Eldridge Pope Thomas Hardy’s Ale (all vintages to 1999)

Formerly brewed at Eldridge Pope
Style: Barley Wine
Dorchester, England

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. [Vintage 1982 #26090] My rating # 2100. Clear medium brown color with a small, fizzy / virtually none, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, beige head. Aroma is moderate caramel, vintage, alcohol, light geuze / sweet plums, sherry like. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light acidic with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. Gets better and more complex with every sip. ;o)) (300807)

UPDATED: JAN 9, 2012 Bottled - Vintage 1994 sampled 2007. A hazy deep red beer with no head. The aroma is sweet with notes of alcohol, wood, and bourbon. The flavor is sweet alcohol and malt with strong notes of caramel and with a thick caramel body.

(Bottle 25 cl) Courtesy of fiulijn. Vintage 1994. Clear, orangey brown with no head whatsoever. Vinous, alcoholic nose with some dried fruit and a touch of mint. Quite full-bodied, low in carbonation with a soft mouthfeel. Notes of wood and overripe fruit. The finish contains both alcohol and some bitterness. 171107

Kulminator: 25 cL bottle, 1982 vintage, #28547. Pours hazy dark brown with with a fully gone head. Aroma is distinct wineous and fruity. Mild acidic too. Acidic and and wineous fruity flavoured. Smoothly going into a lovely fruity flavour into the finish. Very surprised by this.

Bottled (1982 vintage@Kulminator). Ruby red colour, not much head. Aroma is earth and some smooth vinegaryness. Flavour is alcohol, plum, slight vinegar and some vanillaish very smooth things. A very pleasantly aged thing, which shows a bit of oxidation in it, but in a good way.

UPDATED: JUL 26, 2004 Bottled, 1975 vintage. Cloudy mahogany colour. Woody nose with traces of smoke. Rich and intensely malty. Very salty with some chocolate in the background. Dense, velvetty finish. Salty, bitter finish. Despite it's 29 years it certainly shows no signs of degradation.

Bottled, 1995 vintage. Cloudy amber, flat. Fruity, honeyish aroma. Sweet and rounded. Richly malty, still immature with with fresh, chewy malt caharcter and grassy hop bitter finish. Alcohol is still prominent. Already excellent, and very much a different beer than the 1975.

Bottle 1982-vintage on Kulminator. Hazy orange brown coloured with a small off white head. Sweet aroma of dried fruits, wood and sherry with dusty notes. Sweet flavour of wood, dried fruits, berries and sherry with dusty notes.

1995 bottle, 12 years old. Citric raspberry aroma. Cloudy dark red colour. Salty, sourish raspberry flavour. Where did that fruit come from?

UPDATED: MAY 31, 2012
2012-05-31, vintage 1998, 14 years old, 8-5-8-4-16=41
The aroma is nutty and malty; it has a round mouthfeel, full body, with rich malt, sweet with elegance, vanilla and toffee flavors, and a very pleasant alcohol warmth.
Holding up beautifully.

2010-10-31, vintage 1982, 28 years old, 25cl, 6-4-7-3-13=33
The cap is just a bit rusty, but still in good conditions; indeed there is a gassy sound when opening it, but the carbonation is not enough to create a head, just very few bubbles on the surface; dark brown color. The aroma shows too much oxidization, some rotten apples, dust. The body is not very thick, and the mouthfeel is a bit oily; there is a strong caramel flavor, some chocolate, molasses, soy sauce, with a strange light sourness, and again strong oxidization. There is still enough bitterness. I got the bottle from Kulminator 6 years ago; it doesn’t seem to have hold up gracefully.
A mistery: why the alu cap cover has the word Huntsman printed?

2010-10-31, vintage 1994, 16 years old, 33cl, 8-4-9-4-17=42
This vintage has no carbonation at all; it pours a dark brown color, with red shades, and just the bubbles created by the beerfall in the glass. Aroma of caramel, soap, sweet nuts, light alcohol. The mouthfeel is very thick and a bit oily; it’s well sweet, with caramel flavor, some fudge, with a nutty and woody touch, very rich, velvety; the alcohol is well hidden; the bitterness is quite low. The final is more nutty, there is some bitterness from the caramelization that balances the sweetness, and some alcohol warmth. Still excellent.

2007-11-17, vintage 1994, 13 years old, 8-4-9-5-18=44
Hazy dark mahogany color; still. Dusty aroma, strong nutty character, a hint of ginseng, cereals; everything comes in waves, wonderfully complex. Oily mouthfeel, medium thick, strong flavors, very good balance of sweetness and bitterness, with almonds and roasted hazelnuts; loads of sweet caramel and toffee; warming alcohol. Amazing how it’s still good despite the age

2004-01-31, vintage 1994, 10 years old, 9-4-10-4-18=45
Hazy amber color. Alcohol, caramel, hazelnuts, soy sauce…
Heavenly sweet, caramel, fudge; very smooth; light bitter oranges.

One of my favorite of all times, a great classic; I’m happy of having still 124 bottles in my cellar!

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2009
Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: November 28, 2003
Mode: Bottle
Vintage: 1993
Appearance: muddy brown with a slight oil slick on top
Aroma: strong semisweet plum aroma with a hint of alcohol
Body: big thick body
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of fruity character, slightly alcoholic, no carbonation, good, but beer has come a long way in the last 10 years while this one was maturing

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Score: **4

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: July 02, 1996
Mode: Bottle
Source: wine rack, MD
Vintage: 1994
Appearance: cloudy amber, no head
Aroma: strong fruity ester aroma
Flavor: rich sweet malt flavor, tangy bitterness, high esters, lasting sweet ester finish

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: July 02, 2002
Vintage: 1994
Appearance: opaque rust
Aroma: big rich fruity aroma of figs and dates
Flavor: incredable rich malt flavor, lots of fruit character, still thick and syrupy

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: February 23, 2005
Vintage: 1994
rich and smooth, a bit of fumey alcoholic character,

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: November 01, 2007
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 1994
not as fumey, rich fruit is drying a bit, showing some oxidation, still rich,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Score: ***4

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: May 23, 2007
Mode: Bottle