I had heard many great things about this beer prior to trying it in December 1998. Thanks to the very generous and renowned beer writer Lew Bryson, I finally got my hands on a bottle in time for Christmas that year. It was bottled on March 5, 1996, so this sample had aged almost two years before it had the ultimate privilege of being drunk by me (it kindly reciprocated and gave me the honor of being drunk by it). I poured it in my glass and admired it's muddy orange color. What a nose on this nectar of the gods. Huge, malty, laced with butterscotch. The palate was incredibly complex, reminiscent of fresh bread, butterscotch, sweet malt and alcohol. Reminded me very much of Thomas Hardy's Ale. That similarity ended in the finish though where a peppery hop presence gave the beer a bit more lingering bitterness than most barleywines have. Excellent!

On April 21, 1999 I got a larger supply of this brew which was bottled February 24 1999. The first bottle of this year's run I drank was a bit phenolic, I didn't find that flaw in the bottle I drank while taking these notes. It seemed a bit more restrained than the previous year's version, but because of that it was very drinkable while young. Bright orange color, light carbonation and a sweet, very malty nose are the first impressions this beer gives you. Sipping reveals an incredibly chewy caramel tasting malt palate and a gradually ascending alcohol warmth that takes over in the finish. A balancing hop bitterness is also apparent. Very nicely done.

Just for kicks, I matched this beer up against Victory Old Horizontal in a side by side tasting at the end of 1999. Victory normally releases their barleywine in November while Dominion brings theirs out around February, but it seems in 1999 they wanted Millenium out for the Millenium and released it early.

First the Victory:
The 99 Nose is much thinner than the very fruity 98, but it does have a hint of caramel to it. There is a High octane alcohol warmth and good hop
bitterness. This one needed some age in my pinion. The 98 has lots of fruit in the nose, plenty of rich chewy caramel, a huge warming finish. This one is just right for drinking, and I think even with age, the 99 will be hard pressed to stack up to the wonderful 98.

Now the Dominion:
The 2000 has a fruity peppery nose, very subtle caramel, rich silky mouthfeel, raisin, potent alcohol finish, very good hop bitterness. This one will only improve with age but is excellent right now. I would say the young Millenium has more to offer than the young horizontal. The 1999 is fruity, bready, rich malty mouthfeel, sweetness, chewy caramel, peppery hops, perfection in a glass! Between this beer and the 1998 Horizontal, it'd be a tossup. Both are a real treat.

Update 8/27/2017: Well imagine this. Here I am updating my review of Dominion Millennium not with a recently produced bottle, but with one brewed before Dominion was acquired by Anheuser Busch.

Dominion Millennium, bottled February 19th 2004. Yes, 2004. Got this years ago from Douglas Smith and it has been in the coldest compartment of one of my beer fridges since. Been saving for a special occasion, and here it is, remembering the Beer Hunter himself, Michael Jackson, on the 10th anniversary of his passing. Caramel and prunes in the nose, sweet malt and caramel up front, chocolate and rich honey notes. All the hops are gone and it finishes sweet with an alcohol warmth. Shockingly, no oxidation. 11.4% ABV and the label says bottle condition allows for cellaring "for as much as several years". Does 13 1/2 count as several? I just think it's cool this was bottled a few years before we lost Jackson. But wait. As the beer warms, there may just be a hint of hop bitterness poking through. Simply amazing!

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