Thomas Hardy's Ale (1968-1999)
(has 14 batches)
Eldridge Pope in Dorchester, Dorset, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.73
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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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7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ Bull & Bush Christmas beer tasting. 1999 vintage. Brown appearance with little head. Spicy, woody, dark fruity, burnt sugary aroma. Very rich red fruity, woody, spicy, brown sugar, caramel flavor that’s actually quite smooth.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Dec 2011
at 17:50
9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 10
330 ml 1993 bottle with my usual Tasting Group in Athens. Deep reddish brown color with no head. Lovely aroma of grapes, oak, sugar, cognac. Very sweet malty taste, a slow sipper f for sure, grapes, cherries, wood, vanilla, alcohol. Gets better and better by every sip and as i warsm even more. Had the pleasure of trying multiple bottles after this (good for my bad for the wallet :D ). When it is well cellared it is amazing even with 20,30 years. I absolutely love it and always try to have plenty in cellar.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Nov 2011
at 05:02
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle, 1999, courtesy of fiulijn (wow Alex, and thanks!). Shared with heavy and ogivlado. Poured a deep amber/red/brown body with a tiny white head. Sweet malty nose, berries and honey, sweet but not bad, the maltiness is slightly husky. Sweet creamy taste, raisins, doesn’t feel stale at all, light, very light bitterness, despite being sweet, it’s far from being overly so, a great barleywine that might’ve improved with age (if it was better fresh... wow again). So damn glad to have tried this!
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Nov 2011
at 13:25
9.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
Hur gammal ska en Thomas Hardy vara för att bli optimal? Efter att ha provat en 08’, 05’, 94’, 89’ och en 79’ tillsammans kan jag konstatera att redan 05’ utvecklats väldigt mycket jämfört med 08’-an som var spritig och tunnare i smaken. 94’-an hade tappat något in styrka och fått en mer vinös ton. Intryck som förstärkes av 89-an. Den var platt och sur. Men 79-an var fantastisk, rundare och komplexare än 05-an men inte så långt därifrån. Svårt att dra generella slutsatser. Några kan ha lagrats fel. Glappet mellan 05’ och 94’ var i största laget. Men detta är det ultimata dessertölet. Efter några år i källaren står det sig perfekt till en stark ost eller mörk choklad. Söt, javisst men med smaker och styrka som matchar det.
Tried
from Draft
on 05 Sep 2011
at 07:02
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
1982 Intensiv malzig-gealteter Antrunk mit durchaus säuerlichen Noten, noch deutlich würziger werdend, wobei die Säuerlichkeit berücksichtigt wird. Die Altersspuren sind deutlich erkennbar, dennoch ist das Bier noch erstaunlich angriffslustig mit seiner Alkoholigkeit. Sehr gewürzig, wenig nach Kräutern. Stimmit, aber deutlich zu oxidiert. /11/9/12//11
Tried
on 26 May 2011
at 11:31
6.2/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle (vintage 1979, brewed by Eldridge Pope): No head, deep amber coloured, solid peppery vinous-caramelly nose; medium to solid bitter-sweet and spicy flavour, medium to full bodied; lingering bitter-vinous (old wine) finish. Very old, but drinkable, though......
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 May 2011
at 22:50
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Tasted at the big “SeaBass has got to go” tasting and big thanks to thecheeseman for sharing this aged (1980) treat. The aroma is aged and slightly tart prunes, a mild level of cardboard, aged funky cheese, a touch of soy, aged cherry and crusty dried out molasses. The taste is mildly tart and quickly picks up aged cherry, some prune and a touch of soy mixed with molasses. By about midway I get the addition of chocolate and lingering yet very mild soy heading into the finish.
Tried
on 23 Jan 2011
at 19:22
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
1993 - Tons of caramel, milk chocolate, bacon dipped in maple, marshmallows, cherries, a touch salty, fairly sweet. Unbelievable depth. Perfect condition. Honestly a bit too sweet, it needs more age!!!!! 4.8 86 - a bit sour. A touch of grapes in meat. Vegemite. Tons of salt, burnt brown sugar, raisins. Not nearly as balanced. Nothing like the 93. Not even the same beer. Still it is not without a lot of depth. 4.2 83- Bacon, maple, milk chocolate and honeysuckle, saltiness. All over the place, but not in a bad way. A bit metallic finish that I don’t like, but overall, very interesting for 27yr old. 3.9 All the beers were fairly flat, but can amazingly hold up for such a long time. Highly enjoyable to try all these beers.
Tried
from Can
on 22 Jan 2011
at 04:34
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
30th January 2008
1979 Bottle No. H12686. Thick dark brown ale. Yeast and chocolate nose. Smooth yeast and juicy sour malt. Long marmitey finish. Was hoping that after nearly 30 years that this bottle would have mellowed but it’s still pretty yeasty!
29th May 2011
1968 Bottle. Opaque dark brown beer. No head. Chocolate marmite nose. Neutral palate, no carbonation. Salty marmite. Tangy sour dark fruit. Herby medicinal tones, Neutral finish. 43 years have not calmed this down. Perhaps no amount of aging will!
1979 Bottle No. H12686. Thick dark brown ale. Yeast and chocolate nose. Smooth yeast and juicy sour malt. Long marmitey finish. Was hoping that after nearly 30 years that this bottle would have mellowed but it’s still pretty yeasty!
29th May 2011
1968 Bottle. Opaque dark brown beer. No head. Chocolate marmite nose. Neutral palate, no carbonation. Salty marmite. Tangy sour dark fruit. Herby medicinal tones, Neutral finish. 43 years have not calmed this down. Perhaps no amount of aging will!
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2011
at 10:40
9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
1987 vintage, drank Jan. 2011. Big caramel and some butterscotch in the nose. Ovely aroma with raisins and dried figs. Brown-orange color, viscous, no head. Sweet flavor with sherry, dried fruit, caramel, plus a slight sour edge and chocolate. Wow! Wonderful warmth. Great dried fruits and chocolate. This beer has aged amazingly well. We put it next to a 2006 and it crushed it hands down. Amazing. The pinnacle of aged beer for me so far.
Tried
on 09 Jan 2011
at 04:45