Gales Conquest Ale Masterbrew

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: Barley Wine
Horndean, England

2001 Vintage, Sampled June 2007
Pours with a brilliantly clear, ruby amber color. It is quite still and as such has nothing but three bubbles sitting on top of it initially. The aroma smells quite aged with notes of sherry, port, raspberry cordial, maraschino cherry and concentrated raisin. This really reminds me of Port for some reason, it seems really appropriate as an after dinner sipper. Mind you this is all based on the aroma, as I have yet to taste this brew.

Quite light bodied, and it is really quite dry. It is perhaps a touch tart, but is ultimately quite water-like. Notes of oxidized malt round out the finish, perhaps evocative of a dry sherry. It even seems a bit chalky at times. The aroma was actually quite nice on this beer, despite the 9% alcohol though, the flavor just did not hold up. It really could have used a touch of residual malt sweetness.

Bottle; poured an ugly copper color with not much head. Looked like a dirty public toilet. Aroma of dark fruit, brown sugar and wine. Horrible flavor; drain pour. Must be well past its prime. Very funky and hard to drink. Thin palate. Feel bad rating it, since its past its prime; but oh well.

The 9.3oz bottle poured clear copper with zero head. In the aroma I get hints of olive brine, pale ale maltiness, dark fruitiness with big notes of plums, raisins and dates soaking in sugary alcohol. Not much carbonation in the mouth feel. The flavor has a nice barleywine feeling and taste with sweet dark fruit, some red wine grape tartness, hint of olives, molasses and pale malts. Very nice.

2001 vintage. This beer is apparently beyond it’s drinkable date as it can be summed up with one word, nasty. The aroma is wooden and corky with vinegar, leather, and syrup. The appearance is amber and flat with no head. The flavor is like the aroma with a sweet and sour funk. The palate is thin with an herbal finish. Gross.

Pours an amber orange color with no head. Aroma is of malts with some sherry notes. Flavor is sweet malts, bourbon, and some alcohol burn.

Poured a hazy copper with a thin off-white head. Fruity aged malt aroma thick and full. The flavor is fruity and tart but not quite sour. Warming sensation in the throat. Hint of leather. Light to medium bodied.

275 ml bottle VIA trade (thanks to whoever sent this). Pours a hazy dark amber with a small beige head. Nose is mostly sour cherries and peaches. Taste starts sweet then quickly turns sour, and ends with a sharp earthy hop bite. Crisp/dry finish. Aftertaste is quite chalky and metallic. Body is medium. Carbonation is medium/high. ok, so this is somewhere in between a Flemish sour and a barlywine. Does not really fit within any style, but is still a pretty drinkable and interesting beer.

275ml bottle. Pours a syrupy red color with no head. Kind of scary looking. Smells of sweet honey. The aroma is actually pretty pleasant. Unfortunately the taste is thin, incredibly cloying, sweet, and wrong. Drain pour.