Dominion Millennium Ale
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

I have 6 vintages of Millennium ranging from 1999 to 2012. Since I can't enter a rating more than once, I plan to rate each of them in this post from tasting sessions over a three day period, listed oldest to youngest.

02-27-25
1999 & 2001 I expected the 8 year time gap between yesterday's 2009 and today's 2001 vintages to produce major differences in these beers. I was right, but I was expecting some sherry-like character to show up to ruin today's beers. I did get some of that flavor in both, but the big change was the moderate sourness, probably from an infection from some 'bug' that got into the beer at the time of bottling. So today's drinking session came to an abrupt end. Although I could still taste barleywine in the background, I wasn't about to go any further with them. Thus the beers were poured down the drain after a few sips. Regardless that the beers were not pleasurable, I'm rating both at 3.0 because spoilage or marginal taste is what I was expecting from them because of their age, therefore an 'average' expectation.


02-26-25
2009 - This one is definitely lighter in color compared to the previous 3 (the same 10.5% abv), and has the same aroma and clarity, but the mellowness like in the 2012 has returned with no alcohol burn. Interesting! I'm scoring this one at 4.0 like the 2012.

2010 - This one is very similar to the 2011 vintage in it's taste (a bit musty like the 2011), but the alcohol has returned (like was in the 2012). The 2012, 2011 & this beer have been identical in aroma and clarity (all very clear). I'm scoring this one at 3.75 (like the 2011).


02-25-25
2011 - Quite a bit different from the 2012. Some mustiness has settled in that rids the beer of its mellow taste from the 2012 vintage. No alcohol burn at all.

2012 - Nice beer with no sherry taste, just a nicely-mellow, aged Millennium. Alcohol burn is modest. It's a mellow version of what it probably was when fresh.

12oz bottle from 1999.

Pours clear amber with a respectable head from a stretch-pour. Wet cardboard, chipped toffee, dusty malt, faint char in the nose. Medium bodied with a tacky, slickish mouthfeel. Sweet malt with a solid bitterness on the palate. Finishes with some lingering vineousity.

 

 

Bottled 12/28/17, reviewed 11/15/18.

Millenium has the sort of golden burnished color one looks for in this style but minimal head that's gone in a flash, very little lacing, and a ton of suspended floaties. Not a good look. Aroma is fairly standard, and very nice in fact, with lots of toffee, brown sugar, apples and raisins, caramel and so forth. Flavor follows suit but is followed quickly by late hoppy bitterness and warming alcohol notes that make it a complex sipper and elevates affairs to a strong degree. In fact the aggressive hopping is reminiscent of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and in general feels more American than English in style. The medium body and carbonation - what one would expect of a contemporary imperial IPA - further strengthen this impression.

In closing it's a strong offering that straddles the two worlds of barleywine, falls short of the top tier, but rises above the more mundane second class offerings. A minus, maybe.

Meh.

 

 

Bottled on 12/28/17. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a glowing amber with both haze and clarity to it; some floaties/sediment along with lots of bubbles racing upwards; creamy light khaki head that slowly falls leaving great retention and sticky lacing. The aromas are malt forward along with some vanilla, cherries and caramel. Some dark fruits. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. It's sweet, but nothing cloying or over the top. More vanilla, cherries and caramel. Some toffee along with some raisins. The honey is noticeable. It's not really that bitter. Nice malt backbone. Mild alcohol notes in the finish, but it's not hot or boozy at all. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It doesn't feel heavy. It's smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a nice barleywine. The craftsmanship is on point. It's a nice classic example of the style. It's very enjoyable and fun to drink. Well done.

 

 

From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This nice ale pours a nice ruby tinged mahogany
with a nice thin beaded head of white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin pool,
and showcases some nice light lacing. Nose of herbal hops, subtle pine, caramel malts,
cherry notes, and light date with astringent alcohol. Flavors ever so lightly exceed the
nose with cherry and light golden raisins mingling with herbal and lightly piney hop notes
that are bound together by honey and caramel malts with astringent alcohol warmth.
Decent mouth feel; medium body verging on medium light, medium light carbonation,
and a warming hop tinged finish.

Overall, a decent lighter version of a barley wine with a more lively body than the average
barley wine. More of a Belgian quad or a weaker stock ale. Still it is a nice ale.

Cheers

 

 

Bottle dated 12/22/16 into pint glass. Pours a deep amber with a thin, light tan head. Initial impreession is quite complex: buttery caramel, slight resinous hops bitterness, molasses, biscuits, bread, and honey. Hops are present but in the background. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety; carbonation is light. Finish is slightly boozy, but surprisingly smooth. Very, very good.

Pours a hazy amber color with a tight, tan head that leaves chunks of lacing.

Smells of fruits and toasted malts.

Tastes of the fruits layered over a good malt base. Fruits lead off with notes of raisins and cherries. Malts add in with caramel, toffee, and a bit of molasses. Hops come next with floral and citrus notes. Honey sweetness comes towards the end and linger through the finish.

Mouthfeel is full with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is a good barleywine, might have to age a few.

Look - auburn copper coler with slight head and great lacing
Smell - dark fruit like dark cherries and plums and very sweet. Almost like a quad
Taste - taste very similar to a quad, but less fruit more Carmel.
Feel - slight syrup with a crisp carb
Overall - two thumbs up! Like mentioned above, it's a great barley but has hints of a quad