Bass No 1

Brewed by White Shield (prev. Museum) (MolsonCoors)
Style: Barley Wine
Burton-on-Trent, England

2009-08-01. In a way anything I write here is far less meaningful than the actual experience of opening a bottle of beer that is multiple decades older than I am. The excitement and anticipation in the group while waiting for it to be opened was pretty amazing. I saw people dump world class beers out of their glasses in order to be ready to receive a sample. As for the beer, my pour was a small poo coloured liquid, bringing with it more sludge, sediment and protein chunks than I think I have seen in a beer before. Yet it manage to look enticing nonetheless. The aroma was sweet, caramel, toffee, with light undertones of something akin to soy sauce or an earthy tang. (7+) The flavour is similar, malt forward with tangy toffee notes, the finish is a bit bitter, more touches of caramel. Interesting. (6+) Really it tastes dramatically better than it has any right to. Average to light bodied palate gains weight from semi-suspended solids. WOW. In the unlikely event of a second encounter, I think decanting or filtering some might be in order. As it was, raw and unadulterated it was great fun. A beer experience to remember for quite some time. Drinking history as one person remarked. Bass 1902 King’s Ale. Bottle at BCTC 2009

Party fass at RBESG 2008. A deep red beer with an orangey head. The aroma is dominated by notes of over ripe fruits. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt and over ripe fruits, but a light oxidation is also present.

Queen’s Ale July 3, 2002. Bubbles around the edge of the glass and a few in the middle. Dark brown liquid allows some light. Aroma of dark wood, alcohol, rum, dark fruit and a hint of spice. Still beer. Tasty spice. Quiet alcohol. Licorice root and blackstrap molasses.

RBESG 08. Deep dark amber with a lasting off-white head. Fruity aroma with dates and a little alcohol. Sweet, dried fruit flavour with hot alcohol.

Big bottle. Sampled twice, in 2006 and 2009. Aroma from raisins and ripe apples, apple cake, very tart and vineous. Fantastic aroma. When we cracked it open, an enormous aroma was revealed. Horrid taste from harsh sourness. It’s dusty and immensely sour. Light and lifeless body of course.

25cl bottle at De Kulminator, iRate: pours a red tinted dark brown with a few soap suds for a head. Big sherry aroma with cardboard and a touch of smoke. Sweet Madeira. Carmelized sugars. Wonderfully sweet. The flat brew touches the lips and releases wet newspaper, but then livens up with some sherry and port. Rusty metal ... Perhaps literally rusted metal... looking at the rusted cap. Again smoke. Quite complex but obviosly way beyond it’s years. Still very enjoyable though.

Hand bottle from goldtwins, big thanks Larry! Hazy dark brown pour with very little head. Super rich, lots of dark fruits, very nice. Flavor is a bit off, but still quite tasty, slight bitterness and a little warming, very good.

Bottle shared by Miketd. Thanks! Pours a medium coppery haze with no head. Aroma is oxidized on the high end, but not so much that it ruined the beer like I have had in other Bass No 1’s I had had previous to this- lots of wet paper but stil a dried sweet maltiness and lots of dank old fruity esters. Flavor is a bit salty with some soy and medium to high oxidation- slight sherry and dirty old rotting wood- somehwat sweet but the saltiness comes through and kills it. One of the better bottles I have had but still not that great.