Millennium Ale - Virginia Brewing Nostalgia

Yes, Old Dominion Millennium Ale. I still have a few bottles of Dominion Millennium Ale stashed away in the basement. Old Dominion Brewery is now located in Delaware, but these bottles, dated January 31, 2008 were produced when the brewery was still located in Ashburn, Virginia.

Poured into a brandy snifter, in preparation for an evening of relaxed sipping, Millennium Ale is a dark amber color and nearly opaque. The beige head lasted only a few minutes. The aroma is faint and indistinct, a little bready malt with some apple and pear-like notes. The flavor is sweet at the start and then finishes with a mild bit of bitter citrus hops. After three years I'm pleasantly surprised that the hop notes are still there. A sweet, resiny coating is left behind in my mouth. The bottle label has no ABV noted but I seem to remember it used to be listed in the 11-12% range. The beer still has a pleasing alcohol warmth going for it.

As I was enjoying this Dominion Millennium Ale I couldn't help but think that I'm drinking a bit of Virginia brewing history. The Old Dominion Brewing Company was a Virginia landmark for 20 years. They still make the same good beers, but the Old Dominion name is historical nomenclature now.