Gales Conquest Ale Masterbrew

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: Barley Wine
Horndean, England

Vintage 2001. A hazy amber beer with a fast disapearing beige head. The aroma is sweet alcoholic with strong notes of peaches, while the flavor is oxydiced malt with strong fruit notes - the strongest being peaches and citrus.

Bottle 27,5 cl. Slightly hazy amber golden with a tiny, rough, off-white head. Aroma of fruit and caramel with a tart edge. Medium body, completely flat, notes of white wine and a whiff of Brett and perhaps a little wood. Warming alcohol in the finish, slightly leathery but no bitterness as such. Very interesting - and classic Gales. 120709

27.5 cL bottle bought at Hollingshead, CA. Pours hazy dark orange with a small white head. Aroma is solid phenolic and light acetone aroma. Dry wooden and phenolic flavoured. Acidic to citric dry flavoured finish. Very old and above the prime I assume.

Name: Conquest Ale
Date: 04/21/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, 50 More Beers on the Wall
Vintage: 2001

clear dark amber, headless, fruity dark caramel aroma with a slight tart edge, a bit thin, winey fruity flavor, caramel sweetness, green apple tartness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

I have this written down as a 2002, so it’s probably that 2001 brewed batch. How’s it doing? Seems like the scores are pretty poor. I gave it a 3.5 fresh and it, to me, has improved from that. It has a golden-amber colour and no head, but there’s still a little bit of carbonation. The aroma is honeyish, fruity - very meadlike and rounded. It’s very tart on the palate, but pulls some wonderful dark fruit notes. It’s a stylish vintage, with the classic Gale’s tartness we know from POA. The vibrant fruitiness lends it a lot of style. There’s still some sugars, though. I wouldn’t keep it more than another 3-4 years and I don’t know that it will improve over that span, just change some more. And I think it’s pretty tasty right now.

(2001 bottle, thanks chris_o) No head atop a hazy light copper body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, light chocolate, alcohol. Taste is moderately sweet, raisin, caramel, some sourness. Medium-full body, no carbonation and light stickiness.

Kookfest 2006. Sherry and chemical aroma. Chestnut, very thin head. Bit raisiny, bit vinegary, bit of sherry vinegar in mouth. Sour and to me just plain nasty. Please don’t make me drink any more of it.

Bottle. 2000 vintage. Poured a medium and cloudy orange color. Lots of floaters. Aromas of toffee, some dark fruits and caramel. So far, so good. Oxidized and past it prime. Couldn’t get past the off tastes and had to pour this one. Thin and flat body.