1997 bottle shared with OldGrowth on 3/4/06. Laughable (but in a laughing with Gales, not laughing at Gales way) appearance of almost no carbonation, no head, no anything; lifeless. Golden raisin with bright copper tinges and of course plenty of sediment. Nose is intriguingly dry, with dry golden raisins, chardonnay-like notes, dry, pale malted barley and some very dry peach and nectarine notes. As well, a raw, dried-cedar or oak wood note is quite sharp on end. But some bubbly, sticky fruit note, even past that, rounds it. Wow, a rollercoaster of an aroma.
The flavor has taken a little slide over the years, unfortunately. Bready oxidation, yeast dullness and too soily/dirty a brett or lactic note? I swear there’s some other yeast in it. But something lightly dirty, ultimately. Sharp alcohol notes, dry, yellow fruit skins. Some stickiness fails to hold the loose body together. Even looking it as a wine-like body, it still fails, in my opinion.

Bottled. Hazy brown colour, no head at all. Cognac aroma (alcoholwise), also plum, yeast and caramel. Bitter soapish plummy flavour at first, then it turns sweet sugary plummy. Wellbalanced. Long caramellish plummy aftertaste. Alcohol in flavour.

Bottled, vintage 2002
Hazy mud brown color, no head. Strong aroma of cognac or calvados. Very flat, very soft, liquer-like mouthfeel. Brandy, glue, cream liquer, oak in the flavor. Beer to sip - like brandy with sweetness.

Bottle, 275 ml, vintage: 2002; eye: brown with ruby reflections, no head nor effervescence, deposit at the bottom of the glass (where else could there be deposit, but at the bottom?); nose: vinous (port), dentist-office-like sweet, fruit, tart; taste: red wine tannin, tart, sour, relatively thin, bitterness in the palate, unknown taste at the front of the bottom gum; overall: interesting

1996 bottle - 11 year old bottle. Personally, I have cellared it for 2 years and fridged it for a few hours. Poured into a Leffe rounded goblet. Pours with absolutely no head, looks dead. A thin pour but really dark brown, no clarity and just minimal spots of translucence. Aroma is strong, all aged malt, all British. Lots of chocolate but a slight cardboard (oxidation) as well. Defintely those nice characteristics of an aged British brew come out with minimal signs of the negative side of age. Also an aroma grapes passed their prime. Taste is not as lucky. Still nice, some raison and chocolate. But then the taste is also thinning out, some light vinegar at the end of the flavor. Aftertaste is all dark grapes. I really cant say I would want to age this any longer, even if properly stored I cant see this age any better. Carbonation is low, mouthfeel is left thin as well.

Cask. Slightly farty, vinous, acidic aroma. Dark chestnut colour. Big-bubbled head. Full mouthfeel, slightly syrupy. Acidic flavour, a little sweet, woody, earthy. Peppery, warming aftertaste. 6 3 7 3 15 Bottle, 9%. 2001 version, 19 years old. Weak fruity aroma, some oxidised notes, but not as much as expected. Almost clear chestnut colour. Very small head. The flavour is very sweet, but it is too dusty and oxidised for me. 6 3 6 3 15

Pours a hazy amber, with no head and minimal carbonation, typical of the Gales ales. Rich fruitcake aroma, with hints of almonds and vanilla too. A touch of hay-ey hops. Almost still, slick palate. Almost cloying, with a heavy twang in the finish. Slight vinous plummy character in the middle. A sipper, and a slow one at that, it just wasn’t terribly inviting.

Cask handpull at County Hotel JDW Ashford. Dark mahogany colour with thin beige head. Very malty with raisins and sultanas, some choc. Not a huge aroma., Warming and sweetish malts in mouth with some following dry hop on the finish. Some brown sugar in mouth to give it that sweetness. Quite a good winter beer with plenty of rich fruit

Bottled (2002). Amberish red colour, minor head. Extremely wineish nose with sweet grapes and a bit of alcohol. Flavour was plummy and spicy, a bit sticky palate. Very pleasant Christmas beer. Thanks to Beer Hunter’s in Pori for this one!