Gales Millennium Brew

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: English Strong Ale
Horndean, England

9.3 oz bottle, via puzzl. Pours a completely flat slightly murky amber body with just a few bubbles around the edges. The aroma is a thick mixture of fruits, oxidation, and alcohol. Some cork, sherry, vanilla, and dark toffee. The flavor is pretty heavy on the oxidation but it really works with this beer giving it a sherry or even brandy like flavor. Some cork, toffee, dark fruits, worchestershire, and surprisingly very very little alcohol. Mouthfeel is completely still with a slightly thinner texture than I was expecting. Some warming and drying alcohol sensations on the finish. This is just another classic example of Gale’s house character. I could see where a lot of folks may not get into this, but I’ve liked everything from this brewery.

I’m not really sure why puzzl sent me such an excellent high quality brew, retired none the less. This beer is too good for me. Corked 9.3 oz bottle Aroma is intoxicating alcohol. All kinds of cool looking sediment in this bottle. No indication of carbonation what so ever in the pour. Taste is like wine and there is no carbonation on the palate. No hop bite and for some reason I was expecting a hop bite. The taste is surprizingly enjoyable for a flat brew. Very fine and reserved in the flavors. Easy to drink without any alky apprehension. I don’t think I have ever tasted a beer such as this. The closest thing I can think of that tastes like this is the wine my grampa used to make down in the basement of his Italian house in big wooden barrels. Finish is again winelike and mellow. Thanks Andy!

275ml bottle (corked). Poured a medium reddish brown color with almost no head. Lots of small suspended floaters. Aromas of dark fruits, dried out orange peels, and sherry. Tastes of dark fruits and sherry. No carbonation. Thin body.

This used to be fruity, now it is oxidized, vinous and sherry like in the nose. I honestly thought these would age better. Lightly bready with some sour fruits on the palate, very tart with absolutely no carbonation left. Finishes with lots of old neutral wood flavors. Disappointing.

Corked 275ml bottle. Clear amber with no head - another still beer. Sour, sweet tart nose - flavor is the same. I like sour, but this is just old and past it’s prime. Avoid this on the shelf.

On tap at Spuyten Duyvil. It’s not this ber was bad but it was soooo bad. Not sure if it was this bad when it was fresh or if it is actually getting worse with age. Aroma of model glue, flavor of plastic. The absolute worst part about this beer though was I didn’t check the price and paid ten bucks for this liquid excrement.

[1062-20080124] 275mL (w/ jerc; bottle from the Grog Shop in Oxford, UK). Big raisin minty date resin aroma with burnt green pepper. Murky, dark brown red body with no head and floaties sunk to the bottom. More old wood-earthy toasted raisin in the flavour, has an aftertaste of wood notes. Medium body. Not pleasant.

2008-01-24. Bottle. Murky hazy brown headless body. Vinous fruity aroma, mild malt, and musty-funky hints. I note burnt green peppers after Mabel makes the observation. Similar flavours, vinous light notes of sour cherries over tangy malt, muted hints of wood in the finish and aftertaste. Smooth medium palate feels thicker than it is from insufficient carbonation. I want to like it more, but it’s like they took everything I dislike about Thomas Hardy’s, subtracted the marmite character and bottled it. Very much not for me.