Thomas Hardy's Ale (2015 - 2019)
Amber coloured Barley Wine laden with bronze glints.
On the nose, straight away the bouquet has impact, intensity and complexity with notes of both candied and alcohol-soaked fruit, dried figs, fresh tobacco and chocolate, while a caramel sensation is perceived but remains in the background.
In the mouth, the initial sensation is of incredible density and softness, a silky warmth accompanying memories of bitter orange marmalade, dried fruit and chestnut honey. The finale provides a refreshing, slightly sharp hint that adds harmony and balance.
It can also be stored in the wine cellar to taste its evolution over time.
On the nose, straight away the bouquet has impact, intensity and complexity with notes of both candied and alcohol-soaked fruit, dried figs, fresh tobacco and chocolate, while a caramel sensation is perceived but remains in the background.
In the mouth, the initial sensation is of incredible density and softness, a silky warmth accompanying memories of bitter orange marmalade, dried fruit and chestnut honey. The finale provides a refreshing, slightly sharp hint that adds harmony and balance.
It can also be stored in the wine cellar to taste its evolution over time.
3.7
170 reviews
Villafranca Padovana (PD), Italy
Community reviews
2017 vintage drank in early 2020. bottle that pours unclear dark orange, red hue, with a very thin off-white cap offering minimal retention and lacing. candied oranges and filled berries, strawberries perhaps, underlying red caramels, wood-like components, english fruitcake fruitiness and spiciness. low carbonation, medium body - oily; kinda sweet woodsy finish. a fine complex sipper but o'hanlon's seemed like a better souvenir of this historic ale.
Annata 2014.
@ Birraio dell'anno 18.1.20
2017 version, #34861, bought at SAQ (maybe online), spoiling myself today with a nice barleywine after tasting two BBAs from Bas-Canada, this is what a barleywine should be.
Thomas Hardy’s Ale 11.7%
Bottle No. 28863 Vintage 2017
Damn that’s a huge beer. It’s a deep orange brown with virtually no head but a rich malty, plum and stone fruit aroma and a tobacco leaf malt caramel thing as well.
Full bodied and velvety smooth, what I thought was smoke in the aroma is here in a tobacco, slightly peaty smoke, then ash and sweet oaky caramel. This went great with a Japanese curry.
33 cl flaske nr. 01965 vintage 2016 11,7%
Barley wine er ikke min stærke side, men denne er ret mild i smagen, som indeholder svesker, blommer og dadler. En nem Barley wine for alle.
330ml bottle @Birrifugio Trastevere (Rome). Ambrata viva, leggermente torbida, schiuma leggera a bolle grossolane. Al naso note di marzapane, pian di spagna imbevuto, caramello, frutta matura, frutta sotto spirito. In bocca è dolce all'attacco, con chiusura appena amarognola. Corpo pieno, carbonazione medio-leggera. Non male, ma ricordavo qualcosa di più.
Flaskor från SB, årgång 2015-17. Mörk guldig med liten vit krona. Nötigt, plommon, bränt socker, torkad frukt, alkoholvärme. Stor kropp. Inte jätteskillnad mellan de olika. 2016 något mjukare och mer djup i, bäst av de tre.
330ml bottle. Earthy, caramely and boozy with some stingy ripe fruits, toffee, pine, herbal notes and hops. Heavy and sweet malty.
2017 vintage. Pours clear dark copper color with almost no head. Aromas of dark fruits, molasses, and some booze. Sweet molasses flavors with raisins and plums. Quite boozy. Medium to full body with no carbonation.
Bottle, vintage 2016. Color: Reddish amber, very thin and fast disappearring beige head. Aroma: Red and dark fruit, caramel, fudge. Sweet. Boozy. Taste: Sweetish, sirupy. Dark and red fruit, caramel, sugary and boozy. Herbal hints, hints of camphor, mint. Subtle notes of orange, mandarin. Medium to over medium sweet, moderate bitterness. Boozy finish. Over medium body, low carbonation. I've had quite a few of Thomas Hardy's from Eldridge Pope in the 90's and liked them at that time. Can't remember whether they were just as sweet as this new vintages or it's just my changing taste or maybe a lot more good beers nowadays, but I liked them better in my remembrance. Still not bad.
(bottle) 2017 vintage; clear, bright, orange amber colour with a small white head; aroma of apricot jam; balanced flavour with a long, medium bitter finish; not bad but only average as barleywines go
Vintage 2017, bottle no. 30059. Pours a clean amber colour with a small warm-beige head that is frothy, average stay with a ring left. Big dark fruits for the nose with the richness and sweetness of figs, plums, dates. Some hints of hops giving a slight minty feel. The taste has the dark fruits, some brown sugars, but all well-balanced to not be too sweet, too rich. Some decent hops helps the finish. Some coffee notes lingers with the mild grassy hop dryness. A tad of liquorice. Gets quite bitter as it goes. Gets hazy at last pour. Yeah, a very hoppy Barleywine. Nice !
Bottle no. 16741
Best before December 17, 2025.
The beer pours hazy, dark orange-red to copper colored beer with a very thin head.
Nose: Plum, raisin, prune, hazelnut, ripe apple, tobacco, chocolate, candied sugar and caramel.
Taste: Candied fruit, alcohol, prune, marzipan, biscuit, honey and orange marmalade.
Mouth: Full body. Little to non carbonation. Heat from the alcohol. Sweet and oily texture. Light bitter. Smooth.
This is liquid gold!
Bouteille vintage 2017 et qui semble datée du 29/09/2017, bue après 19 mois. Robe rouge-ambrée à peine trouble et surmontée d'un petit cerne de mousse beige. Arômes de sucre d'orge, petits fruits séchés, alcool, aveline, figue, raisins à vin rouge, écorce d'orange. En bouche, sucre d'orge, figue et mûre, malt caramélisé et un peu grillé, liqueur d'orange, mélange de noix. Quelques traces de mélasse, amertume de cacao avec un peu de café noir fraîchement moulu. Bien équilibré en général, sucre dosé et belle amertume. Texture légèrement huileuse mais un peu trop légère. Corps moyen, haut taux d'alcool bien caché. Hâte de voir mon autre bouteille qui dormira quelques années car j'ai l'impression de ne pas retrouver ce qui a fait la renommée de cette bière.
Colore ambrato, schiuma leggera e poco persistente, che svanisce immediatamente. Aromi di caramello, biscotto, mandarino.Al palato nocciola, caramello, leggere note fruttate, legno, brandy. Finale lungo, Mediamente dolce.
Una birra con un corpo importante, la bevuta è eccezionale, per il fine pasto e la meditazione. (anno 2016)
Somewhere then shared at a bottleshare (2017): pours copper with white head. Aroma is maltiness and booze, dark fruits, and toffee. Taste is sweet, large, malty, bitter. Pretty heavy hitting. This is definitely not for the uninitiated.
Thomas Hardy 2017
Bottle from Andover Liquors.
I've never had this one fresh, always with many years on it. Pours a bit murky brown with a tiny off white head that dissipates almost instantly. Aromas of treacle and dark dried fruits with a touch of alcohol. Sweet dark sugary and fruity flavor but not cloying, actually finishes somewhat dry. Well not exactly dry but not sticky. Warming alcohol is a bit spicy. Its a nice sipper, might actually need some age though for the flavors to meld a little better.
Bottle, 330 ml, courtesy of JFK10000. Shared with Max and Bazz. Deep orange to red with small head. Caramel, malty, dark fruit, sweet. Low carbonation. Medium bodied.
[2017] 330ml bottle. Almost clear copper with a thin foamy beige head. Flavors are caramel, plum, dried fruits, cherry, banana and alcohol with nutty notes. Full body, soft carbonation, oily texture.
Bottle at MrOrlas great BW is life tasting. 2016 edition. Clear amber body with no head. Dried fruits, caramel, alcohol, oak, cognac notes. Good.
Pours maghony with a small haed. Aroma of brown sugar, toffee, slight dried fruits, touch of wood. Toffee, brown sugar, light dried fruits, malty flavour, light charred touch. Good stuff.
Bottle @ Mr Orla Going Barley, Ratebeer Odense. Pours deep golden orange with a bubbly head. Woody and vinous. Slick. Soft, woody. Prickly alcohol. Long finish. Sipper.
Bottle at Orla tasting. Aroma of toasted malt, sugar, toffee, honey, dried fruits. Heavy sweet and light boozy. Light and sticky. Nice
2017 bottle from the LCBO. Nice dark coat, toffee and dark dried fruit, Demerara. Good dry and mineral structure over sweetness and balanced to the alcohol weight. Aroma all of this and some hay-like wet cereal.
This is quite good. It's certainly not the 'exotic' version from Hanlon's 2006-2009 (?) vintages we saw here, its less harsh and challenging as a fresh bottle, and much smoother around the edges and easier to drink without several years in the cellar.
The 'pedigree name' aside this is an impressive ale. I'm betting the cellar ageing this version will yield a still more mellow, even delicate profile. Maybe won't age as long as Hanlons version!
330 ml bottle from the LCBO (2017 vintage). Pours a cloudy rust colour with modest-sized eggshell-coloured head. Aroma is big on raisin and toffee with some leather and tobacco notes. Flavour has lots of sweet toffee, raisin/fig, brown sugar, tobacco and a little leather. Rather boozy, but can see how this would be really nice with a little more age on it.
2016 Vintage. Murky light brown with quick fading head. Aroma and flavour have intense sweet dried fruit. Especially orange peel marmalade. Full bodied and warming. Although sweet there's a residual dryness in the finish that keeps it in reasonable balance.
33 cl fles. Wazig amber kleurig bier met weinig wit schuim. Geur: licht zoet, wat vineus, wat gedroogd fruit, dadels. Smaak: licht zoet, alcoholisch, vineus, licht bitter, wat hout, Matige koolzuurprikkel. Volmondig. Afdronk: warme alcohol gloed, licht zoet.
2016 Vintage. Amber color. Plums, Some remaining hops in the aroma. Malty sweet flavor with dried fruit, figs, hints of grass, Full bodied. Warming alcohol. Very nice.
Pours hazy dark amber with a thin, beige head. Aroma is dried fruit and caramel. Taste is caramel and plum, moving to peat and roast. Finish is roast. A good barley wine.
2017 bottle. Cloudy orangeish. Small white head. Moderate lacing. Aroma: caramel, dried fruut, walnut, fruit esters, minor banana. Medium body plus body. Taste: light sweet, malty, fruity, estery, nutty. Light plus ending bitterness. Pretty warming. Delicious.