s suggested best before date of 2015’s Vintage at December 31st, 2025. This indicates that even the brewery suggests letting this delightful brew age for an extended period of time. Fuller’s Vintage Ales are bottle conditioned, meaning the flavors will continue to develop and change over time.

The aroma is creamy sweet with strong caramel notes. The flavor has become amazingly smooth yet bold. The overarching flavor is smooth bitter-sweet caramel and earthy hints as it dries. Nearly six years of aging has set caramel center stage, as the hops and darkness have faded. No detectable booze flavor, but still offers a pleasant warmth at 8.5% ABV.

Fuller’s Brewery website offers Vintage Ales going back to 2016, and the prices of each year will increase as their stock of each vintage decreases. However, 2020 (and hopefully soon 2021) is still fairly low in comparison to past years at around £6 GBP (about $9 USD). Get ‘em while they’re fresh! Drink ‘em when they’re mature!

5/5 Burps