Pyramid 5,000 Year Ale

Formerly brewed at Pyramid Breweries
Style: Barley Wine
Portland, Oregon USA

Pyramid Ales--5000 Year Millenium Barleywine Ale--2000 Release--12 oz. Bottle. 9.10% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Barley Wine. Rich clear copper red amber color. Floral front with sweet rich malty smooth body. Aged 5 months. Lightly toasted and rich with nice lace and balanced profile. Sampled 2/8/2000.

12 oz. bottle - thanks riverside for sharing this and even though it is under 10%, i’ll still rate it b/c it’s a BW; pours dark brown and flat; the slight oxidation gives it almost bourbon nose; drinks dry and flat with caramel, syrupy sugars; woody and slightly rich; much better than expected and has held up well

Small bottle shared by riversideAK. Little to no carbonation. Cola brown, light haze. Oxidized nose but works really well with the heavy caramelized toffee and bourbon. Smooth and heavy brandy and sweet tobacco. Love it. A little spicy in the long finish.

18-Jan-08 (Draft: 2008 Great Alaskan Beer and Barley Wine Festival in Anchorage, AK) Smooth, medium-sweet, and earthy maltiness is balanced nicely by light hop character. Some oxidation notes adds to the smooth, malty flavor. Medium-full body without being heavy or syrupy. Light carbonation, very easy to drink for such a malty beer. Wood, light earth and a hint of hops in the nose. Golden-amber in color shows nice clarity. Small, off-white head is filmy on the pour, settling to a thin ring. A nicely aged beer that will continue to age well if you like that sort of thing, which I do!

12oz bottle. Dark brown color, no head. Sweet malty smell. Taste is a little sweet, very nice though.

12 oz. bottle in the cellar since 1999. Pours a burnt orange color with a slight tan head. Has a sweet cinnamin roll smell. Full bodied with a super smooth mouthfeel. Taste is sweet raisons, caramel, and grapes; not unlike a port wine. No hint of oxidation or off flavors. Finishes with a sweet alcohol taste on the breath. Average as a fresh beer in 1999, it has aged surprisingly well over the last five years into an excellent brew.oct 2004

This bad boy has been in the bottle for seven years, and it seems that the style has changed a bit in the interim. Pours a clear bright amber with a thin tan head. Medium body (surprisingly light for the style) and light carbonation. Taste and aroma of caramel, figs leather and a bunch of raisins. Starts sweet and finishes sour. Whatever hops seem to have faded away long ago.

Bottle # 11290. I picked this one up from an on-line auction (gotta it pretty cheap). Poured a cloudy dark brown color with small sized off white head. Aromas of molasses, leather, light citrus and caramel. Tastes of molasses, citrus, caramel, and light alcohol. I was surprised by how much I liked this one (didn’t have high hopes for a Pyramid beer). You could tell this one mellowed a little over the years, but it is by far the best Pyramid beer I’ve had.