Kind of reminds me of Sam Adams Trippel Bock...bordering on a port like brew. I favour it because it does push the border for Barley Wine style ales. But...if it comes across as too much for your palate to appreciate....I can understand that.

2003 "vintage". No head at all and I poured it at room temperature but....not to worry. Holding the glass up to the light revealed a beautiful gold hue and the first sip? A symphony of flavours. Quite frankly, the description given by ClarkVV says it all!

As with my other corked Gale ales, this sucker is completely flat. I guess they're all supposed to be like that - medium ruby, with some little bubbles along the insides of the glass ("Where are the rest of your friends?" I exclaim.) - mouthfeel is devoid of those bubbles, and is a bit thin for such a high alcohol brew - aroma is of alcohol, dates and molassas - flavor is might complex, with caramel, dates, brown sugar, maple syrup, wood, port - finish is clean, vinous and slightly bitter - I'm still trying to decide if George Gale's brews are "unique and eccentric," or just not very good - it's a shame, because their flavor is always so good, but their other characteristics really take away from the enjoyment.

I guess George Gale beers take some getting used to - much like my bottle of POA, this sucker is flat as flat can be - tart, lambic-like aroma, with some mustiness and spice - body is pretty thin, but oddly, the flavor is very subtly complex - tartness up front makes way for some apples and spices, vinous notes, then a subdued roastiness, perhaps some chocolate - amazingly well-masked alcohol - there are a lot of things going on in this brew, but there are also qualities that, I suppose, all of their products have that really aren't like beers most of us are used to, and that really need to be understood - interesting stuff.

Cask conditioned
Beautiful amber color; a thin persistent cap of foam. Light aroma, a bit yesty. Thin body, too watery, yeast and a light fruitness. A quite bitter final, a bit cheesy. Drinkable, but simple.

2001 bottle. Oh boy, it tastes almost identical to the 95 Prize Ale. That is to say, oxidized, lots of watery grapes/vinegar flavor, some chewy grain and a blush wine sugary finish. Like I'm drinking apple cider that has fermented and oxidized too long. Moderately acidic. Pours an olive-brown, very murky, no head. Smells like watery apple/grape cider. Certainly unique, I just dont like it. It's like wine made from grains.

1995 bottle consumed in 2003 (6/4/6/3/13). Pours a murky black with some deep reddish purple tinges. NO HEAD. Ultra clouded. Smells of sweetened balsamic vinegar, grape juice, and other dark dark fruits. Opens up very sugary, but a slightly acidic, natural sugary, not artificial. Immediately confronted with peppery spice. INCREDIBLE. . .I am drinking a medium strong merlot! It has the opening muted bite, hints of pepper with much dark fruit, then typical of merlot, it softens up, and thins out much. That was my biggest complaint. This beer was like drinking flat grape juice. Tons of tart prune taste in the watery body. It certainly hid the alcohol content, one of the best beers Ive had at doing that. But in the end, I cant get past the watery medium body, and slightly unbalanced finish of vinegary bittersweet malt and acidic alcohol. OK, this is 8 years old. Chalk this one up to being oxidized to some degree, rerate as soon as possible, and pray that the bottle in my cellar from the 70’s has aged better. I can definitely see this beer being incredible if not oxidized. LATE 70’s BOTTLE!!. The cork had stuck to the edges and crumbled to pieces when I tried to open it. But I got a small hole through which to pass the beer. Dark dark brown with some ruddy oranges, tons of sediment and no head. Smells of balsamic vinegar, cedar, prunes, currants, sweet oranges and cream. This is the oldest beer I have tried to date. Flavor is moderately sour/pungent, with a marvelous barley meets ripe plums flavor. The wonderful loose, yet lightly chewy texture gives this beer plenty of personality, it has not gone altogether flat over the years. Not as many dark flavors arise, no real trace of a porter, but a soft mild brown malt is detectable. Tons of bursting fruit, light sugary esters on the finish. Delightful. Could drink this stuff all day. Incredible improvement from the young version. 8/4/9/4/18

I always appreciate the effort in a corked beer but this brew left something to be desired. Pours a pulpy amber-gold color with a medium beige head. Aroma of fruit and a little bit of hops. Medium-bodied with a highly vinous aspect to it. The bottle calls this a Pale Ale but I just don't see it. A sour-ish fruit flavor dominates, both apple and apricot. There may be other flavors lurking in the background but the tart fruit overpowers them. The finish is tart and a little oily. Not a terrible beer but I was somewhat disappointed.

The aroma is slightly hopy. The color is golden and it has a small disappearing head. The flavor starts out bitter, turning sweet in the middle, to give way to the bitterness again. A very drinkable summer beer, but nothing special.