E-Malt.com News article: UK: Coopers’ Vintage Ale awarded Best Import by Retail giant Tesco

Coopers 2006 Extra Strong Vintage Ale has won a major award from giant United Kingdom retail chain Tesco, which points to a new Vintage Ale being released next year, the company said November 22. Coopers won the 2007 Tesco Drinks Awards’ Best Import and as a result received an order for 2,500 cases.

However, according to Coopers Chairman and Marketing Director, Mr. Glenn Cooper, less than 500 cases of the 2006 Vintage Ale, which was released in July, are left.

“The Tesco order is for the next Vintage Ale we release,” he said.

“Since the year 2000, Vintage Ales have been produced every two years. Based on that schedule, the next release would not be until 2008.

“However, the demand from Tesco and the likelihood that the remaining cartons of the 2006 Vintage Ale will be snapped up before Christmas means we will be giving serious consideration to releasing a new Vintage in 2007.”

The annual Tesco Drinks Awards are open to all non-UK brewed beers not currently available in the UK’s off-trade market and are designed to bring the “most interesting and exciting overseas beer” to the UK.

The judges, a select group of beer writers, experts, brewing industry body representatives and senior Tesco management, look for a distinctive beer offering something new to British beer drinkers.

Mr Cooper said Vintage Ale’s win was a coup for Coopers and strengthened its distinctive reputation in the marketplace. “In Australia, Vintage Ale has become a collector’s item,” Mr Cooper said. “For beer connoisseurs, it is the equivalent of the finest red wines and like a good red wine, producing a quality Vintage Ale takes time and great skill to achieve a balanced, refreshing and flavoursome beer.

“The 2006 Vintage is considered to be our best yet and while it drinks well now, under ideal conditions it will continue to develop in the bottle.”

On its release, Coopers Managing Director and Head Brewer, Dr Tim Cooper said that if stored correctly, the patient drinker would be rewarded with a truly distinctive beer, and even after one year, it may develop in aroma, roundness and balance.

A recent taste testing by Coopers Brewers of all six Vintage Ales produced since 1998 showed that each of the ales, including the first, had matured and were still drinkable, although the oldest were definitely showing signs of aging.


24 November, 2006