Samuel Adams Millennium

Formerly brewed at Boston Beer Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bottle shared by frumptydumpty on new years eve 2011. Thanks Ryan. After struggling to get out the cork and finally just pushing a large piece of it into the bottle so we could get to this super hyped beer. Ryan initially poured this into shot glasses to share with the masses but the only people who had any real interest in this treasure were me, ryan, ryan’s bro, and paul, the owner of duck rabbit so we ended up with a lot leftover including a 12 oz plastic cup full that ryan showed me the next morning. quite the wounded soldier. anyway. this beer was good, but a few of the top beers in this style (mainly thinking of M and Dave), this one seemed somewhat underwhelming. Big nose, lots of caramel, brown sugar, dark fruits, umami, toffee, port, sherry. Interesting stuff but Ryan’s beers that he made at Fano were much better to me.

Bottle number 503/3000, with a big thanks to Adam. Pours a tawny brown with a slight amount of bubbles hanging out around the edges of the glass. Caramel, toffee, syrupy bourbon, and a whole heap of umami. Reminiscent of the very old koshu we had at RBSG 2010. Flavors are incredible, caramel and toffee, more umami. Velvety smooth, excellent mouthfeel. Long finish with touches of maple. Rather port like. Alcohol here is completely hidden. This destroys Utopias. No idea why they wouldn’t make this again and just keep making Utopias. This was incredible.

Had back in April, Utopias right before. Pours a dark chestnut brown, transparent. Much more mellow than Utopias, 11 years can do that. Sweet malts, caramel, some light bourbon, notes of cherries, a fair bit of tobacco and hints of sherry. The flavor has the sweet malt, notes of plums and cherries, sweet vanilla and roasted oak from the barrel, bourbon notes well integrated, leafy tobacco with faint heat. full bodied, much smoother than utopias but still has a viscous creamy feel with a gentle carbonation and smooth finish.

Bottle. I’m not sure what qualifies as a full taste, but I got a small bit of this courtesy of thickfreakness, whose rating is just a few below this. Thanks man. Figured I’d put it in here just so I can remember it later on. It tasted more like liquor than it did beer, almost. So smooth...mouthfeel was absolutely incredible. Strong taste, but certainly not overwhelming for a small taster.

There’s an amazing story behind us trying this one. Then I look at each of the little squares below mine, and each of those probably also has an awesome story behind it of how the beer got from Sam Adams, opened, and the experience writ into that square...

Compared to Utopias, more balance, less stinging heat and sugar. Maple, lightly plummy, chocolate, thin with a heavy sticky body but the residual sugar adds to the experience, imparting a lightly chewy texture that, coupled with the chocolate, becomes dessert-like. Nearly no heat compared to Utopias.

Courtesy of hoppymeal

Bottle: The aroma consists of chcocolate, maple syrup, raisins, caramel, vanilla, and whiskey. It pours a hazy brownish-orange with a few stray bubbles for a head. The flavor starts with very sweet and fruity along with vanilla, caramel, and raisins. The finish has chocolate, whiskey, maple syrup, and light alcohol. Full bodies with a syrupy mouthfeel. Good, but I assume in small amounts. Any more than a few ounces would wear on me quickly.

Big number 2700, and what a beer to tick for this milestone. Thanks to alcstradamus for hooking me up with this rarity in a trade. Cloudy brown in color with minimal head, but no floaties at least. Huge aroma, like a great barleywine mixed with a great aged brandy or whiskey. Definitely some -bal notes, and some sherry-like oxidation, along with caramel, toffee, sugar plums, and dates, with noticeable alcohol that blends in well. The flavor goes on for days. Big sweet toffee malt base, sweet prunes, figs, and dates, and molasses and slight alcohol on the finish, which lasts forever. Medium-full bodied and flat as an ’09 Angels Share - but it works well for this beer. Extremely smooth and warming. A damn good beer, like a better version of Utopias, which is itself pretty damned good. It’s only 7:30 and I’ve already scored two big time wale ticks. It’s been a good night. Now on to watch the cinematic masterpiece known as "The Room."

This beer had pretty much all I wanted from it and more. I was lucky enough to finally get a handbottle and thought I’d put in my first rate in years. Pours still chestnut/cola brown. Aromas of vanilla, nuts, oak, alcohol, chocolate, and more complexity. Taste is very similar with a huge punch of vanilla and nuttiness. Some alcohol burn but it’s very welcome and still doesn’t make me think that this is 20% alcohol. Such an amazing beer. Utopias is great, but I wish they would just reproduce Millennium every other year. Mmm.....