Dominion Millennium

2/06 vintage 12 oz bottle via trade with The Eepiest, Side by Side with Oak Aged Millenium. Pours orange with a thin white head. Aroma is sweet and caramel and bigger and bolder than the oak aged version. The taste is sweet, a bit spicy with a bit of hop character and some warming in the throat. There are definite differences but they are hard to peg down. The regular version is more defined and crisp with flavor that can be deteceted independently. The Oak aged version is more of a muddle, it isn’t bad but it blends more, all the tastes build upon one another. There is more character in the OA version though, close call my friends close call.

12 oz bottle acquired via trade with someone. Thank you, whomever you are. Barleywines are quickly becoming my favorite style. This one is nearly perfect, in my opinion. Aroma is near perfect mix of fruit and caramel. Almost smells like a caramel apple. Flavor is hoppy, sweet and strong, yet smooth and satisfying at the same time. Kind of surprised that this is described as an English barleywine, because it is nicely hopped and almost reminds me of an IIPA. Reminds me of Old Ruffian or Old Guardian. Good stuff.

2001 Bottle rated head to head with New Oak Aged Millennium Bottle. Dark ruby pour with frothy beige head. Earthy and sweet malt aroma with lots of grain and dark fruit. Taste is sweet and very malty with some very complex flavors. Body was a bit weaker than I had hoped. Nice English style BW that has largely held up. I would say I prefer the Barrel-Aged version, as I think English Barleywines are much improved by the aging process. This one can be a tad bland without the American style hopping of a Hog Heaven, Old Ruffian, or Old Horizontal.

The aroma was malty with a strong caramel, strong fruit and strong hop presence. The hops were earthy and a bit citrusy and contained grapefruit and a smidge of orange. Alcohol was a prevalent characteristic of the aroma and almost set the nasal passaged on fire. The beer poured into the glass hazy golden amber with a white, low head which tried best it could to lace the glass. The flavor was malty with a strong fruity and citrusy hop component. The bittering was strong and the citrus was muted and earthy. The malt was well achieved and balanced the bittering very, very well. The predominate malt characteristics were caramel and a toasty and lightly biscuity flavor. The finish was heading toward dry with a strong malt and bittering holding court well into the aftertaste and beyond. The body was full, slick and viscous with an excellent level of carbonation to bring forth the fruity nature of the beast and the alcohol. The warming after consumption was very strong and let you know that this beer is a force to be reckoned with. A very nice barleywine! 12 ounce bottle. Bottled on Feb 19 2004.

Hazy/bubbly light amber color with a small beige head. Aroma of fruits, cake/cookies, oak, and a little alcohol. Flavor of oak, some caramel and a little alcohol.

This bottled brew bottled on 04/03/06 from a bottle shop poured a small sized head of finely sized tan colored bubbles that were and left behind a hazy typically carbonated orange brown colored body and a poor lacing. The mild aroma was barley wine like and malt hop. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and strongly tingly at the finish. The flavor contained notes of hops and brown malt. A decent one but not one that I would consider buying again.

12 oz bottle via trade with jasonp! (Thanks!) Bottled on Feb 11 2005 so it’s got a little bit of age on it. Lets pop this bad boy open. Pours a ruby/ amber color with a medium sized tan head that lingers. A sweet and malty nose, citrus, some hops, caramel, and a light plum note. Taste is caramel, quite malty, dark, bready, light chocolate note, and a nice mouth filling bitterness. It’s got all the distinctions of a Barley Wine. Palate is bitter, with a oaky not, and rather dry on the backend. Overall, Pretty darn good Barley Wine. I know I am probably supposed to wait a little longer and let it age, but it was a long day and I needed a beer. Cheers!

12-oz. bottle via trade with moejuck. Pours hazy tawny with a small mostly diminishing light brown head, spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (caramel, cookie), average hops (flowers, spruce), average yeast (dough) with notes of pear, apple and date. Full bodied, average carbonation, creamy texture and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, heavy acidity and bitterness; very nice roasted caramel malt flavor with notes of alcohol.