Gales Millennium Brew

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

Much better than the high abv conquest crap but still not a strong offering. Pretty disappointing at $5.99 for a bottle. The bottle is nice, thick dark glass, corked and waxed. Brewed in 97 so about 8 years old and not much to show for it other than being drinkable, some chocolate and somewhat sour vinous notes. Coaxed a small head out of it, very low carbonation.

Uncorked to toast Cornfield on his 2000th rating.

Pours flat-bodied with a caramel/copper color and no head. The aromas are very vinous with oaken notes, vinegar and faint caramel. Flavor follows suit as sour wine from start to finish, with light astringency at the end. While touted as a beer that can and should be aged, it seems to have gotten far too past its prime.

<font size=-4><a href= http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/elmh Sal’s Beverage World, Elmhurst, IL 60126<font size=-1>

12 oz. corked bottle 11/3/05. Pours a light murky brown color with off-orange hues. Apparently this has been aging for nearly 8 years now and it is definatly apparrent in the smell. Kind of a musty smell and look. White wine/vinager nose with hints of caramel. Initial flavor is wineish but the 10% alcohol probably even more now can’t be found anywhere in the beer. No carbination at all gives perception of watery. Some yeast particles floating about. I don’t know, I think maybe aged a little to much. I would have liked to have this back in 2000 to see if their was a difference. Decent beer but nothing great. I had the qualities of a barley wine in my opinion.

275ml corked bottle. Cork smelled pretty good, a little dry/dusty. Poured (snifter) brownish amber with no head, no bubbles, no carbonation whatsoever. Smelled like apple cider with some pie spices; also some raisin sweetness and winelike tartness. Surprisingly, for its age and flatness, it didn’t seem rancid. At room temp it was somewhat sippable, though thin and old tasting. Given this blind, I would have guessed at its being some sort of novice apple brandy or weird brown wine. It was probably pretty good a few years ago, but we’re closing in on ’06.... If it were more vinegary it might make for an ok salad dressing. I gave it a 2 for not being rancid.

Pours amber with no head. Very vinous aroma, with some sweet toffee. Tastes like a 2000 Chateauneuf-du-Papes I had recently, with a little vinegar in the background (on account of the age). As far as beer goes, it’s fourth, even fifth, rate. But it’s an excellent wine, which is why my overall is so high. Does anyone one know how the hell they made this taste like such a great wine?

This beer’s about 8 years old now (brewed in 1997)... anyway, poured from a 275 ml corked bottle, the cork smelled good, so it must not be tainted. Anyway, the body is a flat looking murky brown color with no head. The aroma is pretty good. Raisins, oak casks, sweet yellow apples, a slight hint of vinegar, cinnamon. The flavor is reminiscent of pineapple upside-down cake with oak and cinnamon. Light coffee cake flavors too. Dry Riesling wine. Not too bad but I think a touch old. The palate is definitely flat, lightly dry. Kinda like a Riesling wine mixed with a Merlot. This beer is more winey than beer. I think this one would have been good around 2000...

corked 275ml - Aroma is strong bourbon, cherry, and carmel. Pours a flat dirty brown with no lacing. Flavor is sweet and stale, but not undrinkable. Bourbon, raisin, and dirty water. Palate is flat, watery, and not very good. I think this one has seen better days.

Surprisingly found on DRAFT at CAH-Innsbrook! Couldn’t believe this was still available, let alone on draft. Comes out a murky, muddled brown with no head, save for some random bubbles aorund the rim. Nose is apples, raisins, caramel, big malts, light candyish notes and spices. Like an alcohol spiced apple cake. Taste is a bit buttery with more caramel, apples, grapes, candy notes spices and creamy malts. Again, much like a spiced apple cake. Body is a bit too much on the light side, but this seems to be the way Gales is brewed. The finish drops off a bit with buttermilk notes, grapes, apples light caramel, hints of toffee, spices and candied fruits. Not bad for a five or more year old beer.