Thomas Hardy's Ale The Historical 2024 (French Oak)
Interbrau in Villafranca Padovana (PD), Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹
Brewed at/by: Hepworth & CoBarley Wine - Barley Special Out of Production
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Score
7.67
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The first vintage of Hardy's in 1968 was inspired by the classic 19th century English Barley Wines and was matured in oak barrels.
“The Historical” is a tribute to this time-honoured tradition. The 2024 edition was aged for months with French oak wood, which releases its typical roasted and spicy notes, rounding up the warm and sweet aromas of the classic Thomas Hardy’s Ale.
“The Historical” is a tribute to this time-honoured tradition. The 2024 edition was aged for months with French oak wood, which releases its typical roasted and spicy notes, rounding up the warm and sweet aromas of the classic Thomas Hardy’s Ale.
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7.5/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
250ml bottle [#01706]. Opalescent, ruby colour with small, creamy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, off-white to beige head. Malty and woody aroma, notes of caramel, some oak, a touch of grapes, grape sugar. Taste is sweet, caramel malty and slightly woody, minimally floral and fruity hoppy, notes of caramel, some honey, a touch of marzipan, rose petals, red berries, blue grapes, icing sugar, grape sugar; a minimally warming, alcoholic touch in the finish.
Dissolved sugar enriched, watery texture, smooth, soft and silky, minimally cloying palate, fine, dense, soft carbonation.
Quite sweet, not much depth, some nice subtleties, though - enjoyable.
Dissolved sugar enriched, watery texture, smooth, soft and silky, minimally cloying palate, fine, dense, soft carbonation.
Quite sweet, not much depth, some nice subtleties, though - enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
from
REWE Markt Mumme
on 21 Mar 2026
at 23:44
7/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle. Clear dark amber without any kind of head. Aroma of honey, dried fruits and caramel. Taste of red dried fruits, candy, fruitcake, caramel, honey, fruit drops, brown sugar, toffee and malts. Very sweet. Low bitterness. Low carbonation. Surprisingly smooth and not as alcoholic as one would expect. This is of a very well done Barleywine that I just can‘t manage to establish a meaningful relationship with.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Feb 2026
at 23:24
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Tried
from Bottle
from
Hop Cask & Barrel
on 24 Jan 2026
at 02:32
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8.5
Flavor 8
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Bought from Bine and Vine, bottle #8811.
Pours a clear beautiful amber with a fine layer of foam. Some lacing, retention is quite good.
The smell is oaky, fruity with dark fruits and apples, caramel malt sweetness. Great aromas.
The taste is sweet up front from caramel, almost honey like, oak is there bringing a charred aspect, apples that bring a slight tartness, but that French oak seems to be the star of the show.
Aboot full bodied, adequate carbonation, it seems to have a dryness that I didn't recognize before.
I would drink this again.
Pours a clear beautiful amber with a fine layer of foam. Some lacing, retention is quite good.
The smell is oaky, fruity with dark fruits and apples, caramel malt sweetness. Great aromas.
The taste is sweet up front from caramel, almost honey like, oak is there bringing a charred aspect, apples that bring a slight tartness, but that French oak seems to be the star of the show.
Aboot full bodied, adequate carbonation, it seems to have a dryness that I didn't recognize before.
I would drink this again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2025
at 15:02
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Panda at home, thanks to Dave, 28/08/2025.
Deep chestnut brown topped with a beige head that thins to a swirl.
Nose is toffee, dates, prunes, oaked tone, earthy, vinous nip.
Taste comprises liquid fruit cake, vinous twang, caramel, toasted brown sugars, light tangy fruits, booze tunes.
Medium bodied with bite, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol.
Solid complex sipper.
Deep chestnut brown topped with a beige head that thins to a swirl.
Nose is toffee, dates, prunes, oaked tone, earthy, vinous nip.
Taste comprises liquid fruit cake, vinous twang, caramel, toasted brown sugars, light tangy fruits, booze tunes.
Medium bodied with bite, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol.
Solid complex sipper.
Tried
on 28 Aug 2025
at 17:21
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tried
from Bottle
at
Craft Metropolis - Penge
on 18 Aug 2025
at 22:00
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà, pours a cloudy dark amber with a small beige head. Aroma is full of deep dark dried fruits, toffee, and brown sugar. Flavour is very treacly, with bready toffee, tart dark dried fruits, and a touch of brown sugar. The tartness is strange; I don’t remember prior Thomas Hardy’s ales having tartness. The dried fruit finish is very nice though and there is very little residual sugar for a barley wine. Very good.
Tried
from Draft
at
Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà
on 06 May 2025
at 20:51
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle at home. Pours clear deep amber, nose is toffee, vanilla, caramel, honey, berries, taste is sweet, juicy berries, honey, toffee, oak. 8/8/9/8/8
Tried
on 13 Mar 2025
at 14:33
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12th March 2025
Clear amber beer, good bubbly pale tan head. Airy smooth palate, a little soft. Reasonable fine carbonation, suits the style. Soft caramel malts, a little cream. Dried fruits, ripe fruits. Soft oak and a touch of vanilla. A little of the promised spice on the end. Nice job. Layered and drinkable, slightly sweet but not overly so. Comes together into a pretty quaffable barleywine.
Clear amber beer, good bubbly pale tan head. Airy smooth palate, a little soft. Reasonable fine carbonation, suits the style. Soft caramel malts, a little cream. Dried fruits, ripe fruits. Soft oak and a touch of vanilla. A little of the promised spice on the end. Nice job. Layered and drinkable, slightly sweet but not overly so. Comes together into a pretty quaffable barleywine.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Mar 2025
at 20:07
8.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
Bottle from Eltham Wines. Nose is vanilla, Cognac, honey, toffee apple, nuts. Taste is much the same with a splash of flat cola & demerara sugar rounding things off nicely. Uber warming, uber sweet & exceedingly flavoursome.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Eltham Wines
on 01 Mar 2025
at 15:45