Bourbon barrel aged porter of mixed fermentation, one of three new Galea beers and the first one in what is intended to become an ongoing series of experimental brews, each time different ones. Tasted at BCBF. Yellowish beige, mousy, lacing, stable but open head, dark chocolate brown robe with warm-mahogany hue. Aroma of sour plums, caramel, balsamic vinegar, old wet oak wood, blackberries, some bourbon but only very distantly so, coffee grounds, walnuts, dry tree leaves, damp forest floor. Sweet onset (dried figs and blackberries), softly carbonated, quickly becoming more and more tart; nutty malt core, caramelly with a very mild toasty bitterness to it. Fruity, earthy, leafy finish, sour plum and grape notes, astringently dry red wine almost but still softened by the malt sweetness, yeasty and tannic with tree leaf- and forest floor-like aspects, bit dusty. ‘Wild’ indeed – like a 19th-century style porter, especially since the bourbon (Buffalo Trace apparently) remains very much at bay and hardly noticeable; subtle, credible, complex while still maintaining high drinkability: this is among Galea’s most impressive achievements so far, in my opinion. Makes one wonder what more will come out of this Legio series.

Draught Huge, light-brownish head over opaque deep red-brown beer. Vinegar, pickles, sour cherries. Immediate recognition of the Chinese 5 spices melange, much sweeter than the nose suggested. Plums, raisins in citrus juice. Whilst the Asian spice mix keeps going on, I'm still searching for both cognac and mead. Pretty well-bodied, acidity slightly reducing the body. Well-carbonated. Surprising flavour - not 1, let alone 5 spices really added. The nose is a bit of a let-down, unfortunately, but the beer is better than the sum of its parts.

29/XI/19 - sample @ Billies Craft Beer Festival 2019, BB: n/a - (2019-1956) Thanks to all for sharing today’s beers!

Aroma: ripe melons, dried fruits, banana, weird, rather unpleasant, like a De Molen Barrel Aged beer. MF: soft carbon, medium body. Taste: sweet and malty, lots of caramel, ripe banana, ripe melons, lots of phenols, way too sweet. Aftertaste: bitter touch, lots of phenols, meh.

29/XI/19 - sample @ Billies Craft Beer Festival 2019, BB: n/a - (2019-2002) Thanks to all for sharing today’s beers!

Aroma: nice roast, alcohol, some yeast, spicy touch, hint of coriander. MF: soft to no carbon, medium to full body. Taste: nice roast, pretty sweet, lots of alcohol, sweet, soft acidity, bit oxidized, some molasses. Aftertaste: bit sourish, lots of alcohol, lovely stuff going on here. Not getting that coconut though.