Vintage Ale - How??????

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Grinder12000

Grinder12000

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What makes Fullers Vintage Ale different then other ales. Why does THIS one age better then other ales.

I understand that some ales age horribly (Rogue Chocolate Stout is hideous aged) so how does Fuller achiege aging ales 10 years and they keep getting BETTER!
 
I didn't think 8.5% was that high for preserving. Would this mean other extreme brews would age more successfully?
 
Another thing I picked up about aging is that highly-hopped beers may not age well. A typical IPA might peak at 6-8 weeks. The hop aroma and flavor DEFINITELY start fading after that. That may not make the beer bad -- in fact, it might improve it, depending on your tastes. But it will slowly get less hoppy over time.

That's why a lot of the belgians that age so well don't really accentuate the hops -- they are typically lightly hopped to begin with. The Fuller's and Cooper's Vintage Ale are also not very happy (but both are extremely well-balanced, IMHO).
 
1. Higher alcohol
2. More melanoidins
3. Flavor profile does not depend on volatile (eg hop) compounds
4. Flavor profile is designed to be appealing once oxidized
5. The young beer is brewed to be extraordinarily rich and full bodied, so that the aged beer does not seem overly thin
6. Brewed with hop bitterness that seems excessive when young so that the aged beer is appropriately bitter (also helps with preservation)
7. Impeccable sanitation, most commercial breweries have this, certainly Fullers

The most important thing is that its a beer that is going to taste good aged. Pliny the Elder has similar alcohol, and the same things will happen to it over time, it just won't taste as good once those things have happened.
 
remilard said:
1. Higher alcohol
2. More melanoidins
3. Flavor profile does not depend on volatile (eg hop) compounds
4. Flavor profile is designed to be appealing once oxidized
5. The young beer is brewed to be extraordinarily rich and full bodied, so that the aged beer does not seem overly thin
6. Brewed with hop bitterness that seems excessive when young so that the aged beer is appropriately bitter (also helps with preservation)
7. Impeccable sanitation, most commercial breweries have this, certainly Fullers

The most important thing is that its a beer that is going to taste good aged. Pliny the Elder has similar alcohol, and the same things will happen to it over time, it just won't taste as good once those things have happened.
Click to expand...

+1 - great summary
 

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