 SilkTork (3865), Rochester, Kent, England
Dec 6, 2003 Updated: Jan 5, 2007
Dec, 2003 Gravity fresh @ Pig’s Ear Festival, East London. Very dark murky brown settles into a mahogany glow. Raisin aroma. Perfect mouthfeel. Staggering flavour. Dark malt - dates, plums, etc. A beautiful balance of sweet and bitter. Wondrous. Long lingering gentle but assertive bitter finish. Everything is here - the sweet dark malt fruit up front, the mix in the middle, and the dry finish. This was one of the two beers I came to Pig’s Ear for. I was slightly uncertain about this one because barley wine is not usually my thing, but this blew my socks off. I was trembling with excitement and pleasure as I drank it. If I didn’t have a job to do sampling another 30 beers I would have stayed on this all day and then been carried out giggling. [4.7]
Dec, 2006 Bottle conditioned as Kings Ale. I opened this as part of my British Wedding celebration. I had brought the bottle earlier in the day and let it settle. I removed the lead cover, and then carefully removed the cork. Yes. The cork was intact and moist. The aroma was very strong. Rich woody port. I carefully poured half a glass. There were some bubbles - but there is dispute if this was evidence of remaining carbonation or simply agitation from the pour. The liquid was honey brown and clear of sediment. I poured two more small glasses, but these were murky, as I’d disturbed the sediment. The beer in my glass was soft honeyed toffee with wood, port, spice, fruit cake, alcohol and an oaky bitterness. In my excitement I wanted others to share, and gave sips of my glass to people who didn’t understand what they were drinking. But those who drank from my glass felt the beer was like port and drinkable. The beer from the other two glasses was like vinegar. As the beer in my glass was diminishing, I topped up from the bottle. Sadly, I topped up with disturbed sediment, and my glass turned to vinegar. I corked the bottle and took the remains home where I let it settle until Christmas. I then opened it again. I had problems removing the cork a second time as it had now dried out. It broke again and again. Eventually I had to scoop out the centre from the remaining quarter in the lower part of the neck, and poke a small hole for the beer to come through. A very careful pour again produced a honey brown clear liquid. Again it tasted of spicy, sweet, toffee port. Quite delightful. Quite, quite delightful. Nothing aggressive. Everything soft and gentle, yet flavoursome and balanced. The sweetness, the spice, the fruit, the toffee, the alcohol, the wood, the bitterness were all in harmony. Mmmm. I poured again, but immediately I could see the colour was tarry, and the aroma was tinged with vinegar. One sip was enough. Yugh! Allowed to settle and then poured carefully, the top of this vintage ale is a trembling pleasure. But a second pour is not possible, and allowing the sediment to intrude on the initial pour could contaminate the glass. Pour as much as you dare, but don’t be too greedy!
yngwie (3454), Kristiansand, Norway
Aug 28, 2008 Thx to Magic_dave6 I also got a chance to try the 1902 Kings Ale. That’s 104 years of cellaring. Thx a whole f...ing lot mate. I was lucky to get the first or second pour, and my beer tasted really good. The later pours seemed to taste more and more sourish and vinegarish. Mine had a madeira-like aroma, with a little sour and quite oxidized touch, evident alcohol and caramel maltyness. It was a murky brown beer without head, actually looking very nice. Except for those few chunks of cork floating in it. There were some sourness and a good oxidation in the flavor too, with caramel maltyness, a little nutty touch and a surprising bitterness. Full-bodied and sweet, slightly warming. The sourness were most evident in the long finish, where it also had company of alcohol and some caramel. Would have rated it 8-4-7-4-16-4. Maybe it’s getting extra points for the age, but that doesn’t matter, it’s not that sample I’m rating. Once again, thx a lot Tom, it was a great experience. (060826)
Bottle at Kulminator. As Kings Ale, 1981 vintage, 8% ABV. Served in Kings Ale glass! A dark copper beer with a small beige head. Vinous, nutty, caramel, beef-stock aroma with obvious signs of oxidation, but not in an unpleasant way at all. Very mellow, and no aromas really stand out. The flavor continues in the more or less the same way, with caramel, some roasted malt, a little piney hops, some slightly warming notes of alcohol and a mild oxidation. Quite thin body, and with a touch of sourness in the finish, which is also surprisingly hoppy. It’s a privilege to taste a 25 year old beer of this quality. (080714)
Marsiblursi (1400), Göteborg, Sweden
Aug 20, 2008 (Draught from mini-keg) Pours dark reddish brown. The aroma is medium to heavily malty and vinous with tones of caramel, fudge, bread and dried fruits/raisins/plums. Undertones of earthy and herbal hops. Some alcohol warmth. The flavour is fat malty and vinous with notes of caramel, fudge, dried fruits and fiery alcohol. Medium hop bitter, medium sticky sweet and rather salty. The mouthfeel is syrupy, chewy and light spicy. The finish is dry and tart. Near full-bodied.
kp (6200), Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Aug 13, 2008 Name: Bass No. 1
Date: 06/21/2008
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Appearance: clear dark brown, scant head,
Aroma: sweet dark caramel aroma with dark fruits and light alcohol,
Body: big body with a stickyness,
Flavor: rich dark caramel candy flavor, emerging fruit, touch of chocolate, light balancing earthyness grows almost into distraction, alcohol adds a bit of heat to the caramel, long bitter finish,
Overall: needs a bit more time for the earthyness to fade and let the fruity character develop,
Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***/4
DSG (844), Yuvalim, Israel
Aug 9, 2008 (6/29/08) Mini-keg sample at RBESG08 grand tasting in Plzen. Deep amber with a tiny beige head. Aroma of malt, some plums and caramel. Sweet malty flavor with caramel, big dark fruit character, hints of chocolate and a bit of alcohol. Quite full-bodied.
imdownthepub (4017), Banbury, Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire, England
Aug 8, 2008 Bottled up from minicask. Mahogany with virtually no head. Full mouthfeel, quite vinous and sticky, with a treacley thick feel to it. Heady, amalgamated flavours of fruit, caramel, plums and port wine. Mellow and mature enough to partially disguise the alcohol. Bready malt in the finish, it’s certainly a biggie, had to have a lie down after that.
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