O’Hanlon’s Thomas Hardy’s Ale (2003 - 2008)

Formerly brewed at O’Hanlon’s
Style: Barley Wine
Exeter, England

Serve in Snifter

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On the nose there is copious amounts of Marmite (yeast extract,) soy sauce, cloves, some dark berries, maybe plum. The nose is the most attractive part of the beer at this stage. The taste is challenging. A crisp sourness develops on the palate, containing much Marmite, some raisin and other strong stewed fruit. It’s strong and bold and I think would probably benefit from some more aging. But it’s still very enjoyable.

(2005-8 vertical sampled with Kasper, Mark and Sandra) 2005: Bottle 44160. Pours clear copper with a little, tan head. Aroma has some caramel and dark fruit. Flat, full-bodied, oily texture and a sweet finish. Very pronounced and aromatic flavour with notes of honey, toffee and molasses. 2006: Bottle 19516. Pours clear copper. Aroma is heavily caramel, molasses and a hint of oxydation. Flat, full body, sweet finish. Flavour is sweet is and slightly oxydised. 2007: Bottle 03911. Pours Clear dark copper with little, tan head. Aroma is malty and slightly boozy. Flat carbonation, full body, sweet finish. Flavour is sweet, smalty, bready and slightly boozy. App: 3/5, Aroma: 7/10, Pal: 3/5, fla: 6/10, overall: 13/20 2008: bottle 08682. Pours a clear dark copper with a medium, tan head. aroma is boozy and slightly grainy with malty hints. Some carbonation and lace. Oily texture, full body and a boozy, sweet finish. Flavour is mostly sweet with a slightly ascerbic, astringent quality. App: 4/5, aroma: 6/10, Pal: 3/5, Fla: 6/10, Overall: 13/20

Bottle at Bishops Arms Bellmansgatan. 2005, 2006, 2007 vintages. Amber brown colour, with the 2005 being the darkest, with a minimal head. Aroma is dark fruits, plum, caramel, malt, alcohol. Flavour is sweet, fruity, plum, berries, alcohol, caramel. The older versions are better, but all three are very good.

2006 vintage. Colour is a lighter brown with little to no carbonation on the pour. Smell is almost sour sweet, hits of rasin, Carmel and a hint of sour (green apples?). There is almost no carbonation, taste is sweet at first with a a hit of Carmel booze and a very smooth finish. The little carbo reminds of the lost abbey AS and it works here as it does with that BW. Overall A really great barley wine that from what I can tell has aged well.

Poured a vert of 05-08, thought the 4 were practically the same. Had the dark fruits and caramel aromas, taste of dark fruit with malt, and has a bit of sweet booze finish. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

2004. Dark fruits, booze, caramel, leather, and rich malts make up the nose. Notes of tobacco up front. Big fruit presence: plums & prunes are on display. Middle is sweet with caramelized malts front and center. Nice body is plenty viscous, minimal carb. Mild alcoholic presence at the end; much too easy to drink. Good stuff.

Pours amber in color. Little to no head. Tastes of plum, caramel, alcohol, sweet raisin. Smells the same. Very complex. Tried to convince my friend to cellar longer but couldn’t say no when he didn’t!

Bottle from CBS via Phil. 2006. Pours a very dark cloudy color. No head at all. Aroma is incredibly rich, leather, vanilla, brandy. Body rich, malty, finish slightly tart, lacto, some warming, affect of barrels. I get it.

Sehr süßer Antrunk mit angenehmen Malznoten. Minimale Herbe, zuckrig, alkoholisch, dennoch weich. Zu süß, nicht ausgewogen. 8/9/8/9/12/9

Bottle (2005) @home, 250ml. Head: almost none, beige. Colour: clear, brown. Aroma: ripe fruit. Taste: malt, bread, fruit. Palate: overwelming, strong bitter-sweet finish. Overall: very nice.