Cooperstown Pride of Milford Special Ale

Brewed by Cooperstown Brewing Co.
Style: English Strong Ale
Milford, New York USA

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

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Pours clear ruby red, medium tan head that slightly lasts, good lacing, tons of bubbles in the body. Aroma is buttery, fruity, and some caramel. Flavor is slightly fruity, buttery, light caramel. Body is medium, fairly dry. The second bottle I had of this was much warmer than the first, and the flavors and drinkability were much better when warmer (about 60 vs 45 or so for the first bottle).

My wife brought this one back from a trip to Rochester. +++ Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a heavily carbonated orange-caramel color with a large foamy off white head that left no lacing. The aroma was ripe cherries, figs and pears with faint caramel and bread underneath. The flavor was tangy caramel and butterscotch with notes of pear, apple, raisin and fig underneath. The finish was short with a touch of bread and fruit. Light to medium body but overcarbonated. Eh.

Bottle- Pours aruby brown color with a small head and bit of lacing. Nice aroma of caramel, a bit fruity with some spice. Taste of some caramel sweetness, a bit of fruit and some spice. A nice easy bitterness and a clean finish. fairly mdium, smooth and quite dry. No hint of the 7.7 ABV. Well balanced. very enjoyable ale. Another good beer from a regional brewer

UPDATED: AUG 18, 2011 Tap @ the Brewery, Milford, NY. Served in taster glass. Also had in a 12 oz bottle from the brewery. Nose of caramel and toffee candy, but not too sugary or rich. Also, dark fruit notes with a cereal malt flavor. Nice flavor in this one, some complexity. Flavor is malty and sweet, reminds me of a barleywine, caramel as well as English hops. Medium-full body. Very drinkable, alcohol is not evident at all. Finishes with a light bitter lingering finish. Nice brew.

Bottle. Brown beer with a tan head. Citrus and caramel/toffee aroma. Citrus and caramel flavor with light earthiness. Medium bodied. Citrus and caramel/toffee lingers with light earth.

Bottle courtesy of MaltDawg on 01/15/2011 at the 13th Richmond Gathering. Clear golden body with a small off-white head. Big caramel and light malt aroma. Sweet caramel, light malt and toast flavor. Medium light body with moderate carbonation.

American breweries are often able to take niche styles from other regions and make them uniquely American while still maintaining their original heritage. I think that’s a good way to describe Pride of Milford Special Ale as it certainly tastes like an American beer on the surface, but just a little contemplation reveals its true English roots.

I poured a 12oz bottle into a tumbler.

Appearance: Hazy blood red/burnt umber color with noticeable carbonation. Forms a small, tannish/yellow soapy head which fizzles away quickly and leaves no lacing.

Smell: Genuine aroma of caramel and toffee candy, but not sugary or rich. Slight dark fruit notes with a cereal malt scent as well.

Taste: As much as I hate umbrella styles of "____ strong ale", I’d say Pride of Milford Special Ale definitely falls into the category of an English strong ale (Americanized). The majority of the palate is in line with the aroma of caramel and toffee candy flavors. They make for a sweet flavor, but aren’t as sticky, rich or cloying as the individual confectionary components. There’s a somewhat familiar backbone of English malts - slightly bready, slightly toasty and slightly cereal-like. German doppelbocks also tend to have these components, but this beer isn’t nearly as robust.

The middle of the palate imparts a light bitterness, with the finish delievering another bout of candy sweetness combined with almost iced tea-like sensation. It’s actually quite refreshing, although the beer doesn’t finish completely clean but does leave a pleasant, mild taste of candy and malts.

Mouthfeel: Proportionately speaking, this is a rather thin brew. There’s a slightly watery consistency, as the slightest fizzy texture while it’s in the mouth.

Drinkability: Weighing in at 7.7% ABV, Pride of Milford Special Ale would seem to be a middle to light heavyweight of a beer, but it drinks like something of a much lower weight class. The palate is flavorful but not cloying, and the tepid, thin body makes its chuggable, smooth and slightly refreshing. The alcohol will sneak up on you, though, so handle this beer with kid gloves.

Overall, Pride of Milford is one of, if not the best beers by the Cooperstown Brewing Company. It’s a beer that with a little more strength would make it a heavy hitter instead of just a good position player.

Muddy mahogany color with a small white head. Aroma of bread and caramel. Maybe some sweet fruit in there too. Sweet flavor of caramel, toffee, some fruit jam, and toasted bread. Medium bodied beer that is pretty good but overall just too sweet for me.

Bottle. Pours a clear deep amber with an off-white head that dissipated quickly to the edges. Aroma is full of bread with a bit of caramel and hints of dark fruits. Flavor begins full of bread as well with a bit of a sweetness (biscuit) and a balancing dark fruit note in the finish. Nice and smooth on the tongue.

Hefty nose of caramel and tea. Dark amber with minimal head and spotty floaty stuff. Interesting palate with big initial burst of flavor then reduced to that which I smelled initially. The flavor burst is full, a bit hoppy, a bit of wood, toffee. Very interesting and good. Thanks for the trade Ron!

Cloudy amber color with big frothy off white head. Malt and dried fruit aroma. First taste was a bit bitter with a bit of malt and figs. The 7.7% is nicely masked. The body is full and rich. The finish is smooth and clean.