Fullers Vintage 1999
It was a monumental task. To pack up and box the contents of the flat ready for shipping back to Australia. After the hard work, I quenched my hard earned thirst in style - with a ten year old bottle of Fuller's Vintage Ale.The beer was excellent and had a smooth caramel taste with a hint of alcoholic warmth showing through. Perfectly balanced it was like a super version of London Pride. In comparison with the 2008 bottle I had a couple of weeks ago they are two distinctly different beers. The 1999 Vintage is a lot darker and has more roast caramel notes coming through where the 2008 is lighter in colour and doesn't contain the depth of complexity that the older beer had. Both beers are excellent though, its just that the 2008 will not mature into a beer similar to the 1999. Overall the beer is excellent and I was lucky enough to be able to pick up one of the 80000 bottles produced over 10 years ago. In this instance the 2002 expiry date was well and truly passed but the beer stood up to the test of time nicely!
Labels: Fullers
posted by Tim at
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
11 Comments:
Doctor, I'm proud of your accomplishments. Best wishes on your trip back home.
I think we can turn off our bullshit meters for a while. Hess is laid up with dental work.
In the interests of market research, did you pick up the bottle recently or have you had it for 10 years? In either case, do you know how much you paid?
I'm going to do a limited edition ale for Christmas but I'm not sure I could get the volume to make it viable for commercial sale. I will probably just do it for personal interest.
Any thoughts? Price, style, bottle size?
Sausage, I'd watch out, with tooth ache Tandleman might end up being irritable.
I'm not familiar with Tandleman, unless you're confusing Tandleman with Rudy? Please use the proper terminology when referring to Rudy. I've made it pretty easy.
Names and terms appropriate when referring to Die Talismann are as follows:
1. Rudy/Rudi
2. Big John
3. Hess
4. Die Talismann Hurlimann Hess Show
5. Captain Waterboard
6. Die Talismouth
7. Troll Watcher
8. Meat Pie
9. Big Head
10. Chuck Roast
Pick one, or several and go with flow. Some of these you can combine to make longer, more substantial names. Troll Watcher Meat Pie is becoming a personal favorite, as well as Captain Waterboard Chuck Roast.
Dave, I bought the bottle about 6 months from the Fullers Brewery shop. It was £6 I think? They had just opened the shop and made the private collections available for sale. You could probably pick up a couple of bottles online.
For the Hardnott version I would keep it simple. Shoot for a starting gravity of about 1090, Marris Otter with 4% Caramunich, 1% Cararoma. Use White Labs WLP 002 or Wyest 1968. I reckon this would rock.
Tim,
Sounds good to me. I think I would add Crystal Malt myself. 1090 - I'll either have to use sugar or extract to get to that gravity, either that or do a half brew. For a full brew 1064 is the most I got to with my mash tun.
I'm not aware of Cararoma.
Hi Dave,
Cararoma and caramunich are both german crystal malts and are in my opinion a lot nicer than the British equivs!
Can you just take the first runnings to get a stronger beer?
Personally I like number 7 though I'd change one letter. (-;
Yes my toothache is getting worse.
The trouble is that without care the second runnings can contain lipids, tannins and other nasties. It's probably safer to just make one beer from one mash and make do.
Actually, I'd be surprised if Fullers don't add sugars from none mash technique. Certainly some Belgian stronger beers are made that way.
I liked Troll Watcher. Seems you need to watch your back...
If I'd replied 20 minutes ago it would have been two thirty.
No, you're right, it's not funny.
Troll Watcher it is! You are one hell of a Troll Watcher too!
Troll Watcher, I'll pray for your rotten mouth to heal. With Christ's love, you'll be on the mend in no time. I sorted Bell out with this method, when he blew out his ankle.
Take care and get the rest to further allow Christ's love to work its magic. We all could use a rest from your antics.
yum looks good!!!!!
Dave, I think a limited edition bottle-conditioned ale is perfect for you, playing to your brewery's strength. You can price it much higher than a regular beer before people start moaning. For example, BrewDog are charging £10 for their Atlantic IPA (when new). You might not be able to charge that much in your market but it should be perfectly possible to price it at £5 with a nice label, given that bog standard beers in gift packs go for that much.
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