Gales Jubilee Ale

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: Barley Wine
Horndean, England

Bottle shared by shegadeyo. Poured clear copper color with a diminshed and virtually no lacing. Moderate sweet complex dark fruity aroma. Medium body with a thick smooth sticky texture and flat carbonation. Moderate complex dark fruity sweet flavor with a medium to heavy sweet and alcohol burn finish that was moderate to long lasting. This is a good complex beer.

Bottle bought at College Liquors in Grand Junction, Colorado. First off, why they hell is the brewery closed? As I sip this beer I am stunned to think that while new kick ass breweries open all the time now, we are losing so many others which have such a history. 2002 edition drank in 2009. Pours a clear liquor like copper color with no head and a oily mouthfeel. A nice aroma of sweet sugars, fruit and lots of woody notes. The flavor is similar; the age has changed this beer a ton I think, it is now dominated by a nice smooth woody sweetness, slightly sour even in the finish. Some fruit and tart barrel flavors. Classy and nice. Cheers to the Queen and to this classy brewery. Excellent.

Pours copper and still. Smells of oak, lots of figs, raisins, brown sugar, molasses, touches of spice, hints of warming alcohol. Tastes oaky and sweet with a tarte finish. This beer has really come together.

2002 bottle. Poured deeper caramel with zero head sticking around. The aroma picked up rich, well-aged caramel and darker fruits, showing heavy oxidation.. the hops were gone, but the malts aged rather gracefully. The flavor found darker fruits, caramel, and toffee at the sweet, again-very-oxidized core.. prickly alcohol showed toward the back.. tasty, but quite unlike its former self. Syrupy and thick on the palate with low carbonation and warm alcohol feel.. a decent deal degraded, but still alright.

Thanks Jason! Pours to a hazy brown body with no head. The aroma is strong. Oxidized Maris Otter, figs, dates, and apples. Very complex. The flavor is a malty and sweet barley wine with notes of milk chocolate and dark fruits. Rich tobacco. The palate is medium full bodied and creamy.

Many thanks, yet again, to Jason. Wow, aroma is intense. Yum, kettle caramelization. Some oxidation and odd sweet notes. Nice viscosity. After a few sips, the cidery notes just take over. Later becoming a bit too much. Well crafted, but past its prime.

2002 Vintage - This has stood the test of time a little better than some of the other Gales beers. Still has some body left to it, deep dark fruit flavors, with a semi-sweet maltiness, which turns somewhat bitter and vinous at times. A light bit of oxidation, and somewhat flat, but still has some life left in her to enjoy.

Bottle. Vintage 2002. Pours a clear dark amber color with a small fast disappearing off-white head. Sweet malty dark fruit aroma with some earthy hints. Sweetish malty dark fruit dlavor with some vinous hints and also some earthy tones. Long malty dark fruit finish.