Limited Edition ‘Vintage Ale’ Comes to the UK

When Coopers released its first batch of ‘Extra Strong Vintage Ale’ in 1998, it sold out in just 5 days. Now ale connoisseurs in the UK can snap up their own piece of brewing history. This October, Coopers’ 2007 Vintage will launch in Tesco stores across the UK. Last year, Tesco named Coopers’ 2006 Vintage as “Best Import” in “The Tesco Drinks Awards”.

Exclusive malts and an extended top fermentation allow Vintage Ale to improve with age, developing more complexity and spice for up to 7 years. Brewed to 7.5% ABV, Vintage is the strongest of Coopers’ beers and comes packed with cooked plum and toffee-like flavours, balanced by hints of sour cherry and chicory.

Ales which go under secondary fermentation, like Coopers, are bottled with live yeast, which mops up dissolved oxygen, and extends shelf life to around two years. Coopers Operations Manager, Nick Sternberg, says “ales which have high alcohol and hops levels, like Coopers Vintage, have even better aging potential.”

Last year, the Coopers brewing team conducted a tasting of its six Vintage ales, from the first release in 1998, through 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and finally 2006. They discovered that each vintage was still quite drinkable and had developed its own distinctive flavours. The 1998 vintage had lost its bitterness, but retained its malty and caramel notes. Older vintages had developed flavours reminiscent of Christmas-pudding, Port and toffee.

This year, vintage beers hit the headlines when a hoard of unique Victorian ales was discovered in a vault in Burton on Trent, Derbyshire. Brewed in 1869, these ales were found to be nothing like modern beers. Instead, they offered an intense mixture of flavours resembling port, sherry or Madeira. The discovery has now sparked debate about how long beers can be stored and matured.

To-date, the oldest bottle of Coopers sampled by the brewery in Australia is about 30 years old. Nick Sternberg says: “People occasionally find old bottles of Coopers and contact us. We can normally date them through the label and then suggest opening them to see how they have survived.”

Extra Strong Vintage Ale reaches its peak after about two years of careful storage in a cellar environment. When Coopers’ 2007 vintage hits the shelves in October, UK consumers may find it hard to put their tasty prize into storage. Either way, Coopers Vintage promises a remarkable drinking experience.