Fuller's 2007 Vintage Ale

I'm a sucker for a fancy-looking bottle, so when I saw this special-edition Fuller's brew — which comes in a box, a la scotch — I had to jump on it. Apparently Fuller's puts out one of these limited-run brews every year; the bottle I got is #120,153 of 150,000. I think I should have let it sit out long enough to warm up to almost room temp, but it's still pretty tasty. Not as good as I expected, though — I think my expectations were on the level of North Coast Old Stock Ale, and it's not quite that rich. Actually, what I'd really compare it to is Sierra Nevada's Harvest fresh hop ale — a really clean taste, with neither the malts nor the hops overwhelming each other. A light, toasty flavor. I'm really enjoying it, although I'm not sure it was quite worth the $6 or whatever it was I paid for the single bottle. Still, I might get another one if any are left at Spec's just because I'm intrigued by the idea of aging it, which the brewer recommends. Overall rating: very well done, but just a hair shy of what I expect from these special-edition seasonals.

UPDATE: It's now February 2012, and I just opened that extra bottle I said I'd buy. The brewer was right. More than four years of aging brought out a strong cherry tone. This is absolutely wonderful now.