Fuller's Old Winter Ale - Fuller Smith & Turner PLC

Jason

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 18.6 oz English style brown bottle that has raised glass with a glimmering gold label. Best before date clearly printed on back.

Appearance: Crystal clear deep ruby copper with a thin wispy yet well retaining lace.

Smell: Rich sweet caramel with hints of toasted and vague roasted malt.

Taste: On the sweet side with a creamy full body, rich malt character with nutty, grainy and even a little bit of chocolate on the tongue. Hop bitterness develops more towards the end to reach a nice balance. Mouthful of residual sweetness still left over in the finish with a touch of dark chocolate.

Notes: As usual ... rich, hearty and very flavourful, drink and learn what a true imported English winter ale tastes like!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2002 16:59:01 | More by Jason

Real_BeerMAN

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 1 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Welcome cronies! This old beer came up to us and Russia. We drank to our event standards a bit, about 4 breasts at his brother. Pear at first did not feel, but after 2nd chest appeared pears, nuts, and the women ... After the third chest, we ourselves also are found dick knows where, but the pear disappeared as well as nuts. But the women were still. What happened after that I do not remember.On the morning of the head is white, and for some reason,
On the morning of the head is white, and somehow shaved. Shnunorovka in place, but the lacing is not obtained. The women did not have as Crediton cards and money. Beer is not subject to the basic laws of physics. Drank beer liters 8 and vysal all 15 ... The output of beer was as it was a statement, oblochno yellow with dense foam. PS We have a battery but still drink beer. even in summer. P.P.S tasty beer with peanuts in tomato glaze and kapchennym cheese. For gourmets can add 0.5 to 1 liter of vodka beer

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-24-2013 15:24:02 | More by Real_BeerMAN

Mattias

Sweden

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

01-26-2013 22:33:23 | More by Mattias

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

01-14-2013 04:20:45 | More by spycow

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%

01-11-2013 22:44:19 | More by BeerLover99

Ciocanelu

Romania

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle, poured into a pint.

It has a clear amber color. Forms a nice head that has very good retention and leaves nice lacing too.
Smell is quite complex: sweet malt, a bit fruity and also some liquorice.
Taste is a bit unexpected. The smell suggested a sweet brew but in fact it's bitter, resembling an ESB but more complex.
Body feels medium, crisp and dry. Good carbonation.

I expected a sweeter beer with less carbonation but that doesn't mean I didn't like it. It was a nice surprise and I enjoyed it very much.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 18:43:01 | More by Ciocanelu

Bilianas

5/5  rDev +27.2%

12-05-2012 16:59:09 | More by Bilianas

profondo

Sweden

4/5  rDev +1.8%

11-25-2012 18:32:15 | More by profondo

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -23.7%

11-11-2012 01:14:21 | More by cfalovo97

crnipeter

Slovenia

3.38/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours clear coppery-brown capped by a quarter of inch thin beige head that dissipates. Poor head presentation is acceptable as winter warmers are essentially Old Ales whose head-formation may be impaired by aging.

Initially indiscernible scent improves as the beer warms revealing nutty and caramel aroma of
malt as well as spicy and orange-like aromatics that might be attributed to the hops used (Nugget, Challenger and Northdown). No trace of alcohol whatsoever.

Flavor is pronounced nutty malt supplemented with substantial herbal hop-bitterness that seems a bit exaggerated stealing the show from the malts and leading into astringent dry finish. Considering the style I'd expect more malt complexity.

Well-attenuated somewhat crispy medium body.

In short, an attenuated nutty-bitter Winter Warmer that doesn't seem warming at the outset but delivers as I progress through the bottle (500 ml into tulip, BB 10-17-2013).

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 21:18:35 | More by crnipeter

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

09-11-2012 00:06:57 | More by Molson2000

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. Pint glass.Enjoyed on dec´11. Bright copper color. Clear. Off-white ,medium size bubbled,froth. Creamy crown with good retention.Yeast,herbes,slightly spicy with grape notes to the nose. Sparkling upfront followed by dry nutty bitterness.Mildy toasted malts & smooth resiny with pear hues. Medium body, soft carbonation.Fruity aftertaste. Very pleasant drinkability, refreshing & flavorful. Comment: when in doubt order a Fuller´s one even not being the best of theirs you will never regret it.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 18:04:12 | More by GONZALOYANNA

smi

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-06-2012 04:26:58 | More by smi

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a light amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry caramelized malt notes is interesting. Taste is dominated by dry malt notes, maybe a bit too dry and almost astringent. Some fruity aromas are also easily noticeable though harder to detect when tasting this beer. Body is about average with good carbonation. Good but a bit too dry for my own taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 03:35:55 | More by Phyl21ca

Arborescence

Finland

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Copper/amber. Pours a moderately thick head.

Aroma: Caramel sweetness, malt, toffee.

Taste: Starts as a typical English Bitter, but a toffee-like sweetness overwhelms quickly. Tastes like an English winter by the fireplace! There’s plenty of hops lingering about too, the mixture of different hops creates a nice balance.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, smooth.

Overall: I’ve missed beers like this, I tended to drink much more of pretty standard English bitters when I lived in the UK, but much less so since I moved back to Finland (and in the US), for obvious reasons. Not that this is a standard bitter; it has a more complex hops profile and the crystal malts create a lot of sweetness, appropriate for a Winter/Christmas Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:57:29 | More by Arborescence

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BB October 10, 2012

Pours a dark amber, almost chestnut brown, with a fair sized white head. Good retention, fair bit of lacing. Nice looking beer.

Immediate smells are earthy English hops, spices (ginger, nutmeg), and bready malt. Not a strong smell, but relatively pleasant.

Taste is pretty malt focused, fairly bready, with some spices. The earthy hop flavours are there as well, but I got them more strongly in the nose. The finish is sweet caramel malt, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Moderate carbonation, medium bodied.

Overall, another nice beer from a reliably solid brewery. I am not generally a big fan of winter warmers, but I rather like this beer. The spices are lighter than some others but this means, in part, that they are better integrated.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 03:12:33 | More by jrenihan

MishaEriksson

Finland

4/5  rDev +1.8%

12-30-2011 23:06:37 | More by MishaEriksson

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Rich mahogany with ruby highlights. Brilliant clarity. Pale beige head is lacy and moderately retentive. Aroma is malty and fruity, with notes of toffee, brown sugar, and plums. Tastes of sweet toffee up front, transitioning into slightly tangy plum and mixed nuts. Finishes with a lingering tea-like bitterness. Feels a little light and thin, with low carbonation. Not a bad beer, but the mouthfeel is a bit of letdown. Needs more heft.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 07:26:10 | More by mintjellie

cdwil

Texas

4/5  rDev +1.8%

12-29-2011 21:15:22 | More by cdwil

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best before date of 10 OCT 12. Poured in to tulip glass.

A - Medium to dark amber colour; translucent; one finger of foamy off-white head with decent retention.

S - Bready malts, dark caramel, nuttiness and a hint of spice.

T - Dark caramel, brown sugar, bread and spice up front. Hints of toasted nuts and a nice subtle hop bitterness in the background. The finish is dry and bitter. A very enjoyable winter warmer.

M - Medium body, creamy. Light carbonation.

O - Proof that winter warmers don't have to be spiced to hit the spot. A great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 23:58:29 | More by TheSevenDuffs

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from the LCBO, 500ml bottle into a tulip. Best before October 10, 2012.

Poured a ruby red/mahogany, filtered with a nice white caps. Creamy with some larger bubbles, solid retention and lace. Nose is malty and sugary, some faint berries, winter spicing although nothing in particular pops. Sweet bready qualities as well. Taste has more malt, albeit less prominent than the nose, faint spicing, and some light caramel, nuts and sweet bready/graininess. A nice warming feel all around, good body and appropriate medium carbonation puts this a little higher up on the charts than just a sipper. I enjoyed this but this is far from being at the top of my list of favourite winter warmers.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 03:03:08 | More by liamt07

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice copper with decent head and lacing, and excellent retention.

The aroma is well rounded without lacking in either the malt or hop presence.

The flavor is pretty congruent with the style I've come to expect from Fullers. The hops are tamed, but at the same time they provide a pretty solid bitter base to support the malt. The malt in this one is a bit more rich than most of the Fullers offerings. It's got a bit of a biscuit flavor as well as mild grain notes. Any sweetness is balanced by bitterness, yet the bitterness is very subtle.

The mouthfeel is quite creamy, and carbonation is nice. The only downside was that the body was a tad thin. A bit thicker and it would have aced this category.

Overall, this is one of my favorite Fullers offerings to date. I'm surprised to say that as Winter Ales aren't really my favorite style, but this one was a bit atypical with the malt sweetness toned down and the hops bumped up.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:52:19 | More by BBP

jak

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%

12-14-2011 17:53:36 | More by jak

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lovely ruby colour with amber tinged edges and a very frothy off-white head that leaves an ample amount of lace behind as it settles as a soapy collar.

Smells of sweet caramel, tree nuts, plums and has a peppery spiciness to it. Simple, but solid.

Crisp and peppery taste with a soft and warm caramel malt body, a note of raisin and a fatty, nut-like tone. Nice balance here, but a bit subdued. The finish is dry and spicy, like nutmeg or allspice.

Medium-bodied with a mild carbonation. Bitter on the tongue with a nice, oily character. Aftertaste has a roasted caramel malt tone.

A nice and easy drinking, lightly spiced English pale ale. A tad mild as a "winter warmer", but most certainly a quality ale worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 19:31:51 | More by bryehn

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a clear dark brown/red colour with an average size frothy and fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some very nice lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, butterscotch, cherries, all-spice, raisins

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts mixed with butterscotch/caramel and some all-spice. There is also a bit of a licorice taste and some notes of dates/raisins and a hop bitterness. It ends with a malty dark fruit aftertaste with a hint of spice.

Overall - I was a little disappointed with this one. I guess I was just expecting more from fullers. It's a good beer but there are much better seasonal offerings available. I wouldn't pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 17:36:18 | More by spinrsx