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Batemans Vintage Ale

The Batemans 2014 Vintage Ale 7.5% ABV

Reviewed: 27th April 2024

This beer has a great back story, the old Batemans head brewer Martin Cullimore, found a broken bottle of an old barleywine that was put away by George Bateman for his son Stuart (current MD) 21st birthday, but it was forgotten about and found some later; liking the flavour of what they'd discovered, they decided to start brewing it and Batemans Vintage Ale was created.

Appearance:
It's pours a dark russet colour with flashes of red showng through when held upto the light, a small beige head finishes the look of this ale. It looks strong and rich.

Aroma:
You start to get whiffs of aroma as your pour it, it smell boozy. It smells rich, fruity and sweet. It's a very inviting beer from the aroma. 

Taste:
I've had this Batemans Vintage Ale a few times now and I can't wait to dive in.
Straight away you know that this is a very different strong beer, its got that barrel aged flavour to it (and why not, it has been aged in oak wine casks that were previously used to store Bordeaux I believe). A complex array of flavours start to flow around my mouth; fruity notes of grape, plum, cherry, port etc with a sweet caramel backbone and perhaps a touch of roasted malts.
A slightly boozy feel to this beer, although at 7.5% it not over the top.

Mouthfeel:
Out of the bottle, this is a lovely feeling beer in the mouth, it feels rich and luxurious, it's silky smooth and slips down easily.

Overall: 
While it tastes and feels rich, it is a very light and refreshing ale; the wine barrel-aged character both works very well with this beer to add just the right amount of character. 

It's got rich malt flavours with hints of caramel and toffee, all balanced by a subtle hop bitterness. If you like bold, complex beers, this might be right up your alley. It's a great one to sip and savour, especially if you're into craft brews with character. Have you had any standout craft beers lately?

Score: 9/10


Thanks for reading, enjoy your beers, cheers!






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