Gales Trafalgar 200

Formerly brewed at Gales
Style: Old Ale
Horndean, England

Yes this is a beer i could do a dangerously large amount of and probably kill myself in the process. Aroma is sweetish, with a sharpness off the acidity. Taste is complex and rich, full of depth from all sorts of malt characters. The acidity takes the alcohol away and makes it just sheer brilliance!

Another truly amazing British Ale! Everybody should brew an Old Ale. The most beautiful clear amber body, beautiful very big bubbled white head; Lots of different notes are blowing out in my face, not in the American overwhelming way, but in a very fine and elegant way, a super balanced mix of: Thymes, laurel and rosemary, acidy fresh notes of green apples, vinous Sherry barrel notes as well as sweeter Sherry notes. VERY, VERY NICE; The body is salty, flat and oily at the same time as having a certain acidy freshness, balanced and deep; It finishes of very long with a bitterness and acidity that grows steadily with the length of the finish, super aromas are developing as dried prune, ripe red plum, fresh wet tobacco, fresh green apples. All in all a super beer, very elegant, very enjoyable, the perfect after dinner beer!

Tasted 2007-06-18. Two years old. 27,5cl. The cork was in a hurry. Poured orange, clear with a white/yellowish head. Aroma of raisins, basement, port, dirt. Actually not bad. Taste is primarily bitterness and acid. Some prunes also. It’s not very accessible. Also figgs, grape fruit, cough sirup in there. I’m puzzled by this beer. I feel like it should have either 20 or 0 in the general grade. Well I made my choice!

A Mes rate: Bottle at Chrisfest.
When Gales get it right it’s just bloody lovely. A rare and special treat. Aged old barley wine. Superbly smooth on the palate. A simply excellent old ale. There is so much going on. Toffee apples, cheeries, port, definite sherry, a lovely bitterness and just a hint of acidity. A great beer and a fine way to finish a superb bottle fest.

Bottle 2005. Shared with Grovlam and yespr. Pours a a nice amberish colour with no head at all. The aroma is sweet and bready, alcoholic with dark fruits. Thick and sticky flat mouthfeel. The flavour is is toffee sweet with a good soft roasty maltiness, plenty of dark fruits, alcohol, bitter and with a slight tobacco touch. Quite vinous port!

Cloudy red-dark amber color, more head than usual Gale’s ales. Nice aroma of malt, brandy, toffee, spices. Full mouthfeel, malty, vinous, with caramel and a wood touch and without the characteristic Gale’s sourness, but with its complexity. The final is warming, quite bitter and a bit astringent. Difficult but very interesting.

Bottled (from Ölkonsortiet, Aalborg). Amber colour, no head. Aroma is raisins, alcohol, some sap a bit sherrylike stinging. Flavour is very dry madeiralike with mild raisiny sweetness. Some wooden notes lurking in the background too. As it warms up also some llicorice and alcohol start showing in the flavour. A bit caramelly finish along with some smooth alcohol.

A pleasant smell, a nice color, very small head. The taste is v e r y fruity and the aroma is very apparent and strong. The flavor is more dominant than usually in a vintage ale; this is not a beer you drink a lot of, rather something for sipping infront of the fire or after dinner winth nice company.