Fuller's Vintage confessional

[stronk]

I finally caved in and drove to the Griffin brewery shop to see if they had any Fuller's Vintage Ale kicking around. I ended up buying 2 x 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2002, and 1 x 1999, 2000 and 2001, all at around £3.80 each! I added them to my meagre stock of 4 bottles (2003 and 2004) and in a few years' time I will have a very nice vertical tasting opportunity.

Volume-for-volume, it's not the most I have ever paid for beer (that was, hands down, a vintage bottle of Westvleteren at Die Kulminator in Antwerp), but my credit card certainly came out of the machine with a slightly more anaemic look to it.

[surfadelic23]

Was there in October and picked up a six pack of various interests and a friend gave me a bottle of the 2k. I thought the prices were reasonable as they were not charging more for the older ones when I was there. Also toured the brewery and had a nice session in the cellar. Good fun all around...
I will make a run out there the next time I'm in London...
Had a bottle of the 2005 for NYE! Yummy!!

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by stronk
I finally caved in and drove to the Griffin brewery shop to see if they had any Fuller's Vintage Ale kicking around. I ended up buying 2 x 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2002, and 1 x 1999, 2000 and 2001, all at around £3.80 each! I added them to my meagre stock of 4 bottles (2003 and 2004) and in a few years' time I will have a very nice vertical tasting opportunity.



That price doesn't sound too bad to me in the US, where FVA is priced at $7.99 (maybe as low as $6.99) or there abouts these days- well, that is, until I consider what should be the extra costs involved in shipping it across the ocean vs. from brewery bottling room to their brewery shop.

It usually sells out at retailers who carry it (I've been meaning to pick up a case of '06, which I usually split with a friend- since it often comes out even cheaper per bottle- but haven't found one and it may be too late), so I don't see it in the few stores that sell vintage, aged beers at a premium price, so don't know the current US value of previous years' stock is.

I did check my cellar stock, since I was down there doing inventory for a trade, and see that a 1999 FVA box still had a price tag on it- $4.75. (By comparison, a 4 pack of Samiclaus, 95-96-97- was marked "$11.99" and a 6 pack of 5 vintages of Thomas Hardy (both big and small bottles from the 90's) went for $17.99.)

[HarkJohnny]

I confess too..

I drank my 2004 about two weeks ago. delish!

[steveh]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny
I drank my 2004 about two weeks ago. delish!

I was gonna ask if Stronk had ever tasted the Fuller's Vintage before, but then I realized if he had - he probably wouldn't have the will power to wait a few years! ;)

S.

[stronk]

I had one of the 03s when I got them in 2003 (alongside Golden Pride, if I recall correctly, although I can't remember the conclusion I reached about them) and one of the 04s last night. The 2004 stuff is just starting to show benefits of age, IMO. My bottle had very slight sherry-like oxidation and a short, but clear dry biscuity aroma which wasn't there in the 03, that I recall.

It's a blessing and a curse that they brew it differently each year. It makes each bottle seem more unique, but it does make it a bit pointless to do a vertical tasting, now that I think about it...

[steveh]

How about 1999? (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1929&highlight=Fullers)

S.

[jesskidden]

Originally posted by stronk
I had one of the 03s when I got them in 2003 (alongside Golden Pride, if I recall correctly, although I can't remember the conclusion I reached about them)

Hmmm... too bad about not remembering the comparison between FVA and the Golden Pride. We don't get the latter, but I'm sure I've had it (either it was once exported to the US or I had it in the UK) but I've read some suggest that they are basically the same beer but haven't really thought about it much since Vintage Ale starting showing up in the late 90's.

What's the general consensus in the good beer drinking sub-culture and/or has Fuller's ever commented on the suggestion?

[stronk]

I had heard that, too, Jess. According to Wikipedia (I know: not the most reliable of sources), it is based on the Golden Pride recipe, but with a few changes.
From what I remember of Golden Pride, the similarity is striking.

Steveh, I haven't tried the 1999 vintage yet. I only have one bottle at the moment, so I'm saving it for at least another 2 years. When I get another opportunity to buy it, I will. It's a pity the 97 and 98 are all finished now.

[chazwicke]

I'll have to see what vintages I have in my cellar. I won't be able to recall prices unless the tag is still on the box. But I gotta say, the dollar to pound ratio was extremely unfavorable on this last trip. It was basically $2.00 = 1 Lb.