Comments on: Session #18 – anniversary beers

By: Tandleman

Tandleman — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:56:16 +0000

Lees Harvest Ale is a vintage ale!

By: Bailey

Bailey — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:49:09 +0000

Lumme. So it was quite good, Kieran?

We need to find somewhere better to keep our beer. I’m sure the way we’re storing it at the mo’ isn’t doing it any favours.

By: Kieran Haslett-Moore

Kieran Haslett-Moore — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:56:42 +0000

I have had a 1999 and a 2002 in the last week or so( and I forgot about the Session again!), the 99 out shined the 02 significantly. The 99 had some sherry notes, a touch of cognac, loads of fruit and a Xmas cake spice character. My partner Sarah and I shared the bottle and I would rate it as being in the top one percent of beer experiences I have had.

By: Boak

Boak — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:30:14 +0000

Still on the lookout for the Fullers 2007 promotion…

I think we’ve had a 2005 before, or it may have been a 2006. We were in a Fullers’ pub and had already drunk a fair bit. I remember enjoying it very, very much, but I couldn’t tell you how much of that was due to the unique quality of the vintage, and how much was due to the number of 1845s we’d drunk just before…

By: E.S. Delia

E.S. Delia — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:12:15 +0000

In the Richmond area, there are still a scant few ’04s lurking around and a decent amount of ’05s. I’ve got a couple bottles of each but am facing the same dilemma on when to open them.

Furthermore on that subject, it might be more common for brewers to have special releases here in the States. While it is interesting to see all these one-offs or a vintage series, it can start to get costly. I’ve been shelling out good money for beers I’m not going to touch for years!

By: The Beer Nut

The Beer Nut — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:59:52 +0000

Oh right. I thought by promotion you meant the Fuller’s Vintage for £1.39 promotion that everyone else was talking about earlier this week. But that was just the 2007s.

Err, congratulations.
*slinks away*

By: Tom Fryer

Tom Fryer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:51:46 +0000

I’ve not tried the 2005 vintage, but it sounds like your bottle might have been below par – to me the sherry notes imply a bit more oxidation than you’d expect in a (relatively) young vintage ale. That and the sourness at the end probably aren’t intentional, so you could be right in thinking it was poorly stored at some point, possibly even before you bought it. Don’t give up on it though – it’s gorgeous when it’s good. I’ve got a couple of 2007 bottles stashed away, so I might drink one soon and see if I’ve got the willpower to keep the other one a few years longer.

Congrats on the promotion, btw!