Thomas Hardy's Ale (2003 - 2008)
Hanlons Brewery in Exeter, Devon, England 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.93
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Scarce, subtle and complex, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is the beer enthusiast’s equivalent of rare cognac. Bottle-conditioned to mature in the bottle like fine wine, this old ale/barley wine will improve with age for at least 26 years (and we’re still counting!). Not for the faint of palate, especially when young and brash, maturity brings an elegance of flavors unmatched by any other beer—if you have the patience to cellar it for at least a decade.
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8.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7
Bottiglia @ IBF Pub Edition, Milano 2017 thx Ottavonano Pub. Corpo ricco dato da vaniglia, vino Porto, legno, vino rosso, caramello, frutta passita, cuoio, albicocca, cioccolato, Cointreau, tabacco bagnato, marmellata di arancia amara,* miele di castagno, carrube, gorgonzola, pepe, alcolico, marsala, zuccherino, polvere di cacao e cherry.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Sep 2017
at 16:43
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle. Vintage 2008. Pours an amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty caramel and dark fruit aroma. Fruity malty caramel and dark fruit flavor. Has a fruity malty caramel and dark fruit finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jul 2017
at 12:03
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
250 ml bottle, 2007 vintage no. 58946, from a trade with zvsn, many thanks!
Dark brown body, with a tiny, beige head.
Very smooth, complex aroma of toffee, nuts, dried fruits, cocoa, some honey, some molasses.
Tastes similar, with some more chocolate and some alcohol.
Medium, creamy, velvety mouthfeel, with almost no carbonation.
Finishes smooth, medium sweet, subtle roasty, a bit warm, a bit wooden, with cocoa, creamy chocolate, some fruits.
Tasty. Very smooth throughout, especially the nose is very lovely and complex. The sweetness is just well dosed, the only little flaw for me is some alcohol in the taste. Overall a lovely, classic example of a Barley Wine, I wouldn’t guess this a 10 year old beer at all, if I didn’t know it.
Ar/Ap/T/P/Ov: 8/4/7/4/17
Dark brown body, with a tiny, beige head.
Very smooth, complex aroma of toffee, nuts, dried fruits, cocoa, some honey, some molasses.
Tastes similar, with some more chocolate and some alcohol.
Medium, creamy, velvety mouthfeel, with almost no carbonation.
Finishes smooth, medium sweet, subtle roasty, a bit warm, a bit wooden, with cocoa, creamy chocolate, some fruits.
Tasty. Very smooth throughout, especially the nose is very lovely and complex. The sweetness is just well dosed, the only little flaw for me is some alcohol in the taste. Overall a lovely, classic example of a Barley Wine, I wouldn’t guess this a 10 year old beer at all, if I didn’t know it.
Ar/Ap/T/P/Ov: 8/4/7/4/17
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2017
at 13:24
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
0,25l bottle at home shared by Saeglopur, big thanks for this one. Vintage 2007. dark brown color, small tan head. smells of ripe fruits, nutty, light liqueurish, some marzipan, very light oxidation, some coconut. very nice smell. full body, no carbonation, slick mouthfeel. tastes of molasses, ripe fruits, bit peppery, earthy, sherry, light sweetness, coconut, dried fruits. finishes light to medium sweet with notes of molasses, sherry and some coconut. loved the taste, very good to drink, very smooth. a bit heavy but not too much. good at higher cellar temperature. (also not too warm)
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jun 2017
at 13:23
7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
2007 bottle @Curing Lillquist’s man-flu. Nearly clear dark amber, tiny offwhite head. Malty aroma, boozy with dried fruit and caramel. Sweet malty, bitter alcoholic flavour, mildly oxidized. Caramel and sweet dried fruit, figs mostly.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Apr 2017
at 14:47
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Pours slughtly hazy dark ruby with very small white head. Clear aroma of malt and wine yeast, with notes of fruit and touches of hops. Sweetish flavour of malt and fruit, with notes of wine yeast. Dusty touches. Bitterish and dusty aftertaste with notes of malt. Very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Apr 2017
at 14:44
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Tasting at Alex’s.
250ml bottle. Vintage 2008. Aroma is fruity, some sweet grapes, chocolate amd nuts notes. Taste is sweet, dark fruits (plums), some nuts, chocolate, bready and slight booziness with some flower notes.
250ml bottle. Vintage 2008. Aroma is fruity, some sweet grapes, chocolate amd nuts notes. Taste is sweet, dark fruits (plums), some nuts, chocolate, bready and slight booziness with some flower notes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Oct 2016
at 21:50
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Had this multiple times, seems like somehow my rating was deleted. Tasted all years.2004 and 2006 with 3-4 years on them where my favorites but not in par with Eldridge Pope versions. Nonetheless a nice sipper and a good beer to age.
Tried
on 18 Aug 2016
at 04:47
7/10
Heavy on the leather, dusty dark dried fruits and light cardboard oxi. Caramel, toffee and old bread. Dessert wine sweetness. Tiny dry fin..
Tried
on 02 Aug 2016
at 19:00
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bouteille 2004. Nez fruité (prunes, raisins, figues, cerises noires), de malt boisé du genre caramel toffee et sucré, de sucre bonbon, de mélasse et d’alcool vineux et liquoreux avec des notes de noix. Ronde en bouche et pétillement moyen avec une texture bien huileuse. Goût très fruité sucré sirupeux (prunes, raisins, figues, cerises noire, notes d’agrumes et de pêche) avec un goût de mélasse sucrée lors de l’entrée en bouche suivi d’un goût malté boisé (fût de chêne) très sucré du genre caramel toffee, sucre brun, sucre bonbon et sucre brun et une finale plus amère dû au rôti de toffee et à l’alcool moyen-doux très liquoreux et légèrement vineux (raisins) qui donne une sensation de réchauffement très douce, avec des notes de noix. Arrière-goût long, légèrement amer d’alcool liquoreux doux, de rôti avec un goût légèrement sucré sirupeux de sucre brun et une moyenne aigreur fruitée (prunes, raisins) et des notes de noix. [notes 2005]
Tried
on 06 Mar 2016
at 22:10