Gale's Conquest Ale Masterbrew

Bottle conditioned. Single batch brewed in 2001 for B.United for distribution only in USA.

Ingredients: Maris Otter & Lager malts; and Goldings, Fuggles & Challenger hops.

The fermentation lasted for ten days. Conquest Ale Masterbrew was matured for six months prior to hand bottling.

Was also available in 30 litre kegs.

2.9

210 reviews

Horndean, England

Community reviews

3.1 Had this at Where The Wild Beers Are. Pours a hazey amber with a thin white head. Big malt, chewy malt and sweetness. Tastes of malty candies, with lots of notes from those little hard pear candies that come in a tin. Chewy malt with sweetness, old and degraded.

2.7 Bottle poured at WtWBA Brooklyn 2013. Pours a deep brown, mahogany body with no head and very minor lacing. Aroma is sweet vanilla, maple, malt, prune and grain. Mouthfeel is medium with similar notes in the flavor. I wasn’t a huge fan of this offering, personally; however the barrel conditioned version (in whiskey blended with wine barrels) made for an interesting evolution bringing out more of a sour wine flavor along with oak, vanilla and malt.

2.2 Bottle shared by afdempse. Thanks Adam. Vintage 2000 Alas, the decrepit cork did not survive the meeting with the corkscrew. After the cork debacle, the beer appeared a rusty orange hue, bordering on copper. No head, no lacing. The aroma was of malt, alcohol, and light citrus. The flavor still had a healthy alcohol presence, despite the age of the bottle. Also present was a dank cardboard flavor. Malt and subtle notes of citrus comprise the rest of the flavor. All in all, pretty bland. The feel was more akin to a liquor than a beer. Mouthfeel was thin and watery, with virtually no carbonation. I have had several beers by George Gale over the years. Various vintages and brews, random settings. I have yet to have one that has aged well, or that I would like to have again. Overall, a disappointment. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-25-2011

3.7 250ml corked bottle. It pours a nice but flat cognac color. Crystal clear. The smell is of rich toffee, golden raisins, honey, fortified wine. I really like it actually. The flavor is earthy, slightly tart but by no means sour. A hint of vegetation comes in as is standard for some aged english beers. Toffee and dark fruits. I actually think it is very good. Not sure about the reviews shit-bagging it.

3.2 on tap at Beer Table - After 10 years in the barrel, this beer is no longer a barley wine. I was guessing an unenthusiastic wild ale. The body is syrupy without actually being sweet due to lots a citrus, grapefruit and cranberry. Medicinal and dry. The pour is a vibrant dark red, with no head or carbination. taste was slightly vineous, and with the alcohol heat, felt like I was drinking a dry, red wine. Not bad, but probably not worth the $7/8oz that I paid.

4.4 It should be noted that I am trying the Conquest Old Ale 2000 on draft, so this may not be representative of the bottled version. The smell is sweet and sour, like a spirit more than a beer. It pours a light amber with no head. Tastes of cinnamon, apple, pepper, lemon, charcoal (hint), bit of salt. Easy to drink, with no stickiness, and a mild aftertaste of hops and spices.

1.6 Not sure what to make of this. It being brewed in 2001 it may have turned or been improperly cellared by the beer merchant. But this bottle poured a cloudy brown ale, with a distinct sour aroma. There was no head, an no lace left on the glass. The mouthfeel was watery, the flavor sour beef broth, that lingered unpleasantly for several minutes. Hopefully this is not the norm for George Gale & Co.

3.0 craziest commercial beer i’ve had. it’s completely flat. to be fair, it’s 10 years old, but still. vegetal malty aroma, slightly cloying, pretty odd, with rum raisins, vanilla, and tons of oak. pours cloudy amber. medium-heavy bodied, somehow both astringent and syrupy. it’s sweet and slightly tart with a dry malt finish.

3.5 Bottle from 2001 here on March 18, 2011. Corked and foiled. I have the feeling I bought this in Asheville a few years ago, but I’m not entirely sure. ’Spirited alcoholic nose out of the bottle, brandy, port, and sweet nothings. In the glass is a little more booze and nose hair burn, with some inky malt textures, sugar, and the remnants of a bombed out hop presence. Cloudy amber-mahogany pour with legs but no head. Taste is bittersweet with a dark and dry aftertaste, brownish malt dominant there Thankfully this bottle wasn’t infected! Rich and slithering malt, formerly sheeted but now folded over upon itself. Light wood and light vegetal, faint floral notes and rounded, subtle caramel. Mouthfeel is oily and thinnish, and despite the complete lifelessness/lack of carbonation, it’s just about right for this type of thing, and with no extremities, qualifies as extremely pleasant. A great strength has to be the alcohol - not at all a large component of the in-mouth taste, certainly no mention of that high a percentage. Very light warming and cheek dimpling after some volume, but nothing hot or brash; perfectly mellowed. Has some true depth despite a probably weakish recipe. One of my favorites from Gale’s, which has tended to be hit-or-miss in these aging experiments.

3.5 Reading other reviews, this beer seems to be a bit inconstant. Some QC issues, perhaps. Anyways, the bottle I got was very good. Cloudy amber in color, no head, very little carbonation. Nose is of caramel, wood, a bit of acid and tropical fruits; pretty rich. Taste is sweet and a bit sour, touch of bitterness in the aftertaste. The aftertaste fills the mouth with malt, stone fruit, and a bit of vinous character. Very nice sipper with a rich meal, or in front of a smoky fire. Kind of has qualities similar to a british pale ale in a barleywine.

2.5 Bottle, 275 ml, tasted with Luc Bourbonnière, savoured November 5 2009; eye: dark caramel, no effervescence, no head, no lacing; nose: Madeira, stale, light dark fruits, light molasses; mouth: thin, stale, Madeira, light molasses, light dark fruits, thin and watery finale in Madeira and molasses, not much carbonation, light body; overall: ordinary FRANÇAIS Bouteille, 275 ml, bue avec Luc Bourbonnière, savourée le 5 novembre 2009; œil : caramel foncé, pas d’effervescence, pas de mousse, pas de dentelle; nez : madère, éventée, léger fruits noirs, léger mélasse; bouche : mince, éventée, madère, léger mélasse, léger fruits noirs, finale mince et aqueuse en madère et mélasse, pas de carbonatation, corps léger; en résumé : ordinaire

2.5 Deep amber in color with no head. Aroma is of brown sugar caramel and maple. Taste is of maple, heavy oxidation, rusty nail, and mold.

3.8 Large yeast deposit floating in the glass. If you can get past that, it’s quite good. Dark molasses pour. No head. Sweet taste. What you’d expect from the genre. Rated 4/18/10

3.4 (bottle - 275 ml - 2001 vintage) Dark ruby red with no head and very little carbonation. Earthy and musty aroma with a lot of cider, fruit, and whiskey notes. Flavor is sour and funky at the start, but moves to a fruity and cider-like sweetness near the end. Dry and bitter but still holds up pretty well for nine years old. I’d say more of an old ale than a barley wine.

3.7 In the bottle from cyclone liquors. Pours ruby red with no head. This comes out of the bottle more like a sherry than a beer. Has an awesome aroma of liquor and whiskey. The flavor is a blend of apples and port. I find this to be a lot like Harvey’s bristol cream but a bit milder. Quite an interesting concoction.

3.4 Caramel cider colored with vitrually lifeless, uncarbonated body. Nose of aged wood, sherry, light marsala, malt and toffee and hint of farmhouse/manure. August flavors of aged wood, mild marsala and cream sherry, malt, understated toffee and caramel with a hint of Brett. Thin, oxidated finish.

2.9 2001 vintage. An anemic brown ale with almost no head. In aroma, oxidized malt with a bit of soy sauce, dark fruits, not bad. In mouth, a rather lifeless and oxidized ale with notes of madera, licorice, and light molasses, very thin and tired. Tasted Nov. 5 2009 with GRM and Mike H.

2.9 330. Corked and foiled. Well, geez. I have certainly had worse. Pours a murky medium amber with tottfee highlights and no head or lace. Rich, vinous, tangy cherry and doughy malt nose. Creamy medium body that goes a bit watery in places. Flattish. Fruity, vinous, bready mid-palate. Mild finish. Not disgusting, by any means, but can’t possibly be what the brewer had hoped.

1.8 Very small head, red in color, and clear. The smell is ok with maple, tofee, fruits, and wine like. Very strong aroma. The taste is sort of nasty however with dirt, booze, watery, and oxidation.

0.9 Also a 2001 vintage. Flat sticky caramel looks, completely opaque. Very diminished aromas consisting of madeira, caramel and white grapes. Terribly oxidized in mouth. I don’t understand how people can still be enjoying that. Virtually lifeless both in its flabby, oily body and in its stale tartish apple vinegar notions. Caramel crawls underneath, but is completely slaughtered by cardboard, old wood and wet leaves oxidation notes. The lack of aftertaste was a liberation. Bottles are still available quite broadly, but even with optimal storage, I can’t really imagine this still being any good.

3.6 Bottle 27,5 cl. Slightly hazy amber golden with a tiny, rough, off-white head. Aroma of fruit and caramel with a tart edge. Medium body, completely flat, notes of white wine and a whiff of Brett and perhaps a little wood. Warming alcohol in the finish, slightly leathery but no bitterness as such. Very interesting - and classic Gales. 120709

3.0 27.5 cL bottle bought at Hollingshead, CA. Pours hazy dark orange with a small white head. Aroma is solid phenolic and light acetone aroma. Dry wooden and phenolic flavoured. Acidic to citric dry flavoured finish. Very old and above the prime I assume.

3.1 Aroma is not very strong - chardonnay, white grapes and a little peach. Color is a cloudy dark orange, absolutely no head. Flavor is remarkably like chardonnay - some honey, some citrus, a little tart, and some alcohol burn on the end. Interesting brew.

2.7 9.3 ounce bottle from Plaza Liquors in Johnson City, TN. Corked, and the cork was dead beyond all comprehension. Pours a clear red color with sawdust floaties. Aroma of caramel, toffee, whisky, dark fruits. Taste is toffee, dark fruits, wood, whisky. Slightly tart note. Medium bodied. Eh.

3.8 aged bottle from 2001 .. . fruity aromas, dark stuff... no real head .. aged caramel and fruits .. . very nice mouth, smooth and sticky sweet .. . maybe some rum and honey and fruit tastes .. aged to a tee.... . who is your daddy and what does he do???

3.8 2000 Bottle, Funky Buddha tasting. Warm orange-gold, color of aged cheddar. Aroma of honey, very mead-like. Has some funk to it too. Custard and cake aromas, pineapple upside down cake. Fizzier than expected, lively carbonation. Sweeter and juicier than expected. Apples, pears, pineapple, candy but not in a bad way, in a great way.

1.8 2001 bottle. Poured translucent reddish-orange with absolutely zero head.. faint legs rode the sides of the glass. The aroma picked up lighter fruits and mild floral notes over shoddy mead-like boozy honey notes.. more and more of the honey as it warmed up, but it was never good. The flavor found the honey again at the core and no other malts really caught on.. dry apple juice and lesser cidery notes hit the edges along with boozy warmth and cardboard.. mercifully short finish of green apple and honey. Medium-bodied with no carbonation evident on the palate.. sappy, thick feel from the honey and a little molasses heft.. the bad components stuck in all the wrong places. This either fell apart over the years or was just really bad.

2.9 Bottle at Funky Buddha/Case and Keg tasting. Reddish color. Smells of apple, spice, fruit and caramel. Flavor is remarkably similar to a mead. Sweet with a ton of honey notes. Interesting beer, but not one I would go back to.

2.5 this bottle was sealed in wax and the cork was in good shape: clean aroma of fruits, a note of leather, but with passing notes of foot or stinky cheese; dead and murky appearance without head, lacing, or floaties; the palate is exactly as fruit juice; fruity, sweet and slightly sour flavor; reminded me of a failed homebrew.

3.0 Bottle. 2001 Vintage. Mahogony beer with no head. Sherry, malt, and light caramel aroma. Sherry, malt, and an earthy flavor. Medium-light bodied. No carbonation. Sherry, malt, and earth lingers. If you don’t like it - it was much better with a little Laphroaig added.