Fuller's Vintage Ale 2005

Bottle Conditioned. Also limited availability in the Cask.

Fuggles hops, floor malted Optic malt.

3.6

305 reviews

Chiswick, England

Community reviews

4.0 Appearance: Hazy dark ruby with small ivory head which was quick to disappear. Aroma: Treacle, toffee, honey, vinous, dried figs, dates and prune, liqourice and herb note. Taste: Low bitterness, medium sweetness and low/medium sourness. Slight saltiness. Palate: Thick grainy texture, light/medium body, low carbonation, dry abrupt spiritous, dried fruit, toffee finish. Comments: Very good. Bottle number 68444.

3.9 Shared bottle on 31st Jan 2014 @ a pre-Brugge Beerfestival bottle swap in De Bierboom. I had two fairly large samples because I’d asked rudy to save this for me! Like all the other Fullers Vintage Ales I’ve had this was brown in body with a red hue: on top a full, deep head of off-white foam. Sherry like in aroma and first sip: a rich fruit cake infused with sweet fruits and Vanilla. I wanted more, but others were getting involved and I passed it onto the guys from Brussels who I’d shared a few other beers with, it’s only fair. Needless to say I’d like a whole bottle to myself if I ever get the chance.

3.4 Vertical in 2014 with 2013, 2009, 2005 and 2000 Vintage compared. APPEARANCE: clear darker blond beer, small unstable beige head. NOSE: oxidation, alcohol, sweet. TASTE: oxidation, alcohol.

3.7 11/I/14 - 1Pt. 2.6Fl. Oz. bottle @ JorisPPattyn’s place - part of a vertical: 2013, 2009, 2005, 2000 (2014-38) Thanks to PriorL and Mathieu87 for sharing the bottle! Clear deep copper red beer, irregular beige head, little stable, non adhesive. Aroma: very oxidized, lots of orange peel, spicy, caramel. MF: soft carbon, medium to full body. Taste: honey, little bitter, hoppy, lots of orange peel, sweet, pretty oxidized. Aftertaste: some caramel, orange peel, little bitter, toast, oxidized, some marzipan.

3.8 Part of a vertical comparison, many thanks to M & L V.!. Fluffy, rusty head over amber-chestnut beer. Banana, parsley, toffee, liqueur, walnuts, oxydation. Walnut, oxydation repeated in the taste, but in the best way imaginable. Madeirisation, sweet red wine. Slick to oily-viscous. Alcoholheat, dry-out effect. Balanced, but it not really the explosive I expected from former vintages.

4.3 Bottle no. 61578, my favourite vintage since 1999. Poured with a good creamy head, diminishing after a while, slightly cloudy mahogany colour, sweet malt aroma. Taste is butterscotch, raisins, figs, prunes, marmalade, quite a lot of fruit in there. Not as sweet as some, a little liquorice and some bitterness. This has kept well and better than my last bottle from the same batch. Very smooth and incredibly drinkable.

3.7 Bottle number 67904, thanks craig, ever so slightly spiced subtle, sweet both fruity sweet and caramel sugar sweet, some fruits figs, port deepness, nice.

4.1 Bottle at Craig’s. Pours chestnut brown with a thin off-white head. Aromas are dried fruit, sherry, plums, toffee. Taste is all this and more. Lovely creamy sticky texture. Finishes sweet and warming. Very nice.

4.1 Bottle, thanks James. Dark amber with off white head. Aroma of raisins, figs, dates and caramel. Taste of sherrry, figs, dates and raisins. Sweet and bitter. Delish.

3.8 bottle at home drunk 2013 .. . copper ... thin tan lacing ... soft sweet malt ..soft oxidisation .. light sweet suger .... ligth soft nose ... soft sweet sugers .. soft malts .. soft tofee ... soft toffee... zezty fruits .. soft fruits ... ligth fruits .. light oxidised toffee ...Bottle at the hanging bat.. Deep copper... Thin white head... Soft cardboard butva fruitier cardboard than the 2011.... Soft fruits.. Juicy malts.. Big blackcurrant... Dark fruits... Juicy rich fruits 3.8A different bottle at the hanging bat.. Soft dry soft orange... Dry bretty nose... Soft orange dru fruits.. Light funk.. Long dry Brett ...Nice soft fruits... Just freaky... The nose totally reminds me of the duchess.. Flavour is soft funk... Dry fruits. 4.1 more brett wow what an experience... Dry funky fruit.. Light blackcurrant.. Light funk... Wierd but nice

3.8 Bottle purchased from the brewery website & consumed at Merton Beer Festival Meeting next door at Nick & Anna’s (next door) Tuesday 3rd December 2005 Pours mid amber a touch hazy with a white head. Really soft in the mouth, very gentle and restrained, dried christmassy fruits seeped in alcohol, some sherry on the nose, aftertaste little bitterness. Has held up surprisingly well, I like this, might add some further notes after my curry. A7 A3 T8 P4 Ov16 3.8

3.5 Bottle thx to ekstedt cons 2013-10-26 Göteborg AR: tired hops, fudge, dried brittish fruits AP: dark mahogny, wee beige head F: nutty, rich in carbonation, almonds, dried brittish fruits, good brew

3.2 Dark amber with a small white head. Fruity and vinous notes. Fruit, malt, caramel and bitterness. Medium to full body with a bitter finish.

3.6 Bottle cheers to Colin. Opened with Paul and Anthony. Pours murky brown with a small, firm khaki head. Nose shows heavily stewed fruits and toffee with light shortbread behind it all. Taste is heavy caramel and biscuit notes, almost a saltiness with a dry focus to it. Dark fruits coming through nicely with dates, fig and plum. Solid stuff. Could probably still go a while longer

3.1 Big thanks to Sid for sharing this at RBAG 2013, from the verticel 2005-2008, so at first I thought this smelt great but everyone else kept saying they smelt some sourness after re adjusting my smell I finally picked up what everyone else was talking about, the taste was very bland even cardboard like and not nearly as engrossing as the other vintages. My least favorite.

3.7 Bottle - Vertical 2005 to 2008 - Carmnel and biscuit on the nose, with a touch of acidity. Cloudy brown with a tiny head. Salted caramel and mellow biscuit, very well rounded and soft with no bitterness. A really nice example in this vertical.

2.9 Pours a clear amber with a medium off white head. Aroma has light oxidation and some fruity notes...almost apple. Flavor is sherry with some toasted toffee and notable oxidation creeping in...still some bitterness. Mouthfeel is a bit lifeless and feels like a whisky...boozy/sherry/cardboard finish.

4.0 Flaske: Rødbrun let diset øl med et cremet skum. Dejlig duft af karamel, bestemt lagret godt her 8 år efter brygningen. Smagen er også domineret af karamel med en smule tørret frugt. God mundfylde og god øl.

3.5 Flaske 0,5l - Nr. 78607. Julegave fra Rune. Mørk aprikosfarget. Høyt tett skum som varer lenge. Mye filigranser. Uklar. God plommearoma. Myk munnfølelse. Smaken vokser gradvis fram. Mandler. Syrlig frukt. Avslutter tørt & bittert. Den gikk ut på dato for 4 år siden men den har ingen tegn til skade. Kanskje er den blitt litt tammere med årene (hvem blir ikke det) men det var en praktfull følgessvenn i innspurten på en laaaang Ratebeerdag hvor jeg er kommet ajour. Da gjenstår det bare å sjekke om jeg kan bidra med noen bilder til dagens innleggelser.

3.4 500ml bottle, No. 73398, b.b. end of 2008, bought at Fullers Brewery Shop in Chiswick. Cloudy, (dark) amber coloured body. Decent off-white head that lasts throughout. Spotty lacework to the glassware. Rich port-like aroma with plums and crisp bread. Sweet taste of dried fruit like raisin, prunes and apricot together with crisp bread. More sweet than bitter finish. Dry and rather flat in the mouth. Nice sipper without being outstanding in any way (Tromsø, New Year’s Day 2013).

3.9 Bottle from my large Fullers Vintage collection. A slightly hazy red/amber coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Sweet, port like aroma. Tastes rich, quite sweet, port like, some marmalade, dark fruit also, caramel. Lovely complexity has evolved in this one. It has aged very well indeed and is probably at its peak for me anyway.

4.3 Bottle at home #78869 from the brewery - 25/12/12. Pours an opaque dark amber with a thin off white head that clears to the edge and leaves a few swirls atop the glass. Nose is sweet sugars, toffee, dark fruits, prunes, dates, light wood and must. Taste comprises dark toffee, sweet sugars, almond, dates, prunes, malts. Full end of medium bodied with minimal carbonation, smooth on the palate, excellent feel. One of the better vintages I’ve had recently - in its prime !

3.7 Bottle shared by dbsdelight- thanks again, Dan! He brought the bottle without the box because he "didn’t feel like lugging it that way." What a cheapskate. Anyway, this one pours a clear amber color with a tiny ring for a head. Aroma is sweet- toffee, brown sugar, wood, and dried fruits. Flavor of brown sugar, toffee, and dark fruits. Medium-bodied, with low carbonation and a sweet, malty mouthfeel. 2004 and 2005 are the only ones I’ve had (thanks to Dan), but these seem to hold up well. Good beer.

3.6 Bottle. Reddish amber color. Port, oak and raisin in the aroma. Malty sweet raisinny flavor with vinous notes. Sugary finish. Slightly alcoholic. Well matured brew.

3.5 2nd April 2010 Clear red-brown beer. Frothy off white head. Aged sweet malt nose. Softish palate. Toffee malt quite dominant. Malt cream. Undertone of aniseed. Bare whisper of hop fruit. Finishes a little dry. Has aged well but not spectacular.

3.9 Bottle no 61812. Caramel, chocolate, little alcohol, raisin, medium sweetness, slightly salty, full body, long finish.

3.6 (bottle #11280) Clear reddish copper colour with good thick cream coloured head. Aroma has port, burnt toffee and wood notes. Beautiful smooth creamy palate; full bodied with soft carbonation. Very rich flavour; starts with dark treacle, raisins and develops earthier, bitter burnt toffee flavours, all with port and alcohol underpinning. Overall a lovely rich beer, although a little too much of the starker burnt notes to be truly excellent.

3.6 50cl bottle, number 11306, bought at the brewery shop in 2012. Pours a slightly hazy amber with a fast disipating white head; the aroma is rich, ruby port and orange; the body is rather thin with earthy, raisin flavours and a touch of orange peel; before a warming port-like finish, that is bittersweet. A pleasant, slow sipping, beer, but perhaps approaching the end of it’s shelflife.

3.3 The pour is a clear amber color with a very small off-white head. A bit of a sherry-like aroma. Quite fruity (raisins and cherries) with some vanilla and cream. Interesting aroma. The flavor is also heavy on the vanilla, sweet fruit, sugar, and caramel. A touch of sherry and oxidation in there as well.

3.3 Bottle 50 cl at ekstedt vertical tasting on March 18, 2012 Clear dark reddish brown color, small off-white head. Mellow sweet scent. Smooth, cream, berry taste. Sweet cream aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, low bitterness.