Thomas Hardy's Ale (2003 - 2008)
(has 6 batches)

2024-08-16, vintage 2008, 16 years old, 6-4-7-3-13=33
It took 40 minutes to reach the reasonable temperature from fridge to glass; it definitively has heavy oxidation notes, together with some earthiness, nuttiness, an some malt depth; very hot too. Drinkable.

2022-09-21, vintage 2004, 18 years old, 7-4-8-3-15=37
Side to side with an original Thomas Hardy's 1994. Full bodied, sweet (a bit more than the 1994), nice malt depth, some bitter nuts, some signs of oxidation, even some dust in the aroma, but also some fudge, and gentle alcohol warmth. In the aroma, there is a mild fruity note, maybe sour, maybe Port; also the flavour has some fruitness, unusual, but it turns out to be pleasant. Leather comes to mind too.
Declining, moderately oxidized, still pleasant.

2016-12-08, vintage 2008, 8 years old, 6-4-6-3-13=32
This bottle as well is not spectacular; there is some Parmigiano in the aroma, and light acidity.

2016-10-14, vintage 2008, 8 years old, 6-4-6-3-13=32
Caramel, nuts, a bit of molasses, and some oxidization.
It's not holding up with the years.

2013-03-07, vintage 2004, 9 years old, 7-3-8-3-15=36
Brown color, virtually no head. It has some of the classic aroma, with a twist of nuts and oxidization. The mouthfeel is a bit oily; it has a good malty flavor, rich enough, with medium sweetness, with some roasted nuts too; correct bitterness, and pleasant alcohol warmth; it shows light oxidization. The final is just a tad more roasty than really desired from this beer.
Pleasant, balanced, classic English Barley Wine, and definitively better than the 2008 tasted side-to-side.

2013-03-07, vintage 2008, 5 years old, 7-3-7-3-13=33
Brown color, virtually no head; the pour is oily. The aroma is close to the classic, but not as powerful; there is some malt, dark caramel, dust and light oxidization. The carbonation is almost completely gone, therefore the mouthfeel is slightly oily; some malt flavor, but mostly there are roasted nuts; moderate residual sweetness, some alcohol perception, and quite strong bitterness. Apparently a bit salty too.
Less malty and sweet than the 2004 tasted side-to-side, and with just too much roastiness. It seems quite messy.

2011-11-05, vintage 2008, 3 years old, 8-5-8-4-15=40
Dark mahogany color, hazy, revealing red reflex against a source of light; it has a medium sized head, a thin layer of which is persistent. The aroma is malty, rich, with caramel, some butter, and some Parmigiano Reggiano. Full bodied, it has a strong malt flavor, sweet, with caramel, some fudge, but also a very light, unusual sourness; the bitterness is quite high, but in balance with the sweetness; the alcohol perception is mild; there is a medium nutty character.
Good, but probably requires more years.

2010-10-31, vintage 2004, 6 years old, 7-4-8-4-16=39
Tasted in parallel with 2 vintages of the original Eldridge Pope’s
The bottle has little carbonation; it pours a dark brown color, with red shades, without head; less deposit in the bottle than the older samples. There is some caramel aroma, mild, with some alcohol and butter, wood; it can’t hold up to the original version. The mouthfeel is strong, sticky, and a bit oily; good caramel flavor, malt, sweet, with a touch of chocolate and Madeira; the alcohol is more evident than in the Eldridge Pope’s, maybe the bitterness too, hence the final is more balanced; it’s also a bit woody. The malt profile is less interesting than in the Eldridge Pope’s, but the final is more complex. Very good, it has potential to improve for another few years.

2008-04-02, vintage 2006, 2 years old, 8-5-9-3-17=42
Lovely nutty malt, a bit alcoholic, with a good body strength, but not too thick. It still has to mature a few years.

2004-05-18, vintage 2003, 1 year old, bottle 000434, 8-5-8-4-17=42
Beautiful ruby color; more fizzy than the original. Malty aroma, but also an incredible apple note; later it develops a caramel character. Malty (of course), well balanced by a strong bitterness; more aggressive than the original (a light wood sourness), sweet caramel, lightly burnt sugar. A bit too alcoholic.
Very good Barley Wine, but less complex than the original.

2003 edition, bottle # 10137. This is a deep red, relatively clear-bodied (though graced by ample yeast particles) beer that pours with nary a head. Potent, sweet aroma of honey, soy, almonds, and cherry infused with strong ethanol notes. The flavor starts with strong honey and soy, with a bit of woodiness and a strong alcohol finish. Also dark fruit and burnt caramel flavors. Not as thick-bodied as I’d suspect from the aroma. Even so, this has a dense, sweet, slightly rough-feeling flavor profile. A bit sweet and rough around the edges to enter "great" territory, but this is definitely a powerful beverage.

I really wish that this was not retired. A marvelous beer that only cost considerations kept me from drinking more of. +++Sampled from an 8.5 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark red-brown with a small tan head. The aroma is full of molasses, raisin, anise and cherry. The flavor is a glorious mix of cocoa, raisin, molasses, caramel and tart cherries. The finish was incredibly long with raisin and cocoa dominating. Full bodied with a warming alcohol note underneath. Liquid glory.

For a barleywine at such a high alcohol level this is the best tasting. Very little bitterness. Strong aroma coming from it and no head when poured. I would drink this again, for sure. 7/4/8/4/17

So, I believe I bought this 4 pack rated it above and put the rest away. This is my last of this 3 brews. Damnnnnn. The oxidation is well hidden behind a very sweet raisin, particularly the flavor. Lots of sherry character. Low carbonation. I have had a few different vintages of this beer but this may be my favorite. I don’t see a need to keep these much longer. For an old barleywine I think I would rather do this than many others. 8/4/8/4/16