Tried this for the first time a few weeks ago and it really is incredible, reminded me of how UK cask ale used to taste years ago. It's not cheap but you wouldn't be chugging bottles back anyway. Perfect sipper.
I’ve picked up 2 up to now can’t wait to try them, Massive credit to Asahi for not tinkering with the beers since taking over, which is a long while ago now, Fullers are in a different league to Greene king, shepherd neame etc in my view, London pride, ESB, black cab stout, London porter all truly fantastic beers, long may it continue 🍺🍺🍺👌👌👍👍🙏🙏
I'd happily pay £6 for a pint of that in a pub, so to be able to have it at home with some nice vintage cheddar and great bread and chutney sounds fantastic. If I can get one I definitely will, cheers Simon.
I'll never be happy paying £6 unless the average wages rise to the point where a round of drinks and a bite to eat isn't gonna take a fat chunk of a days pay. Forced behaviour change it is.
Try 5 years : "In 2019 Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc sold its drinks company (The Fuller's Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewery & Nectar Imports) to Asahi for £250m."
Just recently drank a 2020 release. Excellent. Then had the 2024 when they arrived a few weeks later. Definitely worth keeping for a while, if you're able to resist temptation, as the beer certainly improves with age. 2020 was still available so I ordered some more!
The Japanese owners have had a while to run Fullers now; the beer getting better year on year must be a sign of them improving the ingredients they are using or standards they have in place.
Is Peggy Mitchell still in it ???? The character Peggy died in 2016 and Barbara Windsor who played her died in 2020 . Good to see our Simon is as on the ball as ever !
Started watching the channel about 6 months ago. I used to be a San Miguel, poretti, moretti etc etc drinker but you have changed me! 😅. Now I refuse to drink that BS. I'm all about the foreign stuff now! Just been in home bargains and got myself 10 tuborg fici....... Awsome beer 👌 cheers Simon 👍
Just tried this and it is very good. Thought I would buy just one bottle for a cheeky taste and then maybe get a couple more in for Xmas. From memory, I feel it is a big step up from last year, but open to views on that one!
A while back now I kept a fullers vintage ale for around 5 years and when it came to opening it was lovely. Someone kindly bought me a vintage ale last Xmas so will probably be drinking that one on Xmas eve of this year. Always a tradition of mine to have something nice on Xmas eve either a good beer or one of my better Whiskys.
I've just bought 12 bottles of this on the strength of this review. It is absolutely delicious. My new favourite beer. It reminds me very much of Thomas Hardy's ale that hasn't been available for decades - and if you liked that beer you will LOVE this!
Hi Simon I was in home bargains the other day after watching your review of their cheep beers , anyhow I was looking for the love lane Baltic larger and was pleasantly surprised by the range of love lane beers so I bought the whole range it would be rude not to at 1:19 a can with the exception of the Christmas pudding stout , I love stout and love Christmas pudding but after reading the description of the beer I thought better I'd give it a miss , sorry for waffling I'm getting to the point honest , because of the epilepsy medicine I'm on I can't have more than one beer at a time anyway the first of their beers I tried was the pale ale and omg it was so good I can't wait to try the rest , well Carry On hoping you do a review of the entire love lane range
Simon I`ve got the same corkscrew....you don`t even have to open it out just use the silver end & press down couldn`t be easier better than opening it & levering up! Nice review on the ale, cheers.
Yes! It is back again…will have to run down Waitrose later to enjoy an evening tipple. Something about sitting and enjoying a winter ale on a cold and dark autumn evening (would be improved by a open fire haha). The only question is…do I succumb to the urge to buy another extra one and put it away 😂
I was lucky enough to have this years vintage on draught when in a Fullers pub in the city. It is definitely a good one. I've got 2008 and 2009 versions in the cupboard. No idea how long they last.
I had a pint on draft of this a couple of weeks ago. Not a patch on the bottle conditioned stuff imho. I've done my usual and bought two bottles this year, one to drink and one to keep Simon. I still have kept a bottle from 2017 onwards so 8 years worth a counting.
Another great review casting welcome light on a much aniticpated seasonal brew. Looking forward to picking up a couple of bottles from my local Waitrose. I have the last six years of Fuller's Vintage editions sitting on a shelf in my garage 'beer collection' - this Christmas I intend to crack the first of the 'older' bottles open. As ever, the wonderful Simon Martin, surely the Rowley Birkin QC of the UK real ale online reviewers, once again offers his lightly carbonated, two-fingered ivory head opinions of a classic brew and brings a smile (often guffaws of laughter) as he rambles on, at times aimlessly about the 2024 version of the ale. (In this video Martin loses the plot over Barbara Windsor, with honking breast hand gestures and Simon desperately trying to recall the 1969 British comedy film, Carry On Camping - hilarious) Add to that Martin's constant and barely supressed belching 'on-camera' and you have, in my humble opinion, just over 11 minutes of visual and hilarious joy. Long may these great reviews continue and the same for the undisguised burping.
I’m not a fan of London Pride but I do really like Fullers Gold which Waitrose also sell. I’ll definitely give this one a go though thanks for the heads up
Simon just finished watching you uncap the Fullers bottle and at the same time of watching I uncapped a 50cl bottle of beer. Yours was £6. and miine was a pound only 3.4 % abv and from Green King . Tesco's have it for a quid just had to buy some. I usually never go below 5% abv. But gave it a try all in all it's O.K.. I can't bring myself to pay £6. A bottle I must be a tight git. By the my wife drinks the Same as Mel Jammy Red Roo and only £5.03 when all the offers are on. Back to my Life and Death till Xmas. Keep up the great reviews.
With Fullers, Asahi seem to be willing to keep the high quality ale going and also not reduce ABVs This looks incredible, I'll have a look in my nearest Waitrose to see if they have it. I like the way they have kept the sense of occasion with the box, it used to be really common pre 2010, but much rarer these days to see a beer with extravagant packaging..
They've actually reduced the abv of Golden Pride very slightly. It's now 8.4% instead of 8.5%. I believe there is lower taxation on beers between something like 3.4% and 8.4%, so it's clearly to fall into that category.
Hi Simon, I ordered a 3 pack from fullers a few weeks back 20 years of vintage ale, 1999, 2009 & 2019. Not sure what the 99 will be like, I know you can age this stuff but i think it might be a bit funky… we’ll see, not sampled it yet…
Having had them since 2012 , I enjoy the variety- sometimes a lovely burnt marmalade , others a fruitier new world hop year. Buy and save, they get even better and if you're a stingy capitalist lol, the investment is amazing when you see the price now of the old years' Bottles !
Wow, just looking to order this, along with 1845. Love this type of style in winter. 😊 Edit - Babs ''matron take them away!'' Si's back on to his other favourite subject🤣
Same with pilsner urquell they respect all there culture and heritage. Haven't changed under their ownership and I think they have owned urquell since the late 90s
I've got one in their adent calendar 🤞 Good point about the comparison to cheap wine by the way. Or a 4 pack of crap cans by the way. This beats them hands down
I wasn't sure about this one this year... tried a pint of this on cask in Central London.I find the citrus notes from the hops don't really accord with the heavy maltiness.....
Interesting 🤔 you don't usually get a lot of hop aroma in a beer that's sort of intended for aging although it might be a different recipe for cask vs bottles
Vintage ale is a cracking beer - did you know it is loosely based on their Golden Pride (8.4%) which is available in Waitrose for less than £3 a bottle.
I would have no problems with the Japanese having taken over control... The positive could be improved efficiency giving added financial security, assured quality should be expected (not saying it wasn't there before ) generally speaking for the Japanese profit will not be made by reducing product quality.
@bobbyt9671 I spoke to fullers I was told that nothing as changed,but like you and many others are saying the same,I think cheaper ingredients are used,as for my bottle beers a buy the Sam Smith plenty are organic and all 5av in a 550 bottles plus they don't entertain large supermarkets ,just independent shops/garden centres
I'm honestly stunned at the amount of people online slagging off Fullers vintage ale because of the £7 price tag. I thought it would be common sense that if this beer is double the strength of any normal beer, it would be double the price. When you look at it like that, £3.50 for one of the best ales you'll ever try is a bargain, not a rip off aha
Get the Fullers Golden Pride, 8.4% and less then £3 a bottle (vintage ale uses the golden pride as a recipe starting point and is then tweaked each year)
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Looking forward to this; I usually buy three, one for Christmas, one for my birthday, and one to keep for the future.
Tried this for the first time a few weeks ago and it really is incredible, reminded me of how UK cask ale used to taste years ago. It's not cheap but you wouldn't be chugging bottles back anyway. Perfect sipper.
I’ve picked up 2 up to now can’t wait to try them, Massive credit to Asahi for not tinkering with the beers since taking over, which is a long while ago now, Fullers are in a different league to Greene king, shepherd neame etc in my view, London pride, ESB, black cab stout, London porter all truly fantastic beers, long may it continue 🍺🍺🍺👌👌👍👍🙏🙏
Sad though that the house pub, attached to the brewery, has been boarded up for three years.
I'd happily pay £6 for a pint of that in a pub, so to be able to have it at home with some nice vintage cheddar and great bread and chutney sounds fantastic. If I can get one I definitely will, cheers Simon.
I'll never be happy paying £6 unless the average wages rise to the point where a round of drinks and a bite to eat isn't gonna take a fat chunk of a days pay. Forced behaviour change it is.
In the meantime its through gritted teeth and the fact that we can talk and socialise in our local pubs..
£6 is a shit pint of lager in many pubs nowadays
Just got my Fullers Advent calendar. It has the 2024 vintage as well as a very special 2019 vintage inside. can't wait!
Had the 2019 a few weeks back. Proof that ageing works - great beer.
They're the reason I bought one really
Try 5 years : "In 2019 Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc sold its drinks company (The Fuller's Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewery & Nectar Imports) to Asahi for £250m."
Just recently drank a 2020 release. Excellent. Then had the 2024 when they arrived a few weeks later. Definitely worth keeping for a while, if you're able to resist temptation, as the beer certainly improves with age. 2020 was still available so I ordered some more!
I drank my 2022 bottle last night . Absolutely delicious.
The Japanese owners have had a while to run Fullers now; the beer getting better year on year must be a sign of them improving the ingredients they are using or standards they have in place.
Is Peggy Mitchell still in it ????
The character Peggy died in 2016 and Barbara Windsor who played her died in 2020 .
Good to see our Simon is as on the ball as ever !
Picked this up the other day when looking for the Hairy Biker's ale. Was delighted! Haven't tasted it yet, but so looking forward to it.
Started watching the channel about 6 months ago. I used to be a San Miguel, poretti, moretti etc etc drinker but you have changed me! 😅. Now I refuse to drink that BS. I'm all about the foreign stuff now! Just been in home bargains and got myself 10 tuborg fici....... Awsome beer 👌 cheers Simon 👍
Just tried this and it is very good. Thought I would buy just one bottle for a cheeky taste and then maybe get a couple more in for Xmas. From memory, I feel it is a big step up from last year, but open to views on that one!
A while back now I kept a fullers vintage ale for around 5 years and when it came to opening it was lovely. Someone kindly bought me a vintage ale last Xmas so will probably be drinking that one on Xmas eve of this year. Always a tradition of mine to have something nice on Xmas eve either a good beer or one of my better Whiskys.
Hi Si ! I drinking Brittany’s craft tonight ! Friday night ! Cheers mate !!!🍻
I always look forward to this one. I get it in my local bottle shop here across the pond every couple years and we're due for it this year.
I've just bought 12 bottles of this on the strength of this review. It is absolutely delicious. My new favourite beer. It reminds me very much of Thomas Hardy's ale that hasn't been available for decades - and if you liked that beer you will LOVE this!
I buy a case every year, some gifts, some for me. I have a nice collection going back 15+ years, and the Past Masters series.
The past masters are worth a pretty penny now.
I'm gonna get me one. Don't care the cost. Fullers has a special place in my heart and their vintage ales are something to admire.
It's reassuring that this beer has been left alone as a premium product. It's a great example of traditional British brewing.
Hi Simon I was in home bargains the other day after watching your review of their cheep beers , anyhow I was looking for the love lane Baltic larger and was pleasantly surprised by the range of love lane beers so I bought the whole range it would be rude not to at 1:19 a can with the exception of the Christmas pudding stout , I love stout and love Christmas pudding but after reading the description of the beer I thought better I'd give it a miss , sorry for waffling I'm getting to the point honest , because of the epilepsy medicine I'm on I can't have more than one beer at a time anyway the first of their beers I tried was the pale ale and omg it was so good I can't wait to try the rest , well Carry On hoping you do a review of the entire love lane range
Simon I`ve got the same corkscrew....you don`t even have to open it out just use the silver end & press down couldn`t be easier better than opening it & levering up! Nice review on the ale, cheers.
Yes simon great video ❤ Aldi now have one of your favourites in .Triple karmeliet 8.4% beautiful 👍🍺
Yes! It is back again…will have to run down Waitrose later to enjoy an evening tipple. Something about sitting and enjoying a winter ale on a cold and dark autumn evening (would be improved by a open fire haha). The only question is…do I succumb to the urge to buy another extra one and put it away 😂
I so wish I could get this on this side of the pond. It sounds amazing.
I remember £1 bottles of wine from off licences in West London (Ealing) in 1983
I was lucky enough to have this years vintage on draught when in a Fullers pub in the city. It is definitely a good one.
I've got 2008 and 2009 versions in the cupboard. No idea how long they last.
If you don't know, You'll be surprised how much they're worth now!
Gorgeous stuff.. has to be consumed from a classic dimpled pint glass, flat cap, pipe and a ferret called Stuart. Cheers 🍻
I had a pint on draft of this a couple of weeks ago. Not a patch on the bottle conditioned stuff imho.
I've done my usual and bought two bottles this year, one to drink and one to keep Simon.
I still have kept a bottle from 2017 onwards so 8 years worth a counting.
just orderd one
Another great review casting welcome light on a much aniticpated seasonal brew. Looking forward to picking up a couple of bottles from my local Waitrose. I have the last six years of Fuller's Vintage editions sitting on a shelf in my garage 'beer collection' - this Christmas I intend to crack the first of the 'older' bottles open. As ever, the wonderful Simon Martin, surely the Rowley Birkin QC of the UK real ale online reviewers, once again offers his lightly carbonated, two-fingered ivory head opinions of a classic brew and brings a smile (often guffaws of laughter) as he rambles on, at times aimlessly about the 2024 version of the ale. (In this video Martin loses the plot over Barbara Windsor, with honking breast hand gestures and Simon desperately trying to recall the 1969 British comedy film, Carry On Camping - hilarious) Add to that Martin's constant and barely supressed belching 'on-camera' and you have, in my humble opinion, just over 11 minutes of visual and hilarious joy. Long may these great reviews continue and the same for the undisguised burping.
A great review of a geat beer. You should by 2 of these each year. Drink one now and then do a comparison next year with that year's version.
Got 2 bottles recently in my local Tesco £6 a bottle, saving one and will open the other at christmas.
It’s in watroes
I’m not a fan of London Pride but I do really like Fullers Gold which Waitrose also sell. I’ll definitely give this one a go though thanks for the heads up
Fullers Chiswick was a favorite haunt for actuaries of UK. I am not surprised.
Simon just finished watching you uncap the Fullers bottle and at the same time of watching I uncapped a 50cl bottle of beer. Yours was £6. and miine was a pound only 3.4 % abv and from Green King . Tesco's have it for a quid just had to buy some. I usually never go below 5% abv. But gave it a try all in all it's O.K.. I can't bring myself to pay £6. A bottle I must be a tight git. By the my wife drinks the Same as Mel Jammy Red Roo and only £5.03 when all the offers are on. Back to my Life and Death till Xmas. Keep up the great reviews.
6 quid is too rich for me as well mate. I'd go to 4 quid max.
Haha, not just me then@@SteveHarris-pw1ky
With Fullers, Asahi seem to be willing to keep the high quality ale going and also not reduce ABVs
This looks incredible, I'll have a look in my nearest Waitrose to see if they have it.
I like the way they have kept the sense of occasion with the box, it used to be really common pre 2010, but much rarer these days to see a beer with extravagant packaging..
They've actually reduced the abv of Golden Pride very slightly. It's now 8.4% instead of 8.5%. I believe there is lower taxation on beers between something like 3.4% and 8.4%, so it's clearly to fall into that category.
Brought the Innis and gun boxed highland cask ale same price £6 in b&m and this one in Tesco
Great video. Although it costs me a bloody fortune 😂
😢😢😢magnificent beer that we are unable to get anymore in Australia.
Your coopers vintage ale is on its way soon.
The movie Barbara Windsor was in, was called Carry On Camping.
Hi Simon, I ordered a 3 pack from fullers a few weeks back 20 years of vintage ale, 1999, 2009 & 2019. Not sure what the 99 will be like, I know you can age this stuff but i think it might be a bit funky… we’ll see, not sampled it yet…
Having had them since 2012 , I enjoy the variety- sometimes a lovely burnt marmalade , others a fruitier new world hop year. Buy and save, they get even better and if you're a stingy capitalist lol, the investment is amazing when you see the price now of the old years' Bottles !
Good review 👍
Wow, just looking to order this, along with 1845. Love this type of style in winter. 😊 Edit - Babs ''matron take them away!'' Si's back on to his other favourite subject🤣
Fuller’s used to be fairly easy to get in the USA at quality liquor stores, not so much anymore.
Is your tap dripping in the background?
I’ve got one of those from 1996. Didn’t realise it was worth money.
Simon, buy a crate to see you through the year!
Off to Waitrose in the morning.
Same with pilsner urquell they respect all there culture and heritage. Haven't changed under their ownership and I think they have owned urquell since the late 90s
Asahi may have respected the Chiswick brewery, but they've closed the Dark Star and Meantime breweries.
I've seen this in Tesco Simon
I've got one in their adent calendar 🤞 Good point about the comparison to cheap wine by the way. Or a 4 pack of crap cans by the way. This beats them hands down
Did you finish it?
I wasn't sure about this one this year... tried a pint of this on cask in Central London.I find the citrus notes from the hops don't really accord with the heavy maltiness.....
Interesting 🤔 you don't usually get a lot of hop aroma in a beer that's sort of intended for aging although it might be a different recipe for cask vs bottles
Vintage ale is a cracking beer - did you know it is loosely based on their Golden Pride (8.4%) which is available in Waitrose for less than £3 a bottle.
Yes good beer is much better then poor wine
I choose beer always but I don’t hate a good sour red wine
They change the hops every year & maybe tweak the malt bill as well, So it should be slightly different every time
This year there's a kind of citrus forward hop used.... I wasn't completely convinced though.
West London, Si.
Is your pink eye OK simon?
It's bottle conditioned - shame they don't sell it in Finland.
Is this bottle conditioned?
1845 4 for £7 is also a banger
Yes even better than last year's.
Not sure about that... Matter of taste I suppose.... I found the citrus hops didn't really fit with the malty profile.
I would have no problems with the Japanese having taken over control... The positive could be improved efficiency giving added financial security, assured quality should be expected (not saying it wasn't there before ) generally speaking for the Japanese profit will not be made by reducing product quality.
Praising Japanese owners, have you forgotten about them closing Meantime Brewery?
Fuller's Vintage Ale 2024 Review , One Of The Most Anticipated Beer Releases Of The More Craft Beer Reviews love louis shirley
I was disappointed by last year's Vintage Ale.
1845, just better, but will give this year's a try.
Fullers London Pride is nothing like it used to be on cask..... So I disagree that the beers haven't changed...
well said ,it's not good ,same in the bottles,but what do you except no longer inderpentent don't care what people say it's not as good as it was
smells better than last year,this is a good quality beer
@bobbyt9671 I spoke to fullers I was told that nothing as changed,but like you and many others are saying the same,I think cheaper ingredients are used,as for my bottle beers a buy the Sam Smith plenty are organic and all 5av in a 550 bottles plus they don't entertain large supermarkets ,just independent shops/garden centres
The Barbara Windsor film was Carry On Camping mate....she was exercising and her bra flew off....something i cant and dont want to forget lol
Stone the crows? 🐦
I'm honestly stunned at the amount of people online slagging off Fullers vintage ale because of the £7 price tag. I thought it would be common sense that if this beer is double the strength of any normal beer, it would be double the price. When you look at it like that, £3.50 for one of the best ales you'll ever try is a bargain, not a rip off aha
And it's 500ml Chief!
Carry on Camping.
It's a different recipe every year so....
Fullers Past Masters range
I prefer the imperial stout in the blue box 👌
I've still got one from a few years ago, sadly they don't do it now.
Why don't you do lives anymore????????
Why have you got a black eye Simon?
Simon. Barbara Windsor died in 2020
Carry On Camping 🤣 So Bad it's good.
Is this the first year the abv has dropped? And if so do we know why?
Carry on camping 😅
£6....................RIP OFF.
As a yearly Christmas treat its worth it.
Depends how good it is. There's so much crap around that for something of real quality it's worth it
Get the Fullers Golden Pride, 8.4% and less then £3 a bottle (vintage ale uses the golden pride as a recipe starting point and is then tweaked each year)