Thomas Hardy's Ale (2015-2017)
Interbrau in Villafranca Padovana (PD), Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹
Brewed at/by: MeantimeBarley Wine - Barley Regular Out of Production
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Score
7.36
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Created in 1968 to commemorate the renowned English writer, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is a limited edition barley wine. Numbered and vintage-dated to be stored for years (even over 25 years, according to those who have made it in the past); this legendary beer is finally back in production. A piece of English history we would like to share with you.
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7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle 33cl. from my 'cellar' bought at Saveur Biere before it was bought by ABInBev (and became PerfectDraft) bottle no. 12374 vintage 2017. Boozy nose. Small fizzy off-white head, quickly dissipating, clear deep amber, no lacing. Rich aroma, toasted sweet malt, plum, figs, raisins, alcohol, some caramel, spicy notes. Smooth taste, light light heavy sweet and slightly bitter, malty, plum, figs, raisins, toffee, brown sugar, some fortified wine, molasses, spicy notes. Full-bodied, oily texture, flat carbonation, malty sweetbitter aftertaste, alcohol lingers on till the end, spicy notes, tasty, good.
Tried
from Bottle
from Saveur Bière
on 15 May 2026
at 18:01
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Apr 2026
at 20:26
7.5/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 7
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Apr 2026
at 20:24
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
25/4/2026. Bottle courtesy of Mario, cheers! Bottle #18,466. Rating #25,000. Brewery #7,000. Aroma is bready, toffee, malty, dried fruits, fig. Sweet, mellow, esrthy, bready, fruity. Rich, and developed very well. Tasty sipper.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Apr 2026
at 20:09
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle thx Ingo 2024-03-02 Göteborg
AR: sweet plums, dust, British fruit cake with loads of raisins
AP: dark amber, tiny cream brown lid
F: sweet plums, dust, British fruit cake with loads of raisins
AR: sweet plums, dust, British fruit cake with loads of raisins
AP: dark amber, tiny cream brown lid
F: sweet plums, dust, British fruit cake with loads of raisins
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Mar 2025
at 16:44
6/10
March 17, 2017
Bottle@yesprs - Orange Amber pour with white head. Sweet malty with notes of caramel and toffee, some fudge, a plethora of dark dried fruit, some brown sugar, light spice into the close. Decent.
Bottle@yesprs - Orange Amber pour with white head. Sweet malty with notes of caramel and toffee, some fudge, a plethora of dark dried fruit, some brown sugar, light spice into the close. Decent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Mar 2025
at 06:30
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle 0,33 ltr: Cloudy amber colored brew with an heavy sweet taste with an overall present delightful burning alcohol. Load of hints of dried fruit, caramel and butterscotch.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Dec 2024
at 11:13
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle (2017 vintage). Amber colour, small beigeish head. Aroma is dried fruits, some ripe fruits, mild toasted and some fudge tones to it. Flavour is zest, some marmalade, mild alcohol sweetness with some sweet malts and a bit dried fruits to it too. Big and bold.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Sep 2024
at 18:12
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
(Bottle, 2015 vintage) Hazy reddish brown colour with brief, foamy, beige head. Malty, fruity nose with treacle-toffee, dried fruit, prunes, figs, apricot marmalade, caramel, dark bread, orange peel and roasted nuts. Malty, fruity, vinous taste with notes of treacle-toffee, dried fruit, figs, raisins, caramel, dark bread, orange peel, nuts, a touch of liquorice and a vinous finish with a gentle spicy bitterness. Almost full body, sweet. Complex and powerful, still in good balance. Solid and well made English barley wine. Very nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Apr 2023
at 20:41
4.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3
2017 11.2 oz bottle dumped on 12/18/22. Clear, ruby-tinged maroon-amber. Small, dark beige head to ring. Smells oxidized, sugary, unpleasant. Tastes oxidized, sugary, unpleasant. Sad the fate of Thomas Hardys. It's just been juggled around and is just a shade of its former Eldridge Pope self. They should just let this one die a noble death and stop doing a terrible job trying to rebrew it. Or, alternatively, actually brew a good beer true to the original? I guess Interbrau and O Hanlons aren't good enough breweries to do that. Down the drain it goes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Dec 2022
at 18:35