Thomas Hardy's Ale (1968-1999)
Eldridge Pope in Dorchester, Dorset, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.74
|
|
Creamy butterscotch notes flood the taste buds, laced with subtle complex fruit...and a subtle suggestion of vintage port. Elegant and seamless, this beer was a waltz on the palate.
In ’The Trumpet Major’ Hardy wrote of Dorchester strong beer "It was of the most beautiful colour that the eye of an artist in beer could desire; full in body, yet brisk as a volcano; piquant, yet without a twang; luminous as an autumn sunset;..."
In ’The Trumpet Major’ Hardy wrote of Dorchester strong beer "It was of the most beautiful colour that the eye of an artist in beer could desire; full in body, yet brisk as a volcano; piquant, yet without a twang; luminous as an autumn sunset;..."
Sign up to add a tick or review
8/10
Dark brown - toffee, caramel, molasses cake - medium body 4.3
Tried
on 25 Oct 2018
at 18:47
8/10
Dark brown - toffee, molasses, raisin, barbecue 3.9
Tried
on 25 Oct 2018
at 18:42
9/10
brown; old caramel, oak, toffee, molasses. 4.4
Tried
on 05 Jun 2018
at 22:57
8/10
brown: Dark caramelized brown sugar, nutty toffee, old caramel. 4.1
Tried
on 04 Jun 2018
at 20:16
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
1994 12% bottle thanks alex mogano piatta ossidata marsala leggero fieno filo cioccolato liquoroso marasca ancora corposa
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jan 2018
at 10:19
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
1987 vintage thanks to Doug. Pours out amber no head. Nose is great caramel toffee malts some old paper notes. Taste is more of the nice sweet malts, crazy that this beer is so old and still kicking.
Tried
on 16 Dec 2017
at 00:45
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
1987 bottle thanks to Doug at his Christmas Party
Pours cloudy brown with a small beige head, no lacing. Aroma of brown sugar and caramel. Flavor of brown sugar, toffee and vanilla
Held up good for 30 year's old.
Pours cloudy brown with a small beige head, no lacing. Aroma of brown sugar and caramel. Flavor of brown sugar, toffee and vanilla
Held up good for 30 year's old.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2017
at 00:19
9.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9.5
1987 vintage bottle from Douglas88. Brown, clear, pours flat (understandable). Smoky, peaty aroma, leather , tobacco. Taste too is the old ale sweetness, mellowed by age, more peat. Mellow sweetness. Aged perfectly.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2017
at 00:14
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
From old tasting notes. Bottle # A31671. Vintage 1986. Sampled on 01/02/1987. Deep burgundy red color. Big sweet, pungent malt aroma with a yeasty backdrop. Intensely sweet molasses flavor with complex undertones of smokiness and dried fruit. Beautiful full Rich finish. Full bodied and flavorful. Long treacle aftertaste. A wonderfully crafted beer worthy of its reputation as one of Britain’s best. Superb!
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Aug 2017
at 22:24
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
1983 33cl bottle, thanks to Lorenzo for sharing. Pours dark brown, with beautiful prune reflections, no foam. Aroma is very fruity, of caramelized figs, caramel, prune. Body is very dense, with some stickiness and no carbonation. A bit of astringency comes out Taste has intense sweetness, from ripe prunes and figs, while still remaining very delicate, probably because of the aging. Some underlying bitterness can be perceived. Finish is long and sweet of prune and figs again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jul 2017
at 12:07