Style: Strong ale
Brewery: Fullers
Origin: England
Size: 50cl
Alcohol: 8.5%
Price: 86kr
Systembolaget: 11136 (2023 edition)
Fullers is based in Chiswick, West London and was family brewed from its founding in 1845 until it was sold to Japanese brewery Asahi in 2019. As well as the brewery, the company owns and operates 380 pubs across the UK. Vintage Ale has been produced since 1997, with a slight recipe tweak over the years. The brewery is best known for beers such as ESB, 1845 and London Pride, with Sweden making up one of its biggest international markets. I’ve had this beer many times over the years, but never had it in a tasting, so I thought it was about time!
This was a dark copper in colour, with a thick, frothy beige head forming and lasting. It was medium to thick in body, with a low to medium carbonation. The aroma was sweet and pleasant, with an earthy note backing it up. Sultanas, orange peel, dark bread and a hint of figs were all found in the delightful aroma. The classic marmalade fruit character was obvious in the taste, along with hazelnuts, toffee and brown sugar. The aftertaste lingered, with the earthy bitterness balancing the toasted malt sweetness well.
Fullers has always been synonymous with quality beer, and this does not buck the trend. The lovely malt forward character dominated the taste, with the earthy hops coming into their own in the aftertaste. I think this could maybe have done with a few more years of ageing to really reach its full potential, but even after a couple of years, this was still delicious. I look forward to trying this edition again in a few years!