Dominion Millennium Ale - Old Dominion Brewing Company

chiefydawg

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep blood orange, amber body with a short thin whitish head. Fine haze obscures view through the tulip. The head does not last though the glass has legs.

Smells like an English Barleywine should IMO. Sweet malty goodness in the first whiff! White cake batter (with the icing I think), caramel, toffee, butterscotch, biscuit with honey. There actually is a woody, maple-like air there too. some overripe fruit of some sort, faint as it is. Fresh smelling to the last drop.

Tastes as sweet and full as it smells. No big alcohol for as big as the ABV indicates. There is still the honey maple sweetness, maybe even vanilla ice cream. Rich, sweet, and complex. Still woody like a bourbon. Cooked, caramelized brown sugar. How the eff this is not cloying is beyond me but it is not.

Whoa, wait! A few swallows and a comforting warmth wells up in the throat and chest. Nice development as it warms. This sort of opens the door for some of the earthy, woody hop character, muted as it may be. These must be what offsets all of this malt sweetness.

I don't normally think of English Barleywines as a drinkable brew, and this certainly is no session. But I find myself reaching for the glass to sniff and sip way too frequently. That is drinkability to me. Overall I don't know what I would want to change in this from what it is. Boozy and sweet, and I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2009 02:51:30 | More by chiefydawg

BZero007

Virginia

4.63/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled date 02/11/08 picked up from Norm's in Vienna, VA.

Pours a very clear amber copper color. Head was normal for a high alcohol ale, poured in to middle of the glass and formed a pretty good head. Aroma was great and smelled of sweet malt and a nice set of hops. The taste of this ale was great as the sweet malts rushed in the front with hops and fruits in the background. Excellent balance on all grounds. Mouthfeel was great and alcohol level was hidden very well. Will continue to stock this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 18:02:43 | More by BZero007

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to my buddy chaz over at realbeer for this one. A 12 ounce bottle poured into a basic snifter glass. The ale appears a clear golden chestnut color with about a finger of tightly packed foam. Nose and flavor are of sweet brown sugar coated raisins and figs, a hint of vanilla spiked toffee, biscuits, and dark cherries. Creamy and smooth. The alcohol bite has faded considerably, making this quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 16:39:59 | More by ClockworkOrange

macpapi

Maryland

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, with stamped brewed on date of 2/11/2009.

Poured slowly into a snifter, Dominion Millenium is a dark amber colored beer, with a thin and quickly dissipating tannish head. Relatively clear throughout the glass, with moderate lacing.

Smell is dominated by malt,hops, and dark fruits. There are hints of raisin and cherry. Honey is also present, along with a bit of caramel. Pretty complete aroma.

Taste is strong and a pretty good balance of malt and hops. High percentage of alcohol is also notable as are the presence of dark fruits. Honey sweetness becomes more prominent as it warms.

Very full and biting on the palate. Both hop sting and alcohol burn make this a sipper.

On the whole, this is a fine English Barleywine. More than a couple would be too much for a night. That does not take anything away from its drinkability, however. This is a good beer to enjoy slowly and in moderation. I am currently aging one and can't wait to compare it to this relatively new sample in a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 01:24:30 | More by macpapi

WaXHeLL

California

3.03/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Obtained this beer on the East Coast and brought back to California. Bottled on 02/11/09.

Appearance:
Pours Golden Red, semi translucent, with a very thin, but creamy looking white head. Head laces the glass decently well, but almost seems to stick to the glass and dry.

Smell:
Strong hops smell, with a hint of honey. Slight grassy scent, with very light citrus and floral notes. Overall, pretty muted for a barleywine, but heavy on the hops side.

Taste:
Sweetness comes out early, with the honey and citrus notes. Good amount of hops in the overall taste, although it is hard to distinguish the hop origin. Finishes semi-harsh, with the alcohol very apparent in the aftertaste. Also finishes with a hop note, and a very slight bitterness. The malt notes are surprisingly strong for a barleywine. Way too sweet for my palette.

Mouthfeel:
Pretty creamy for a barleywine. Carbonation has a good amount of spice hints to it, which is good and interesting. Definitely feels like an English style beer.

Drinkability:
The alcohol notes hamper its drinkability, along with the overly sweet taste. Decent for sipping, but that's about it. I also think it's a bit too sweet to be paired with many foods.

Overall:
Not impressed. Plus points for the beer executing the English style texture extremely well. Minus points for the sweetness and the drinkability. Much too sweet for me. I can't imagine it aging any better either, as the sweetness will be overpowering at some point.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2009 02:52:22 | More by WaXHeLL

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I got this bottle in a trade with Traquairlover. Thanks Will!

This was bottled 021109 and labelled as 10.5%abv.

It pours a slightly hazy orange red with a good 2 finger head of billowy foam.

The smell is of caramel malt, some fruitiness, and some light notes of citrus.

The taste brings the malt to the front with a huge caramel sweetness with the just the right light note of hoppy bitterness, I want to say pine, to temper the sweetness. It is still out of balance, pleasingly though on the malty side, where it should be for an English BWSA. And...not much sign of the alcohol at all...very well hidden. That makes this way too easy to drink. ;^)

Medium mouthfeel with just a notch below medium carbonation. The head retention and lacing both turned out to be better than average.

Drinkability? Too good for a brew this strong but I won't dock it for that "flaw". I'm *very* happy I got a chance to try and and I'm very happy with it. A darned good brew!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 23:28:43 | More by Bitterbill

PerzentRizen

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this grand English Barleywine as an extra in a trade with BZero007 - thank you Nathan! When the trade shipment came in the bag holding this beer was wet on the inside and smelled like stale high alcohol beer so I thought this one was toast but it turns out to be one of the best barleywine's I've ever had!

Poured into a Duvel glass at 45 degrees this beer has a beautiful unfiltered burnt umber look with a soft off-white creamy head. There is quite a bit of carbonation for a barleywine - almost like that of an Imperial IPA but it works great for me.

The initial smells are a bit muted until after the first taste then you start peeling back the layers of aroma in this one. There is a lot of juicy malt, fresh fruit, dried cherries, and a roastiness that's hard to describe.

I am really diggin the deep malty, light hop, and that cool alcohol burn as a latent sensation. This is a beer for the senses. It's hard to believe but even at 10.5% (2009 bottle) this beer is drinking very very well.

There is that nice roundness that you would expect in a barleywine but there is also an oily hop dimension not unlike that of Bigfoot. The two beers although in different classes (American versus English Barleywines) have some striking similarities in the realm of massive malt, plenty of hops, and lots of malt. I would say this is a more balanced beer.

Usually barleywines are slow slow sippers for me and this is definately not a beer you would want to pound, but this is a highly drinkable beer. I would not drink two or three but I would drink one a night for a few weeks if given the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 21:16:30 | More by PerzentRizen

smanders

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served out of a 12 oz. bottle dated 21109.

Appearance: Dark orange with a weak head. Dissipates very quickly.

Smell: You can really smell the sweetness. Caramel, raisins, and a nice hops background.

Taste: This is sweet ale. Everything from honey to toffee comes through on this one. Thankfully it's balanced nicely with hops so nothing seems too overwhelming. I like this barleywine!

Mouthfeel: Slick, oily, then dry (due to the high ABV%).

Drinkability: A great example of the style that I was ignorant of until I stumbled upon the oddly-labeled bottle at Total. I'm surprised I enjoy the sweetness as much as I do. I would recommend this to a friend.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 20:45:33 | More by smanders

hellomcfly

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been holding onto this for quite a while.

Bottled on 1-31-08. Over a year old now.

A- Very attractive red-orange-amber. Poured into a snifter, there is no head to speak of. A cascading of suds attempts to cling to the glass but no real lacing to speak of. From previous experience I do not think this snifter is conducive for lacing.

S - Bread/biscuit and sweetness. Slightly fruity, maybe a level of vanilla, honey.

T - Raisins, vanilla, honey, floral and spicy hop profile. Starts to pick up a slightly medicinal flavor as it warms but not in a bad way.

D - To be 11.4% abv it is pretty drinkable. That being said it's still a one bottle affair that you want to sip on slowly.

I did not take any notes down on this beer when I had it fresh. I split the other bottle I had three ways.

I'd love to score a few more bottles to lay down even longer. Solid barleywine in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 00:56:29 | More by hellomcfly

shivtim

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the "Brewhouse" at the DC Convention Center. Fantastic happy hour pricing, but served in a pilsner glass.

Highly visible carbonation. It's deep clear amber/brown, with a tiny head. Nose is strong layers of malts. Some hops poke through with a mild grass scent, but malts dominate and do a little sweet dance. Taste is a malt bomb. Musty grains, subdued sweetness, raw qualities. Not exactly true to style, but quite good none-the-less. Alcohol impressively well hidden. Good mouthfeel, and drinkability only hampered by the ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2009 02:56:51 | More by shivtim

Proteus93

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle served as a single at Beer Run... the bottle design is different than the one I am used to seeing, but it looks like the bottling date is Feb. 11, 2009, so it could just be a new one.

A: Rather pretty orange-amber-reddish hue. The head is a bit short, but not surprising for a higher alcohol brew. It tries to form, with a vigorous bubbling rising from the bottom... it just doesn't become much.

S: Not as hot as other barleywines that I've had in the past. Hoppiness comes out quite nicely, giving it a floral scent, and a big graininess. Alcohol is there, but nicely balanced with the other aromas. Very nice.

T: Sweet, I'm surprised by the flavours of honey that come through. Along with the hops, I find some comparisons to the flavour profile of Bell's Hopslam - not a direct comparison, but a notable similarity in flavour profile. Alcohol spiciness is there for some extra kick, but it's not massive and wickedly hot... quite a bit like the aroma there.

M + D: A nice, big-bodied, big alcohol beer, as it should be... though the ABV listing on this bottle is now 10.5% rather than the 11.4 noted here, so it's a bit of a modification to the recipe. I would be interested in seeing how this held up with a little age, as it could get some interesting flavours. Usually not a big fan of the style, but I enjoyed this quite a bit - hopefully it's something I can continue to get in the future, with the brewery going through the transition. Very nice, and perhaps one of my favourite barleywines!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 02:26:45 | More by Proteus93

TheMistler

District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber and light brown. Some very light sediment provides a wee bit of haze. A solid amount of off-white head is produced by the pour. Nice, drapery lacing.

A malty and then ultimately very sweet nose. Rather clean biscuit is quickly overrun by honey, molasses and caramel. Some alcohol warmth and bit of spice tinkling the nose.

Though there is a good caramel malt presence, the taste evidences more hops than the nose did. Grapefruit, some grass. Biscuit malt not so much in the taste, but there is a bit of molasses, not to mention the honey. Sugary stickiness melds with some resin, providing a sticky dinish. Finish also includes a bit of peppery alcohol and a lot of drying. Ethanol is not unnoticeable for the second half of the taste profile, including the finish.

Good level of carbonation has a nice level of interplay with the alcohol. It is a thick beer, with a bit of chewiness, but everything goes down a bit too smooth, given the ABV. Nonetheless, very much a sipper, and the ABV is more than noticeable in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 02:09:42 | More by TheMistler

LilBeerDoctor

New York

2.1/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Draught from a 5-year old keg. Pours a cloudy brown with a small white head. Aroma is very sweet---vanilla, oak, alcohol, and sweet sweet sweet malt. Flavor is the same--lots of vanilla, alcohol, and sweet super sweet malt. Oh yeah, it was sweet. Too much for me. To the rater below me: no the alcohol does not tone down with age. Blech. This was a disappointment.
4/4/4/2/8 (2.2/5)

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2009 03:06:48 | More by LilBeerDoctor

MrIncognito

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured from a 12oz bottle into a stemless red wine glass. Beautiful amber, honey-colored body with a thin white head on top. Head quickly fades into whispy lacing and sticks all over the side of the glass.

S - Such potent and pleasing aroma. Great hoppy smell up front chased quickly by a sweet dark fruit and honey smell, then the alocohol. Alocohol is a bit boozy but fits in perfectly with the other aromas, not overpowering.

T&M - I sipped this beer for about an hour and enjoyed every single sip. It was good cold, at cellar temp, and at room temp. Great hoppy flavor mixed with raw honey and maybe just a bit of caramel. Alcohol leads to some sweetness and as it warms gets a bit spicy. The hops taste wonderful and leave a mildly bitter after taste that is nicely balanced by the sweetness.

D - I could sip this all night for sure. The abv leads to a lower drinkability but the flavors are outstanding. A great dessert beer and apertif/nightcap.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2009 12:13:46 | More by MrIncognito

kshankar

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Copper color with plenty of carbonation. Nice small head..decent retention. Recedes to a thin film

Aroma: Hops, malts and honey.

Taste: Hops. There is a definite bitterness at the end too, but its also malty in there. Honey..not too much that I can get, even though I caught it in the scent.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy to start, and goes down well. Medium bodied

Drinkability: Apparently its 11%, but doesn't taste it (ah, barleywines). Could have a couple.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2009 06:14:26 | More by kshankar

pinotboy007

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Very nice copper with (initially) a thick cap that faded slowly and left moderate lacing. No visible carbonation and a slight trace of yeast floaties.

S - Raw honey, strawberry, sweet peat.

T - Complex and bracing; the hops are there in force but don't overwhelm the soft caramel hints and leather. The alcohol is well masked.

M - Rich and creamy with soft carbonation.

D - A nice way to end the evening but having more than one isn't really an option. WELL DONE DOMINION! :)

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 02:26:01 | More by pinotboy007

srandycarter

California

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown and cola, not much head, thin ring left. Not much sudsy lacing left, but cascading bubbles at the fringe.

S - OH YEAH. Deep malt, cooked dark fruits. I am falling into this one...

T - Solid malt profile, infused with sweet fruit, then backed up by some good bitter.

M - Creamy, balanced, could have used a bit more carb.

D - For the style, would hurt myself probably.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2009 07:01:03 | More by srandycarter

clayrock81

Virginia

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark copper body with a creamy tan head and sheath lacing down the glass. A thick malt ad yeast-like smell with some dark fruit in there. Medium-bodied yet smooth and creamy, definite caramel and toffee malts, as well as bread, roasted and some oakiness. This leads to a balanced beer that has a dry taste but finishes more smooth. Has fruits like apple and pear poking at the side but they seemed subdued, especially for a barleywine. The ABV is really hidden here and I could see myself mistakenly sessioning this. Definitely worth a try even if you're not a barleywine fan.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2009 13:35:40 | More by clayrock81

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 batch, brewed on 2/11/09.

A: A glowing, hazy orange-copper color with a moderately large, creamy off-white head. Retention and lacing are both decent.

S: Sweet malty aromas coupled with honey. Some citric hop aromas as well, and they seem sweet. Some hints of rumlike alcohol are also available. A bit of brown sugar and faint caramel too.

T: Sweet toasted caramel malts, honey, and candied citrus flavors up front. This switches quickly into a resiny, somewhat piny hop bitterness. This is also where the alcohol kicks in, giving a strong bite that rides off into the finish.

M: Full-bodied, with average carbonation. A sticky sweetness up front followed by a long, drying bitter and especially alcoholic finish.

D: This is tasty and the alcohol doesn't tiptoe around - this one gets right after you with a nice warming character. It's a sipper, but I'm pretty impressed with this barleywine from Dominion. Like many of their beers, especially easy to appreciate given the reasonable pricing.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 01:31:06 | More by Clydesdale

whoneeds8

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a westmalle glass, bottling date is blank. Pours out mohogony color with a think off white head that goes away quickly. Smell is very sweet, can definatly find the honey. Taste is the honey flowing across your pallate, with a roasted malt flavor to follow. Hardly any hop bite to it, which in this case isn't a bad thing. Not much if any carbonation to the mouthfeel, but a very smooth feel as well. The alcohol is very well hidden to make this a very drinkable barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2009 02:47:53 | More by whoneeds8

tmoneyba

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured clear dark amber with a large frothy off-white head that lasted with good lacing.

Heavy tart citrus caramel nutty aroma.

Medium to full body with a sticky texture.

Medium complex sweet flavor with a medium balanced finish that was long lasting.

This is a standout beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2009 13:25:23 | More by tmoneyba

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 2005 vintage. Hazy orange color with a white head. The aroma was mostly citrus hops. The flavor seems dominated by orange citrus hops, some pine hoppiness and a bit of sweet caramel. Very tasty.

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 2001 vintage. This one seemed a bit more tart. I think there may have been a problem with this particular bottle.

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 2000 vintage. This one also poured somewhat hazy orange to light amber with little head. The aroma was very light. The hop bitterness and flavor were much softer than the '05. The ABV was unnoticed. Really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2009 12:47:47 | More by BigMcLargeHuge

ChoqlitStout

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Got this beer in the mail as an extra from CrellMossett and a huge thanks. This is one of my favorite beer styles and this is a GREAT example of the style.

A: pours cloudy amber, looks like apple cider. No head.

S: delicious sweetness of honey, brown sugar, and white sugar along with alcohol right on the end.

T: DELICIOUS! Sweet but with enough hops to balance the sweetness without lingering bitterness. No hot alcohol flavors, but you can tell that this beer has a kick without reading the label.

M: Full with low carbonation. This is definitely a sipping beer. I shared the bottle with the hubby and I'm not sure I would have made it through a whole bottle.

D: This is a great english barleywine. Smooth, sweet and warms you to the bone. Awesome!

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2008 01:22:20 | More by ChoqlitStout

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from dsigmon courtesy of the Ugly Ducking BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy amber color, with a thin off-white head that fades very quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of honey, caramelized malts, a little alcohol, some pale hops and some citrus.

T: The taste starts out malty with sweet flavors of caramel, citrus and honey that quickly followed by a big alcohol sting. Then there's a strong hops presence for the style that balances things out a bit. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down dangerously easily, not too filling, very strong kick, good representation of style, this is a good high ABV beer to drink for a while, but it's not the first one I'd pick.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 02:11:24 | More by TheManiacalOne

atsprings

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice hazy dark orange with a thin diminishing head that left some slight lacing. Aroma was loads of burnt caramel and toffee. The taste was also a load of burnt caramel and an abundance of malts with the hops keeping a decent balance in the background. The beer is slightly heavy with warming, slightly sticky alcohol. This was an enjoyable beer, one I'd certainly try again.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2008 02:25:34 | More by atsprings