Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale - Coopers Brewery Limited

kingjames1

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a thick, murky rust brown. Big floaties flopping out in the pour. No head to speak of, but then I poured it very...um...daintily. Smell is fainter than expected: raisins, rum and brown sugar. I definitely pick up the sweet apple cider one review noted. Taste is similarly restrained in flavor. But, it should be noted that I am somewhat congested.

Good, for sure, but nothing to write home about. It is suprisingly 'thin' for a strong ale that packs 7.5%. Having said that, this is a solid English Strong ale. Satisfying, if a bit underwhelming. The mouthfeel is a tad watery, even while there is a slight alcohol burn going down the esophagus. Drinkability is fair.

Good, but not sure it is worth the cash you have to fork over for it.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 00:28:36 | More by kingjames1

UCLABrewN84

California

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at GRG1313’s tasting.

2008 vintage.

Pours a clear copper with a foamy bone head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is malt, caramel, and fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with caramel and hop flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:12:01 | More by UCLABrewN84

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -31.3%

04-15-2013 22:49:00 | More by AmandaSchaefer

magpieken

Australia

4/5  rDev +9.9%

04-08-2013 16:06:50 | More by magpieken

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +3%

04-06-2013 12:50:01 | More by rolltide8425

lilsmizzul1225

Indiana

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-28-2013 00:50:01 | More by lilsmizzul1225

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.9%

03-10-2013 20:17:30 | More by spycow

pkalix

California

4.36/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

beautiful color- dark amber... what to expect?
small topping of foam on top with sediment resting comfortably...
smells are of dark fruit, fig? but with the 'english' twist(?). malts....
taste is thickererer... than most other english brews. i like it. a tad bitter. very malty. but bitter.
mouthfeel...hmmmm....
overall, a decent thicker english brew. definitely one which you need to 'step back' and re-evaluate before making a decision... i'm intrigued by the sediment sitting on top of the thin film of white; by the thick feel on the tongue and the bitter, yet malty sweet taste on the palate afterward....

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:20:43 | More by pkalix

Camallan

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%

02-16-2013 04:50:25 | More by Camallan

FLima

Brazil

4.06/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2010 conditioned. Amber brownish color. It made a thin head with low retention. Last poured gave a few floating particles.
Pleasant fruity and woody aroma, notes of caramel and earthy and floral hops.
Nice malty and flavorful taste with a spicy and refreshing sensation. Hints of tangerines, apple, pepper, and brandy. Nice hoppiness on the background. Dry and hoppy and condimented aftertaste.
Medium body and low to medium carbonation. 7.5% abv is harmonic.
I did like this beer, not too heavy, still flavorful and hoppy. I wonder how it would be if I drank it in another couple of years or younger. Though after 3 years it showed up as a great beer, maybe at its peak.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:52:31 | More by FLima

supermeniscus

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev +3%

01-23-2013 20:07:13 | More by supermeniscus

jadams11

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.9%

01-15-2013 20:46:24 | More by jadams11

HangingJohnny

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

01-09-2013 02:24:15 | More by HangingJohnny

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +3%

12-17-2012 15:53:56 | More by stereosforgeeks

jheezee

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

12-10-2012 20:00:59 | More by jheezee

buckyp

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%

12-07-2012 02:02:16 | More by buckyp

NHSTEVE

New Hampshire

3.38/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy brown with a hue of orange

S: Fruity smell, slight bread and hop smell

T: A balance between the malts and the hops, the fruit taste is what stands out.

M: Smooth with a light carbonation.

O: The side of the bottle did say to pour with care because there is sediment in the bottom of the bottle, I pour first and read second. It would be easy to drink more than one of these beers in a sitting. Overall a pleasant beer and I would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 21:58:09 | More by NHSTEVE

djrn2

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -17.6%

11-22-2012 21:04:08 | More by djrn2

boudreaux

Alabama

4/5  rDev +9.9%

11-19-2012 17:32:47 | More by boudreaux

Danobold

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +3%

11-17-2012 23:37:04 | More by Danobold

sneaks2210

New York

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

11-14-2012 22:12:22 | More by sneaks2210

Gtotango

California

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%

11-06-2012 19:05:43 | More by Gtotango

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I am not sure if I have had anything from this brewery, but my recent obsession with cellaring beers has me excited. The picture in the book shows a 2007, and while we didn't find that one at Total Wine & More, we grabbed a bottle from 2008. I can't imagine there is a huge difference. It was also interesting to learn that they have people tasting, expert tasters as it were, making sure that Coopers beers taste the same over time for consistency. This beer doesn't go through that, but I have a lot of hopes for this one. Let's start drinking, shall we?

In the Glass: It looks like syrup in the glass. That is exactly what I had expected, too. For the ABV and the price on a beer like this, most will light up a cigar and take his or her time enjoying this one. It's not a chugging beer, rather a beer you can sit back and relax with. There is practically no head, and a very thin, boring lace. Perfect!

Nose: This is right out of the fridge, but there is a malty sweetness to it that I love. It reminds me, from the look in the glass to the powerful aroma, of the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. Not the same by any means, but something you will take your time to appreciate and the experience will be worth every second. Let's see what this beer tastes like!

Flavor: Oh yeah, buddy. That's what I'm talking about! Again, super cold. And I will let it sit here for a little bit before I take another drink, but there is a smoothness to it, then you are hit with those malty flavors and you can almost taste the word "vintage" in the beer. You have to remember, this beer was brewed and bottled back in 2008. Each bottle has a "best after" date on it, and this one has been sitting in the bottle so long, the "best after" date has rubbed off. But according to what it said in the book, 2-3 years before you should even consider drinking this.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is boring at first, but as you take a second and third sip, you start to appreciate the flatness of the beer, and focus on the flavors and the overall complexity of the beer. Even when I tried swooshing it around in my mouth, there are hardly any bubbles. Looking at the website, and seeing Thomas Cooper's face makes me realize just how much work goes into making a good craft beer. This is a good craft beer.

Aftertaste: The aftertaste is sweet and malty, just as I expected. Maybe I drink too much, but I could tell you what the entire experience was going to be like before I even took my first sip! That's OK, it was fun proving myself right! I am sure there will be beers along the way that will surprise me. I hope so, or this will be a boring ride.

I was a little worried that the bottle/label didn't say "extra strong" on it. But upon further research, I found that it is in fact the same beer. I have this obsession with finding the exact bottle in the book, from the size to the label. I know we won't be able to do that the entire way, but when we can, I like to match the list. Big fan of the Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale. I might buy another one tonight at work! Bottoms up, people!

Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale - The bottle says: "Coopers Vintage has been brewed with choice malts and extended top fermentation to provide a strong flavorsome ale. Stored under cellar conditions the rig and full flavor of Coopers Vintage will become more complex over an extended period."

"Coopers Ales and Stout are brewed using the centuries old top fermentation method and natural bottle conditioning, resulting in a characteristic fine sediment forming on the base of the bottle. This sediment is completely natural and can be gently mixed before stinking or poured carefully leaving the sediment in the bottle."

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 18:27:02 | More by rickyleepotts

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +3%

10-21-2012 17:08:39 | More by RblWthACoz

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is the 2008 vintage that I have been aging in my cellar for a few years now. Poured into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. I was extremely careful to not pour the thick sediment into the glass. Great amount of carbonation, with excellent lacing. Garnet ruby red body with orange highlights. Very nice looking beer. Smell was earthy and yeasty. Taste was very pleasurable. Malt, raisins, toffee, and fresh bread were highlights. Mouthfeel was the biggest surprise, so extra points here. It held up well over the time in the cellar, and it was mighty smooth. If I could go back, I would definitely buy a few more for a mere $3 each and age some for 5 years and beyond just to see if it can get better. But it's pretty great tasting at 4 years, no doubt.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 04:15:52 | More by morebeergood