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Old Bedford Vintage Ale

Brewpoint
United Kingdom·Strong Ale
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Toffee and burnt sugar sweetness, balanced by a firm bitterness and a warming alcohol note. Old Bedford Vintage Ale is a deep amber strong ale at 9.5% in a 330 ml bottle, a limited edition made with pale ale, wheat, caramalt, melanoidin, crystal and chocolate malt and hopped with Pilgrim, Ernest and Endeavour. The brewery expects the flavour to smooth with age, with the malt turning sherried and vinous. It honours Charles Wells.

ABV
9.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
deep amber15
PaceSipper
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
caramelmaltychocolate
caramel
malty
chocolate
Aroma
The nose leads with pronounced toffee and burnt sugar sweetness, layered beneath a subtle chocolate note from the melanoidin and chocolate malt.
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Old Bedford Vintage Ale

◎ Appearance

Deep amber hue with rich, copper-tinged clarity characteristic of the style. The head forms densely and clings to the glass with persistent lacing, indicating substantial body and conditioning. Carbonation appears moderate, appropriate for a vintage ale designed to evolve over time.

deep amberpersistent headcopper-tinged

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with pronounced toffee and burnt sugar sweetness, layered beneath a subtle chocolate note from the melanoidin and chocolate malt. Beneath the sweetness lies a firm herbal-earthy character from the Pilgrim, Ernest and Endeavour hops, with a gentle warming alcohol presence that does not dominate.

toffee, burnt sugarherbal-earthy hopschocolate maltwarming alcohol

◐ Taste

Entry is full-bodied and malty sweet, with caramel and toffee flavours developing across the mid-palate, complemented by subtle chocolate undertones. A firm bitterness emerges to balance the sweetness, while the warming alcohol lends structure and presence. The finish remains smooth and integrated, with the malt providing a lingering richness.

caramel, toffee sweetnessfirm bitternesschocolate undertoneswarming alcohol

◑ Finish

The finish is long and warming, with the alcohol and residual malt sweetness persisting gracefully without harshness. The bitterness resolves into a pleasant herbal dryness that encourages contemplation.

long, warmingherbal dryness
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
82
Taste
84
Appearance
80
Finish
81
Serve at 12–16°C

Serve at 12–16°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Old Bedford Vintage Ale

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About Strong Ale

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Strong Ale?

Strong Ale is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Strong Ale

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