Batemans Vintage Ale

The Batemans 2014 Vintage Ale 7.5% ABV

Reviewed: 27th April 2024

Some beers feel special before you have even opened the bottle, and Batemans Vintage Ale is definitely one of them. The traditional label, dark glass bottle and individual presentation box immediately suggest that this is something to be opened slowly and enjoyed rather than simply taken from the fridge and poured without a second thought.

The label has an appropriately old-fashioned and exclusive appearance. It looks like it belongs on a bottle that has been retrieved from the back of a brewery cellar, rather than something produced to follow the latest craft beer trend. The attractive cardboard presentation box adds to that feeling and makes the beer look more like a gift or a commemorative release. It is a lovely piece of presentation from Batemans and perfectly suits the history behind the beer.

The story behind Batemans Vintage Ale

This beer has a great backstory. Batemans’ former head brewer, Martin Cullimore, reportedly discovered an old bottle of barley wine in the brewery cellars. The beer had originally been put away by George Bateman for his son Stuart’s 21st birthday, but it was forgotten and remained hidden for decades.

Although the bottle had been damaged, the beer inside had developed a remarkable depth of flavour. Rather than simply treating it as an interesting brewery relic, Batemans used the discovery as inspiration. The brewery returned to its old barley wine recipe and attempted to recreate the rich, mature character found in those forgotten bottles. Batemans Vintage Ale was born from that work.

The 2014 release was the 3rd edition of the Vintage Ale and was brewed using malts made from Flagon and Tipple barley varieties, along with Worcester Golding hops. The beer was then matured in oak wine casks from the Bordeaux region of France. That time in oak has clearly left its mark, bringing flavours more commonly associated with port, brandy and fortified wine into the rich malt base of the beer.

This particular bottle had already been ageing for around ten years when I opened it in April 2024. Strong ales can continue to change considerably in the bottle, with sharper alcoholic notes softening and fruit, malt and oxidation combining to create flavours resembling sherry, port, dried fruit and caramel. Of course, ageing beer is never completely predictable, but this bottle had clearly survived its long wait extremely well.

Batemans advises that the beer may contain some sediment, so it is worth standing the bottle upright before opening it and pouring carefully. Personally, I quite like that. It reinforces the feeling that this is a living, slowly developing beer rather than a completely uniform mass-produced product.

Appearance:

It pours a deep, dark russet colour, with attractive flashes of ruby red and mahogany showing through when the glass is held up to the light. A small beige head forms on top, although it does not hang around for too long.

Even before tasting it, the appearance tells you that this is going to be a strong and malt-led beer. It looks rich, warming and mature, almost like a cross between an old ale, a barley wine and a glass of tawny port.

Aroma:

You start to get whiffs of the aroma as soon as the beer begins to pour. The initial impression is boldly boozy, rich and sweet, but not harsh or spirit-like. It fills the glass with a heavy, complex aroma that immediately encourages you to take your time.

Deep, dark fruit notes dominate, particularly stewed plums, raisins, cherries and red grapes. There is also a touch of orange peel, bringing a small lift of citrus through the heavier fruit.

Behind that fruit is a lovely malt sweetness, reminding me of black treacle, brown sugar, caramel and rich digestive biscuits. The time spent maturing in oak also brings a smoother undercurrent of vanilla, almond and slightly woody spice. There is a definite fortified wine character here, somewhere between port, sherry and brandy.

It is a very inviting aroma and one that continues to change as the beer warms in the glass. This is certainly not a beer that needs to be served ice cold. Allowing it to warm slightly helps release more of those fruit, malt and oak aromas.

Taste:

I have had Batemans Vintage Ale a few times now, so I was keen to dive in and see how this 2014 bottle had developed.

Straight away, you know this is a very different kind of strong beer. The first taste delivers that unmistakable oak-matured character, with dark fruit, warming alcohol and sweet malt flowing around the mouth together.

Plum, cherry, raisin and grape provide the main fruit flavours, accompanied by something resembling port or an old dessert wine. The fruit is deep and mature rather than bright or juicy. There is also a subtle orange peel note, which provides a little contrast against the darker flavours.

The malt backbone is equally impressive. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, black treacle and biscuit all appear at different points, creating layers of sweetness without making the beer feel sticky or overly sugary. A slight roasted malt character appears underneath, adding further depth and stopping the sweetness from completely taking over.

The oak ageing brings vanilla, almonds, soft wood and a touch of spice. There are also gentle brandy and sherry-like flavours, probably enhanced by the years spent developing in the bottle. At times, it almost tastes as though a small measure of port has been added to a traditional English barley wine.

There is a warming alcoholic presence, as you would expect from a beer at 7.5% ABV, but it never becomes aggressive. After ten years, any sharper edges appear to have softened considerably. The warmth builds gently through the finish rather than hitting the back of the throat.

A restrained hop bitterness remains in the background. It is not a particularly hoppy beer by modern standards, nor should it be, but that gentle bitterness gives the sweetness some balance and helps keep each mouthful surprisingly drinkable.

Mouthfeel:

This is a lovely beer in the mouth. It feels rich, silky and luxurious, with a medium-to-full body and soft carbonation. It glides across the palate and slips down rather more easily than a decade-old 7.5% ale probably should.

Despite all the malt, dark fruit and alcohol, it does not become syrupy or exhausting. There is enough carbonation and bitterness to keep it moving, while the warming finish encourages slow, thoughtful sipping.

Overall:

Batemans 2014 Vintage Ale is a beautifully mature and deeply satisfying beer. It combines rich malt, dark fruit and warming alcohol with oak, vanilla, almonds and fortified wine flavours. There is plenty happening, but all the different elements seem to work together rather than compete for attention.

I would not describe it as light, but it is remarkably easy to drink considering its strength and complexity. The wine cask maturation adds exactly the right amount of character without disguising the traditional English ale beneath it.

This is a beer to pour carefully, allow to warm and sip slowly. The story, packaging and presentation make opening it feel like an occasion, but thankfully the beer inside lives up to that promise. If you enjoy barley wines, old ales, vintage beers or anything with rich port and brandy-like flavours, Batemans Vintage Ale is well worth seeking out.

Ten years after it was brewed, this bottle was drinking wonderfully. Rich, fruity, warming and complex, yet still balanced enough to remain enjoyable from the first mouthful to the last.

Score: 9/10

Thanks for reading, enjoy your beers, cheers!