OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Barley Wine
Exeter, England

Outstanding beer. Cloudy brown appearance with no head. Should be had in small amounts; very strong (both in flavour and alcohol!). Sweet with sugar, bread, raisins, and a lot of honey.

2006 version, from the cask at the Rake, August 2007. Deep amber color. No head. No bubbles. Rich fruit and malt aroma, sweet and port-like with molasses. Tangy, sour, fruity flavor. Tons of malt, lots of alcohol. Sweet, with dark fruits. Hot, dry alcohol and fruit finish. A bit too young, but great.

Bottle 2005. Very interesting vinious character and very sweet. Should really be put aside for another decade. However beer is at 5 yrs of age very interesting. Lot’s of honey and fruits, really thick and dense.

Bottle from 2008. WOW! This an amazing barley wine, i certainly understand the fuzz over this beer now. Pours a nice dark reddish colour, with a small beige lacing. The aroma is really powerfull, and consists of caramel, some toffee, dried dark fruits and alcohol. Realy reminds one of brandy. Flavours are also quite powerfull, with a pungent flavour of dried dark fruits like raisin and plum. You also get notes of toffee, caramel and deffinetly the alcohol. It is also very vinous and it reminds me of port wine, and also cognac. The body is very full and oily. After a sip your lips feel sord of sticky from the oily texture. Overall this is a very good beer, that you should check out if you ever get the chance. I would love to try an older vintage, that must be even more amazing!

8.5 oz. bottle. Pours a hazy light brown color with a medium but lasting beige head. The aroma is sugary sweet, ripe dates and figs, raisins with a toffee like thickness. The flavor is sweet caramel, ripe fruits (dates, figs), raisins, brown sugar; that is somewhat off set by an earthy bitterness. The alcohol is noticeable mainly because it warms, not so much in the taste. Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation.

250mL bottle, 2004 P83129. Pours a cloudy dark mahogany with no head. Aromas of dried fruit, fortified wine, caramel and alcohol. In the flavour the balance of the fruit tends more towards grapes and raisins, with a bit of acidity. The alcohol isn’t overly subtle but balances the sweetness and contributes a nice spiciness. Very soft carbonation, medium-full bodied with a fruity and very slightly bitter finish. Fantastic.

Provdatum: 2008-12-06 , flaska, Göteborg - 2008 edition No T 34393. Komplex, stor kropp som flytande fudge över tungan, oljig konsistens. Man kanske skulle ha köpte ett par stycken och druckigt en i halvåret? Nej, jag har inte nått den öl expertisen nivån ännu. Anteckningar: Sheila tog till och med slatten. Det brukar jag också göra - oftast helt OK att förtära speciellt om man tittar till priset på denna ädla 25åring... Tur att det är billigare än motsvarnde Wiskey. Fantastisk! 2007 edition! Provdatum: 2008-01-03

few things to say. is better simply to drink... for me the best beer ever! great flavor, great taste, superb beer!