Dominion Millennium Oak Aged

Brewed by Old Dominion Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Dover, Delaware USA

Sampled at 2 months old and at 18 months old, rating is a blend of thoughts of both. Clear pour, the utter definition of amber, Crayola would be jealous of this lustrous color. White head, small at first, transforms quickly to a ring of bubbles around the glass edge. Super appearance. Big alcohol aroma, like a liquor infusion containing peaches, oranges apricots and a sweet melange of hop nectar. Lovely sugary fruit aroma seemlessly blends with the oaken barrel nuances. In a moment of stunning realization I realize that these aromas blend together to create a most enticing and wonderful smell: big, juicy pound cake with orange icing, one of my favorite guilty pleasures. No wonder I’ve enjoyed this so much in the past. The flavor is of citrus fruit, pound cake, cookie dough. Wooden barrel character is somewhat subdued, totally mellowing out the final product, well done. Palate is soft, balanced and never cloying. Finishes sweet, semi-dry with touches of tangelo and bready malt with a slight hop sting. I adore this barleywine, so drinkable and fun.

Bottled on 110405. Pours a hazy dark amber color with a thin head that fades rather quickly to very thin wisps and ring leaving behind minimal lacing. Not much of a looker here. Smell; very nice oak and vanilla aromas right out of the gate. After letting it warm a bit some caramel, honey and cherries come out, along with just a hint of some hop bitterness. Taste; the vanilla really comes to the fore on the first few sips as well as the woody flavors from the oak barrels. The sweet honey and caramel mix nicely with some cherries and raisins, and just some touhes of bittering hops. There’s a definite alcohol burn present, but not as strong as I was expecting with the abv being %11.4. Very port like with the barrel aging, the dark fruits and the alcohol presence. Mouthfeel is full bodied, with pretty low carbonation, but still very good. Even though this is a sipper, it goes down surprisingly easy.

12 oz bottle, July 2004 vintage. Tasted side by side with regular 2004 Millennium. Pours a slightly cloudy orangish amber body under a fine bubbled moderate beige head that fell to a thin patchy film. Slightly more head than the regular. Nose shows some fairly heavy barrel character. Vanilla, oak, and bourbon compete with the toffee malt. Some light alcohol, but no hints of oxidation like the regular. Flavor is dominated by bourbon and oak with minimal toffee malt peeking through. Quite a different beer versus the regular. The alcohol seems a little more prominant despite being the same ABV as the regular, and either there’s less oxidation or it’s covered up by the barrel aging. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and still somewhat creamy despite a little bit more active carbonation than the regular. Overall, this was pretty much on par with the Millennium, but seems to have held up a little better for some reason even though it’s almost the same age.

12 oz bottle dated 17NOV06. Orange amber pour with a thin white head. Sweet, sugary fruit nose, sweet caramel and vanilla. Sweet fruity flavors spiked with a bourbon tone, orange and sweet malt. Boozy finish with a nice alcohol burn in the throat and down the gullet. Softer mouthfeel than the standard version. Excellent!

Bottled 17 Nov 2006, 12 oz bottle. Pours a cloudy golden amber color with minimal off white head. Aroma sweet bourbon. Taste of Malt, bourbon and oak very smoth with a clean finish.

Bottle in my stocking courtesy of my sister and her husband. Thanks Susannah and Luke! Pours a transparent, yet deep colored amber with little head. Aromas of sweet malt, oak, alcohol. Taste is light bourbon, sweet sherry, some more malt, and a bit of oak. Very nice mix of flavors and lot of alcohol, yet still very smooth on the palate. An easy drinking barley wine. Not very hop heavy(which I usually like), but still very unique, flavorful, and incredibly smooth. A very nice offering from Old Dominion. Word.

Bottle from kmweaver. Nice black coated bottle. The aroma was malty and with a touch of barrel wood. Amber in color with no head. Light brown sugar, vanilla, and bourbon flavors. This beer was strangely light for what it is, almost too airy. Easy drinkin’ brew.,dangerous. Thanks, Ken

12 oz bottle, dated November 17th, 2006. Pours a beautiful golden-amber color; head quickly disappears to reveal a cognac-like liquid underneath. Generous aroma: plenty of piney and citrus hops, brown sugar. Remarkably well-balanced and drinkable for a newly released bottle: gentle oak toastiness, vanilla, chewy bourbon, slightly buttery (diacetyl, in a good way); plenty of maple sugar and piney hops in the mouthfeel. So drinkable it’s appalling; the hops don’t predominate, and the barrel-aging is well-incorporated into the malt backbone. Finishes smooth: warm vanilla oakiness and sweet bourbon. I can’t think of a barleywine I’ve enjoyed more than this one.