Dominion Millennium

Brewed by Coastal Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Annapolis, Maryland USA

This was a wonderful beer. Nice and malty with a soft alcohol presence that was not overwhelming. Well worth a try if you get a chance.

Bottled on Feb, 11, 2005, picked up in Virginia by BA pentathlete, and shipped to me in what is turning out to be a great package of beers, this 12 oz. bottle of barley wine poured out with a pale copper body that was slightly hazy. The head was very smallish and fleeting, and the beer was quite still in appearance. The aroma was soft and soothing with a mellow restrained flowery hop tone riding atop sherry like alcohol. The taste was quite a bit hot, as the beer had not mellowed at all. Underlying that warm foretaste was the essence of cherry, raisin, and, plum. The hops were earthy, and mildly bitter. The body was relatively thin for the style. The beer felt stingingly warm at the back of the throat, making this a definite sipper, and a slow one at that. I felt every bit of it’s tender age while drinking this beer. I think that the ratings would be better after a few years in the cellar. One day I will find out.

Bottle: Caramel, slight haze, white head, dissipates quickly, spotty lacing, light sediment.   Fruity nose - candied, caramel malts, slight heat.   Young grapefruity citrus bitterness up front, somewhat sticky malts, semi-sweet.   11.4% is very well hidden (bonus point).   Very light finish, too light in fact.   Decent body, mediocre mouthfeel.   Clean, but not big.   Thanks Ben!

Bottle courtesy of BuckNaked in trade. Pours ruby amber with no head. Decent caramel molasses aroma, with some alcohol coming through. Flavor is the same, but very muted. Maybe a little astringent. Easy drinking BW but just doesn’t score well in individual categories.

Vintage 1998.
Pours cloudy dark amber with a thin disappearing tan head. Caramel and chocolate aroma, touch of age but still very nice. Sweet malt and fruity notes also. Flavor is malty and chocolaty with some fruit. Dry with woody hints. Very good!

Bottle Jan 03. Pours a medium amber body with a sticky white head. Aroma is dark fruits, musty leather and oranges. Thick mouthfeel. Flavors are oranges, honey, dirt, carmel, and alcohol. Alcohol a little too strong tasting for me. Definately a warmer.

Exceptionally "early" 12 oz. bottle (Feb. ’05) pours a large quickly fading head with no lacing. The beer itself is briliantly copper red with a huge bready and ripe fruit nose. Initial palate is syurupy sweet with traces of honey, raisin and ripe banana in the mid-palate. Finish is polished a bit with a decent bitter hop balance that leaves an average aftertaste and warming alcohol flavor. Perhaps I should cellar the remainder of this young lot.

Vintage 1998. Lovely sweet aroma, oak and some hints of mint. Brown to ruby body with no head. This is some sweet shit. Gooood stuff.