Fuller’s, London’s only remaining family brewer, has announced it will be returning to the Great British Beer Festival next week with a rare treat for real ale connoisseurs – Vintage Ale 2013 in cask.

Vintage Ale 2013 (ABV 8.5%) is brewed using the best malt and hops from this year’s harvest and is usually only available in bottle, which conditions and matures over time resulting in a great depth of flavour.

Fuller’s head brewer John Keeling is excited to unveil this special incarnation of the Vintage range: “This is a truly unique opportunity to try Vintage Ale in cask. Bottle-conditioned beer is often referred to as real ale in a bottle, and this is one of the only opportunities to try Vintage in cask form.

“The early tasting notes for this rich brew are already revealing what will undoubtedly be another genuinely complex vintage. In cask, it matures differently to bottle, so this will be an interesting opportunity to compare cask Vintage to bottle-conditioned.”

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2013 has been brewed using the winter barley variety Pearl, which has resulted in one of the bigger palate Vintages to date. The Pearl malt combined with award-winning spicy Admiral and fruity Sovereign hops gives the 2013 Vintage a deep, rich, stone fruit palate overlaid with cinnamon, pineapple and marmalade notes.

Ian Bray, managing director of Fuller’s Beer Company, is delighted to be back at GBBF: “This festival is the place to be in the real ale calendar, and we are incredibly proud to be back once again, supporting CAMRA and showcasing a range of our fantastic beers, including the exemplary Vintage Ale.”

Vintage Ale is a truly distinguished ale, made with a blend of that year’s finest malt and hops, and Fuller’s unique yeast, creating a special limited-edition brew. Vintage Ale 2013 will be on sale for only limited periods each day at GBBF, and only sold in 1/3 pint servings.

In addition to the UK’s number one premium ale, London Pride, real ale connoisseurs visiting the Fuller’s stand will be able to enjoy ESB, Wild River, Chiswick Bitter, and Summer Ale among others.