Vintage Ale
Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company (Downtown)

appearance: The low, whitish head recedes to leave a ring around the glass and a thin layer of carbonation on the surface. The beer is a slightly hazy, medium-dark amber in color.

smell: Aromas of lightly toasted, bready, wet grain are found. The sweetness level is slightly high. Little hop aroma is noticeable to me. Sour aromas are at a high level.

mouthfeel: The carbonation is medium and the body a heavy medium.

taste: At the forefront I find some grainy, toasted, sweet malt with overripe vegetable notes. There is a light hop flavor and low bitterness. Not bad but the strange, almost sour mash like flavors really detract for me.

drinkability: ok, I suppose

2005 vintage

Served generously in a snifter on the Dane’s lovely courtyard terrace. 2005 vintage. Foggy mead color with a thin white head, persistent, with clingy lacing.

Smells sweet and strong. Very complex mix of dried fruits (raisons, figs, apricots), vanilla, pears, yeast, some chardonnay notes. Very British.

Taste is big and British, brown sugar sweetness with lots of toffee and English muffin malts, some vanilla, and plenty of pear/dried fruits. Alcohol is not present in the taste much at all. Remarkable.

Mouthfeel: Strength is felt, not tasted. Very warming. A bit thin and rather sweet. I don’t mind the sweetness here as I normally do. It is well balanced with the alcohol. Slight metalic acidity.

Drinkability: Damn good. This stuff is right up my ally. Dangerous at approximately 9% ABV according to my waiter.

I think this was on the chalkboard at the dane as "Vintage 2005"...I asked what it was and the response was a sweeter and slightly lighter version of a barleywine

appearance: this sucker was served appropriately in a snifter to me while sitting out in the bier garden...body is rather clear and a muddy mahogany color...if there was any head present it had dissapeared by the time it reached me

smell: sweet and syrupy thick malt structure, smooth and rich caramel, raisins and figs, pear and other sweet fruit

taste: pretty tasty...sweet malts dominate the flavour, heavy raisin taste, brown sugar, fig, caramel, pear, apple, decent alcohol feel in the flavour

mouthfeel: a little on the thin side i suppose, creamy and warming

drinkability: pretty good

It's back! Take this baby out of retirement and call it a seasonal!
Poured a slow, barleywine-esque copper/amber haze with a thin white head and steady lacing.

The smell is light malt, slight raison, a little yeast, and pears. Definatelyt young pear/peach.

The taste is a good mix of sweet/sour, but minus the chicken. Light caramel, followed by raisons; all in all well layered and brandy finished.

One detraction is the slight copper penny mouthfeel, but if you can try it, you will enjoy it.

Slightly foggy honey colored with a relatively persistant white topping.
Dried fruits, vanilla, alcohol and floral hops on the nose. Enticing mixture, but very quiet.
British in nature, all the way. Enters with dried raspberry sweetness mixed with a gummy fruit impression. Turns breadier as some backgroud buttery hues and graininess are noticed. Ghostly vinous quality. Toffee and vanilla sweetness arrise and mingle with a sizeable English floral hop closure. Alcohol is not noticed except in the head.
This is roughly akin to modestly-hopped "Imperial English IPA" / Old Ale hybred.
Mellow and intriguing.
Full-bodied with sparce carbonation.

A subtle yet punishing fellow here. And a good one.