Bass No 1

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

Serve in Snifter

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Wow, a 109 year old bottle of barley wine. Shared by BDR, pours a hazy brownish copper colored brew with no head. Aroma of tawny sherry, powdery brown sugar, a hint of soy and a touch of cellar cardboard. Taste is medium to full bodied, flavors of earthy oak wood, burnt brown sugar, sherry, a touch of part and dark Baker’s chocolate. Finish is dry bitter and dusty brown sugar with an aftertaste of old cardboard, vanilla and dried prune. This barley wine really held up after surviving two world wars, two world economic downfalls, and at least 100 failed predictions of end of times. Happy to have experienced this "once in a lifetime" drink.

The ultimate barley wine? It is not subtle by any means, as this ale does grab you by the throat and gives you a good shaking down. Sampled at the Winter Beer Festival in Glasgow, November 1997. Cask, gravity dispense. Mahogany black in colour with a thin head quickly disappearing! Aroma - practically pure ethanol with a hint of sweet sherry and pear drops present. Thck syrupy smooth mouthfeel and no lacing at all. Dark malts deliver a very, very strong catalogue of flavours, booming richly in the mouth. Thick syrupy mouthfeel with fruit sweetness consisting of gaia melon, peach, cherries, mangos and pears. Notes of caramelised dates at the end as the warmth spreads down the throat like sweet alcoholic cough medicine. No hops detected in aroma or the aftertaste. Malty finish is potent as warmth spreads like wildfire with strong alcoholic notes of sweet sherry, port and plum brandy mug the mouth. An amazing taste experience which threatens to overwhelm the taste buds. You really need to try this in cask and see for yourself.

Bottle at DSG 2011 vintage 1977. Dark brown colour with no head. Aroma is alcohol, malt, dried fruit, cellar, caramel. Flavour is alcohol, dried fruits, oxidation, fruit, grapes, cellar notes, caramel. Nice beer.

Bottle @ Danish Summer Gathering, Ulfborg 2011. Official 1977 Rebottling, Quart size. The wax was a bit broken but the cork looked in good shape (at least externally). We placed it on a geuze basket and carefully poured to the glasses. Very dark brown with no head. Aroam of very ripe fruit, caramel, port, oxidization is very faint and it becomes a bit more evident in the flavour. Tastes of very riep fruit, port, sherry ,caramel. has held remarkably well.

UPDATED: NOV 15, 2011 Kings Ale #1, Brewed 2/22/1902, Tasted 6/11/2011. A huge thanks to Brad for sharing this piece of history. It is incredible to think of how the world has changed since this beer was brewed. This beer has a strong aroma of sherry. Some vinous character, in both the flavor and aroma. There is burnt sugar, soy sauce, old basement, caramel, and dry oak. A thick, rich beer with a great palate. No carbonation. It has lasted surprisingly well, even with a cork that was falling apart. Brad had to decant and strain the beer. What a great experience to try this.

I finally found my "long lost" notes for this beer! Had to clean out a closet that had water damage from Hurricane Irene and found my notes from my 2003 Belgium trip. My notes list this as "81 Kings Ale Bass". Bottle from Kulminator in Antwerp on 5-14-03. Vintage is 1981. Deep brown pour. Slight brown head. Nose is chocolate and medicinal notes with alcohol. Strong chocolate and caramel taste. Thin bodied. Ends with more caramel. I seem to recall back in 2003 this beer was not in the database. I though I’d lost the notes.....

UPDATED: AUG 22, 2011 Bottle 750ml vintage 1977 @ TFODRBSG11, Ulfborg
Pours clear dark amber/brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is oxidized with notes of malt, caramel and dried fruits.Taste is medium sweet and light bitter. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat.

Bottle @ Danish Summer Gathering, Ulfborg 2011. Thanks Nightfall, Bottle from 1977. Pours ruby brown with a small bubbly off white head. Oxidized. Sherry and port and some vague dark tart fruit. Caramel and toffee. Dammn - nose holding up pretty well. Tobacco , earth and wine. Very vinous. Subdued alcohol. Wauw!

Bottle from 1977 @ FOneFan from Nightfall. Very dark brown with tiny off-white head. Flavour is malt, caramel, fruit, port, earthy, little toffee, hops and a little bitter.

Bottle@TFODRBSG11 - from 1977, courtesy of Nightfall.Pours brown with tiny off-white head.Aroma of cellar, red berries, spices, oxidized malt and yeast.Flavor is sweet oxidized malt with some sourness, chocolate, red berries and warming.Medium to full body, soft carbonation.Really nice.

1977 version. Unclear deep dark brown colour. Sweet indeed vinious aroma, strong, caramel, port wine bit like aroma. Good mouthfeel, filling. Very sweet flavour, dark fruit, vinious, port wine, very very sweet, long lasting very sweet dark fruit vinious port finish. Thank you Nightfall!!! Big time!