Dominion Millennium

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

Pours a translucent red with medium head that fades quickly. Aroma of caramel, a bit of coffee, and sometimes grapefruit. The flavor is caramel and port brought alive by noticable but pleasent alcohol and citrusy hops. The palate is of a watery syrup. The alcohol on the finish is a bit harsh but just a bit. The aftertaste is long and changing and eventually fades to that of cotton candy. Very nice beer.

Poured a reddish copper with a thin fizzy white head that didn't last. Orange peel and hops on the nose. Was almost like Grand Marinier. Orange, hops, vanilla, and a little bit of alcohol. Dry finish. A really nice barley wine. But lots of orange.

Re-rate: Bottle aged for one year. Cloudy light reddish brown body with minimal head. Beautiful sweet honey aroma also with malt, vanilla, and a touch of alcohol. Smooth and mellow. Fantastic initial burst of sweet malt, vanilla, light fruitiness, faint earthiness and alcohol that unfortunately fades to quickly. Aftertaste has mild alcohol bite and moderate bitterness. Both this beer and my palate have improved in the last year, so this rating is definitely being upgraded. Bottled Jan 2003. A rich red-brown color with minimal head. Sweet, light, malty, alcoholic aroma. Initially a hoppy and slightly fruity flavor. Defintely a strong alcohol taste. The hop bitterness tends to linger on lightly.

2004 Vintage Purchased at Whole Foods in Vienna, VA. Ruby/copper colored pour with a nice lingering off-white head. Strong, intense aroma. Sweet, malty, some caramel, spice, and some honey. What a flavor! Oh so smooth. A hint of alcohol, but not too much. Earthy, fruity flavor. Sweet caramel and a touch of spice. Not too sticky to the palate, but that was fine with me. Overally, I was very impressed with this Dominion brew! Definitely a must have!

2002 - Color is a dark glowing clouded caramel brown with a thin, whipped buttery head thats dark cream colored with some bigger bubbles opposite from the pour, fades to a thin ring and minimal spots. Good barley wine nose with good hefty caramelized malts, has a light burntish quality overall, slight sweet toffee and even lighter molasses, hops play with a nice floral and pine resin deep in the back with a touch of alcoholic warmth. Taste has a very mild start, quite smooth and creamy in feel eventually building caramel and toffee sweetness that disappears soon there after. Leads into a partially hefted thickness in bittering hops which are soft and playfully piney and floral, finishing with a touch of heavy/darkened grapefruit notes and a deeper pine then at first and fading off the palate with just a touch of alcholic warmth and spice. Feel has a thinner start then I like, creamy throughout, but gradually builds a nice crescendo to get closer to fullness, which doesn't last long just past midway and fades into a nice easy finish. The 11.4% is hidden well making for a nice drinkin', solid barley wine.

Dark golden brown color. The aroma is sugary, with yeast and wood scents coming through. Full, sticky, resiny palate is very nice. Full malt flavor with a nice sticky hop presence. Really enjoyed this one.

12oz bottle. Pours light brown/dark amber, small white head. The taste is nutty. with a roasted caramel taste to it. The flavors get more complex as the beer warms with the honey and other sweet malt tastes coming out. The alcohol taste is masked fairly well. I drank one of them with a churchill cigar and it was a brilliant combination.

Pours a dark copper with hints of red. Smells of caramel sweet maltness. White grape and raisiny sweet scents are also present. Tastes lightly of prunes and golden raisins. Very well balanced, the sweetness comes across first followed by a slight bitterness and a small but warm and pleasing alcohol bite makes itself present in the finish. Similar in many ways to TCOA in my opinion. Very enjoyable barley wine.