Thomas Hardy's Ale (1968-1999)
Eldridge Pope in Dorchester, Dorset, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.74
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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;..."
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9/10
Sincerely malty with lots of favourable oxidation. Silver Anniversary. I have had other years that satisfied me more. Just saying.
Tried
on 30 Dec 2016
at 14:09
7/10
Tried
on 27 Nov 2016
at 20:59
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle shared courtesy of Deanso. Poured a murky dark brown with no life. The aroma is roasty malt liqourice. The flavour is moderate to light sweet liqourice bitter with a rich oily molasses bitter alcoholic bitter palate. Full bodied with flat carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2016
at 13:52
7.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
1975 Bottle shared with Kermis & JmGreenUK. No head or carbonation. Dark brown pour. Port in the atertaste. Aged very well.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2016
at 10:02
7.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
1975 Bottle shared thanks to Deanso. Dark brown with no head. Aroma of port, mould and overripe dark fruit. Flavour is heavy sweet and moderate bitter. Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Nov 2016
at 15:18
8.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
BitterBill sent me this. 1975 vintage, pictures posted on untapped and talkbeer.
I poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a ruddy burnt red almost brown color with no head nor lacing, (me, given the brew year, I get it, I’m not worried).
The aroma starts off with sweet figs, plums, light spice (blend of cinnamon to orange zest to allspice). Sweet earthy almost leathery stickiness. Warms into some prunes.
The flavor leans to the prune side so much with a tingle of vanilla and some leathery sort of tobacco to bready sweetness. The aftertaste is somewhat a sweet to wet pruniness running on into a quick finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body (this really kept it’s weight, what in the what? Yeah, it really did). Carbonation, haha, well, look at the date, and I’m pretty sure most rational beer drinkers will realize, that there’s no carbonation left to this.
Overall, despite no carbonation left, this amazingly held up so well. I never would have thought that a beer older than me would have held all of those aromas and flavor and just blend so well. Amazing, just doesn’t seem like a word remotely close to describe my true feelings for this beer.
I poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a ruddy burnt red almost brown color with no head nor lacing, (me, given the brew year, I get it, I’m not worried).
The aroma starts off with sweet figs, plums, light spice (blend of cinnamon to orange zest to allspice). Sweet earthy almost leathery stickiness. Warms into some prunes.
The flavor leans to the prune side so much with a tingle of vanilla and some leathery sort of tobacco to bready sweetness. The aftertaste is somewhat a sweet to wet pruniness running on into a quick finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body (this really kept it’s weight, what in the what? Yeah, it really did). Carbonation, haha, well, look at the date, and I’m pretty sure most rational beer drinkers will realize, that there’s no carbonation left to this.
Overall, despite no carbonation left, this amazingly held up so well. I never would have thought that a beer older than me would have held all of those aromas and flavor and just blend so well. Amazing, just doesn’t seem like a word remotely close to describe my true feelings for this beer.
Tried
from Draft
on 20 Nov 2016
at 00:15
10/10
No carbonation. That's a bit surprising for an only 20 year old TH. But the taste! Figs, toffee, caramel and dark fruits, port. THIS is the
Tried
on 13 Nov 2016
at 14:00
10/10
Oh my. But no surprise. Prost!
Tried
on 02 Nov 2016
at 17:38
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tasting at Alex’s. 330ml bottle, vintage 1994. Pours an almost opaque brown copper. Aroma is sweet, fruity, mushrooms, oxidized. Taste is pretty the same: dark fruits, some nuts and mushrooms, liquorice. Same aftertaste.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Oct 2016
at 22:20
7/10
Surprisingly dry and tart. Leathery and cardboard oxi. Not what I expected. Will revisit if given the chance. #danishpours
Tried
on 02 Aug 2016
at 18:55