TheBeerLover (1013), DC Metro Area, USA Jan 27, 2006 Oak Barrel Millennium pours to a beautiful, bright, deep amber color with a short white head, and a soft to moderate amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is striking. Complex aromas of sweet malt, sherry, oak, toffee, vanilla, and black pepper flood the nostrils. This is the type of beer that you will just love smelling, let alone drinking. The palate is full and lush on the tongue, with complex sweet malt flavors, paired with undertones of plumy fruit, oak, sherry, and hints of vanilla, and toffee. Oak Barrel Millennium finishes with more of those complex malty and fruity flavors, then ends with a very warming oaky/sherry alcohol burn, that lights a fire and lingers.
A very, very impressive barleywine made all the more special by spending some time in the oak barrel. The complex aromas and flavors this beer picks up from the oak barrel bring an already stellar beer to new heights. This beer is the perfect after dinner drink or night cap beer, and should be enjoyed in the colder months with a good book or late night movie. I believe the price of $5 a bottle is a bit inflated, but that is due to the fact the run of this beer was so limited. If you want this one, it is available at the brewery, and is well worth picking up a bottle or two, if you find yourself in Northern Virginia. DCJack (142), Alabama, USA May 30, 2006 this is a powerful brew.
It has a kick you in the teeth bite, that is not sharp or bitter, but not sweet either.
the effect is like a martial arts master who has incredible power, but does nothing to demonstrate it.
it is complex, yet refined. Bold yet smooth.
unlike any other beer, and an excellent barleywine, possibly the best.
radagast83 (1042), Springfield, Virginia, USA Jan 17, 2007 Updated: Jan 24, 2007Bottle. Virtually no head. There was an alcohol aroma, but deffinately not as strong smelling as the regular Millennium. It is hard to translate into words about how shocked I am about the aroma and flavor of this beer. It has a rich vanilla and wood aroma, and a fantastic sweet, rich flavor that few beers I have ever had can compare to. This is the best Barley Wine I have ever had. crzybob77 (519), Richmond, Virginia, USA Feb 23, 2006 I have had a few oak aged beers, and this one definitly has the most bourbon flavor in it. It is a wonderful beer because of this. I have a feeling that i would not like the original as much as this version becuase i personally think it is the bourbon flavor that makes this beer. Also has a nice bitter flavor. One other plus about this beer is that it is not overly sweet like many are, that is a problem that frequently turns me off of them, sometimes that thick syrupy sweetness that some of the high alcohol ones have really wear out my tastebuds. So, all in all, one of the better barleywines i have had, which is impressive in a style i am very picky about. Oops, almost forgot aroma. Flavor is amazing in the same way taste is, wonderful aroma of bourbon. So, i basically have a soft spot for this because i love bourbon. So my rating might be a bit skewed. Dough77 (722), Aurora, Illinois, USA Feb 4, 2005 Everything good about the regular version, but with lots of extra pluses. Vanilla the major addition..and its friggin terrific. Wood another major addition and presence in this brew, also terrific. Bourbon also significant, and brilliant. If not the best barleywine i’ve ever had, its gotta be damn near the top. Nothing bad about this brew, just superb all around... Major props to JEFFIN7 to come through and send me 2 of these bad boys!
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