Gale's Prize Old Ale - George Gale & Company Ltd

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2005 Vintage-Sampled 1/25/2009

Presentation: Very classy 9.3oz brown corked and foiled brown bottle---Brewed in 2005, and poured into a Chimay chalice at room temperature.

Appearance: Dark garnet beer with tints of brown and just the slightest hint of murkiness. Even a fairly strong pour produces no head to speak of.

Smell: One of the most unique noses I've ever experienced from a beer. It's enormously fruity up front, with primary aromas that remind me STRONGLY of Pommeau de Normandie, a specialty from Northern France made with Calvados and fresh apple cider aged in oak. Behind the oaky and apple cider aromas are hints of alcohol, a slight musty/earthiness, and hints of brown sugar. Overall, this is immensely intriguing and quite pleasant, though it reminds me more of a wine than a beer.

Taste: There are mild caramel malty flavors up front, balanced nicely with apple and raisin (maybe fig as well?). There's a defite zip of sourness and acidity as well as just a touch of warming alcohol and a hint of barnyard and oak in the finish. Definitely unique, and pretty tasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium-heavy bodied and somewhat viscous.

Drinkability: This is a sipper for sure; 9.3oz is the perfect amount.

Conclusion: One of the most unique beers I've tried to date. It has character somewhat reminiscent of a fine red wine, and it's held up beautifully for the 3 or so years it's been in the bottle. Not something I'd get all the time, but I am definitely considering picking up a bottle or two more of this to keep on hand for special occasions.

2005 Vintage (my last bottle)-Sampled 7/16/2010

Appearance: An aggressive pour produces a beautiful crystalline garnet beer with ruby highlights when held up to the light. No head. Not no way, not no how. Same goes for carbonation, though there was a soft "hiss" when I opened the bottle.

Smell: My immediate thought is I get the same Pommeau-like aromas as I did last time, but there's some rumminess and more dark caramel than I remember there being. Mild, restrained booziness as well. Pretty appealing actually, if a bit unusual.

Taste: I'm drinking this at room temperature, and you'd never know it's 9% abv. Very mild actually. Some red apple and fruit flavors, as well as a light pale malt backbone, just a hint of which remains. Ghostly notes of earth and cellar. What's here is pretty nice, though it definitely tastes a bit muted. I know you can put this down for the long haul, but I'm wondering if it's really kind of on the downslide. It's not that it's bad, and it's definitely mellow as all get out, especially considering the abv, but it's not very complex at this point.

Mouthfeel: W/out the carbonation it actually feels a bit thin; it tastes more like a mild sherry or a very weak liqueur, and it just feels a bit lacking.

Drinkability: Medium

Conclusion: I gave this an A- first time around, this I'd probably give a strong B. Overall, I think I'll bump the overall score down to a B+ to take both samples into account.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2009 06:54:55 | More by BedetheVenerable

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -13.8%

05-15-2013 00:42:07 | More by tehzachatak

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.01/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

9.3 fl. oz. foil wrapped, corked bottle served in my KtG snifter. Bottled in 1999. Pours a dull, plum-colored hue with a nearly opaque clarity. No head or lacing, just some bubbles that cluster around the shoulders before eventually dissipating completely. Nose reveals dark fruit, toffee, some oxidation, sugary notes, leather and a suggestion of plastic as the brew warms. Taste - well, it's past it's prime. Watery, oxidized, sugar water with some vinous notes and some vinegary acidity at the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body, with zero carbonation and a slight oiliness. Overall, a muddled mess and past its prime. Not quite a drain pour, but I'm glad I didn't pick up the 1997 vintage.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:55:50 | More by Jwale73

jxb345

California

2.75/5  rDev -21%

05-10-2013 01:19:53 | More by jxb345

elec

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

05-02-2013 02:12:56 | More by elec

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

04-22-2013 19:58:44 | More by MarkyMOD

SLeffler27

New York

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presented in a George Gale Old Ale flute glass. Dark ruby red gives way to dark copper in mesmerizing clarity as it radiates elegance from below a barely noticeable rocky head.

The aroma is rich with pungent cherry liqueur and earth notes. Also discernible are plum, licorice, maple syrup, port wine, and spiced rum.

This ale is tart with a light medicinal quality. Saturated with dark fruits of plum, raisin, and cherry. The finish is similar to Chianti and, while short, quite powerful.

A medium body with silky texture, this beer is almost flat with alcohol in line with expectations. However, having aged 11 years, the alcohol is surprisingly present. This one is lightly warming and super dry.

Gale’s Prize Old Ale warms well to clarify the aroma and flavor profiles. It is well suited for a cozy afternoon of reading and is the epitome of a sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 14:53:07 | More by SLeffler27

Shatter

North Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -28.2%

04-03-2013 00:05:57 | More by Shatter

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -42.5%

03-21-2013 00:20:56 | More by BGsWo22

AnitaBrewski

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -28.2%

03-18-2013 01:40:15 | More by AnitaBrewski

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

03-10-2013 19:48:36 | More by spycow

Florida9

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

03-09-2013 16:09:40 | More by Florida9

Seaba

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14.9%

03-01-2013 14:14:01 | More by Seaba

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.36/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2000 Vintage

Pours a hazy plum skin color. No head (expected none) no lace. It's 13 years old, I cut it some slack. Looks good.

Very strong red wine and toffee start the smell. Some chocolate and booze come through as well. Hint of leather.

Port, toffee, leather and earth combine very elegantly. In shorts and a Carhartt hoodie, I feel very underdressed drinking this from a snifter. There is a slight vinegar sour in the aftertaste, non offensive. Only a hint of the boozy heat. The body has a nice, moderate thickness. Goes down well.

I liked it. I'd love to compare it to a newer vintage. The hunt is on! The place I grabbed this from ran out of newer vintages, though I could try a few even older.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:09:58 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Pendraggin

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +14.9%

02-05-2013 21:18:31 | More by Pendraggin

DmanGTR

New York

4.5/5  rDev +29.3%

01-29-2013 03:57:24 | More by DmanGTR

AlexFields

Tennessee

2/5  rDev -42.5%

01-13-2013 21:49:12 | More by AlexFields

Keith_R

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

01-10-2013 01:21:37 | More by Keith_R

Zach136

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

01-10-2013 01:20:19 | More by Zach136

gwiedman1

New York

2/5  rDev -42.5%

01-06-2013 21:23:56 | More by gwiedman1

rudzud

Massachusetts

1.7/5  rDev -51.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Got this last year maybe at Julio's. Oh yeah, this is a 1996 vintage! Oh lord this is going to be undrinkable...

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a murky, muddy reddish brown that had not the slightest sign of carbonation. Average and mehhhh.

S - Stale, old brown sugar, molasses, leather, raisins, plums. No real alcohol notes. Actually doesnt smell half bad. Smells good infact.

T - OH god! One sip and I don't think I can take another. Smokey, old stale leather. Old rotten dark fruits. Slight, slight sweetness. Just tastes old and bad. Ugh.

M - Like stale, rotten prune water. Ugh. This is horrendous.

O - Overall, one of the worst beers I've drank. Only reason why Overall is not a 1 is because the aroma was good, if not absurdly misleading. Disgustingly bad.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:24:34 | More by rudzud

Maltmaiden

Alabama

3.58/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2003 vintage.

A: Kind of gross...Absolutely no head at all. Flat and extremely murky. Dark brown.

S: Tangy balsamic? Palm dates. Malt. Alcohol at the end. Hope it does not taste like this...

T: A lot mellower than expected. Dried/sugared dates. Oats. Has a red wine likeness. Slight bit of smokiness at the very end. plum. no hops. Some medicinal phenols. Malty and syrupy...like corn syrup. coca cola. Warming but the alcohol isnt pungent.

M: Flat yet smooth like a very thick wine. Has a beautiful softness.

O: Feels like I'm drinking wine. After a while I warmed up to the taste and body but I practically had to hold my nose drinking this :(

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 13:17:06 | More by Maltmaiden

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Thanks to twiggamortis420 for this bottle!

2007 vintage. Well, if this were a true prize-winner, rather than something prized by the creator, would it compare to the massive achievement of Pabst's blue ribbon way back when? Let's see: This stuff pours a slightly brackish sienna topped by a finger or so of glowing off-khaki foam. The nose comprises red wine grapes, oak-y toffee, a hint of walnut, a breeze of earthy greens, a sprig of spearmint, and a strain of vanilla through the back. The taste brings in more of the same, though the grapes, still lightly tart, are forced to a more background role (though not exactly in the background itself) in favor of a sweeter, richer, slightly buttery-er toffee. In fact, a general sweetness pervades until those grapes force a tannic tartness through and help dissipate everything in a cloud. There's also a sense of spiciness in there as well, one composed mainly of cinnamon and brown sugar, but it's mostly muted, and so doesn't really clash with everything else, fading instead with that aforementioned cloud. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and an ever-so-slightly vinous feel. Overall, a lovely, complex beer. I wish I had a fresh one to compare it to, but I'm prepared to say that the past five years have been quite good to this beer. I look forward to future engagements with various incarnations...

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 06:58:56 | More by TMoney2591

superspak

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500 ml bottle into snifter, 2007 vintage best before 12/18/2010. Pours extremely hazy dark reddish brown color with a small foamy light khaki head with decent retention, that reduces to a spotty foamy cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of huge prune, raisin, fig, toast, red wine, molasses, caramel, chocolate, bread, earth, tobacco, and light herbal. Pretty nice aromas with good complexity and balance. Taste of raisin, cherry, prune, red wine, toast, molasses, caramel, roasted malt, chocolate, earth, tobacco, wood, light cardboard, and herbal. Moderate wine-like earthy tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark fruit, toast, roasted malt, chocolate, earth, tobacco, cardboard, and herbal earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Pretty nice flavor balance with good complexity; fair amount of oxidation noticed; slight cloying flavors noticed after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy, slick, syrupy, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is decent. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a pretty solid old ale. Some good flavor complexity with decent balance; though a bit cloying, it was quite smooth to sip on. This was fairly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:06:56 | More by superspak

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%

11-19-2012 02:51:15 | More by t0rin0