Dominion Millennium

2006 Vintage (bottling date 040906)

3/04/2008: Dominion Millennium Specialty Ale is golden orange (bright copper) in color and is mostly clear. The pour doesn’t produce any head and the carbonation level is low. The aged hoppiness is showcased in the aroma along with rich caramel malt and dark fruits (prune, date, vague berry). The aroma is pretty good, but the flavor is much less exciting. There is a fair level of maltiness and ripe fruits, but the hops and underlying hop flavors and bitterness seem to dominate. There is also a whisp of alcohol in the backend, but it is pretty well contained considering the content. The lingering flavor on the palate is apricot along with some date sweetness. The body of this beer is medium-full and it is slightly sticky on the lips, but goes down quite smoothly. Overall this is a fairly solid barleywine, but I was hoping for more malty sweetness (like an English-style barley wine).

12 Fluid Ounce bottle (Alcohol by volume 11.4%) from Dilly Deli in Mariemont, Ohio. Rating #273 for this beer...

2008 - Dark amber, thin wispy white head. Deep earthy hop nose that warms to softer notes of honeyed flroals and peached sherry. Moderate nutty earth bitterness partially balances over light honey and boozy molasses-like tones. Lacking complexity in my book. Cellar time might help. Lighter side of medium bodied, light carbonation, Sahara dry, bittersweet finish. The best years appear to be behind this one. Guess that’s A-B for you...

4/10/06: 2006 bottle. Pours clear orange-red with small off-white mostly diminishing head... Aromas of strong malt, molasses, rasins and honey... Slightly sweet, rich taste with a long finish... Palate is med-full with a creamy texture... Alcohol hid very well and very yummy... Man this is a good local BW but just wait fot the oak-aged!

Clear ruby red with a thin head. Nice smell is caramel figs booze and oxiation. Smooth mouthfeel. Taste mirrors the smell with a nice alcohol bite finish. Feb192004 bottling date. 61306

July 2006, rerate Oct. 2007 - Nice brown color with decent head for style, little lacing. Aroma was sweet caramel. The flavor was caramel, vanilla, some oakyness with a hop burn finish. A citrus burn was a welcome balancing aspect, but perhaps a bit strong in hoppiness for an English style barleywine. I enjoyed it.

Bottle courtesy of moejuck, thanks! Pours a hazy amber color with a thin white head. Very good aroma of caramel, candied fruits and hops. Very good flavor of caramel, candied fruits and hops with a mild bitter finish. The body has a light to medium thickness with a liquorous texture and soft carbonation.

Bottle thanks to footbalm. Pours a deep amber with a tiny head. The aroma is nice; hints of sweet candy and perhaps bourbon. The flavor is really great; some fruit, sweet candies, malts, overall really smooth and nice. A really good beer.

12oz brew provided by Santa one year. Thanks again Secret Santa. 2006 (this was either the bottleing date or best buy date...my lable was messed up and I could not read it), 12oz bottle. Amber pour with no head. Very clear. Unfortunately I think I might have let this one go past its prime. The aroma was a touch stinky (as though a low grade infection is starting to make itself known). A touch of vegetal aroma on top of some sweet caramel. The flavor has some nice caramels in there but they are overdone by the now predominant oxidization. Notes of citrus (apple perhaps) and other fruit (date and prune). Full bodied and semi-dry. I should have had this one a while ago, it just sat and sat in the fridge and I kept thinking, I’ll drink that this weekend…But I never did. Sorry Millennium brew, you did your best.