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OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later) 3.92 867

OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

Percentile
99
overall
Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Barley Wine

Exeter, England

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
8673.92/5.03.92/5.011.7%93.9Snifter
Commercial Description:
Scarce, subtle and complex, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is the beer enthusiast’s equivalent of rare cognac. Bottle-conditioned to mature in the bottle like fine wine, this old ale/barley wine will improve with age for at least 26 years (and we’re still counting!). Not for the faint of palate, especially when young and brash, maturity brings an elegance of flavors unmatched by any other beer—if you have the patience to cellar it for at least a decade.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Jblauvs (643), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Jul 26, 2008  
dark brown pour, little head. sweet vinous aroma, dark fruits are present. taste expounds on the aroma. Woody character vitalizes a hearty wine like sweetness. A true sipper. elegant and unmatched in maturing potential.


 craftycarl21 (601), South Hero, Vermont, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/105/517/20
Jul 26, 2008  
poured slowly as suggested on the bottle- pours a hazy ruby brown with no head. aroma is very fruity and sweet with peach and apple. Taste is very vinous with the sweetness still there- plums and raisins, darker notes added. incredible palate, alcohol is evident, adds a nice aspect to the beer. wondrous barleywine.


 chokmah33 (118), San Luis Obispo, California, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/514/20
Jul 22, 2008    Updated: Jul 26, 2008
Big winey fruit aroma (apricot, peach, plum, apple). Some vinegar. Sweet carmelly malts, metallic. Toasted malts and strong winey/ brandy alchohol stand out from the flavor up front. Figgy plum currant over-ripe fruitiness still there, along with an earthy/vegetable taste. Oaky nuttiness and a honey sweetness round out the flavor. Black tea and butter scotch notes. Flat, syrupy, warm + buttery palate. A little citrus sourness in there.


 Blom (527), Odense, Denmark
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/514/20
Jul 22, 2008  
Vintage 2003. Dark brown with a low head. Aroma of port and dark fruits fills the air, while the flavours are very sweet. Raisin, dades, port and alcohol can be detected. The texture is thick yet velvety soft. And all in all this is fine specimen of a barley wine. One bottle is enough for two though, at least.


 oteyj (822), Canterbury, New Hampshire, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/105/517/20
Jul 20, 2008  
2004 bottle poured into a snifter. Pours dark ruby with one finger beige head that dissapates rather rapidly. Nose is vinous, with lots of caramel and yeast. Wow aging had worked wonders for this brew! Flavors are biscuit, caramel, yeast, with tons of intensely fruity notes. Palate is warming and viscous, but suprisingly mellow for the style. Not lacerative at all. This beer was a complete treat- quite sweet though balanced. If you get some of this stuff let it age- your patience will be rewarded!


 Acknud (794), Morganfield, Kentucky, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/58/105/515/20
Jul 20, 2008  
2005 bottle. Pours amber with no head. Aroma is strong of alcohol. The subtleties come out on the tongue with alcohol, raisins, plums and some earthy hops. Very smooth sipper out of a wine glass.


 AR (438), Georgia, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/103/517/20
Jul 19, 2008  
The aroma from the bottle jumps out at you when the cap is removed. It is a heavy aroma that entices you forward. It appears a dark, opaque brown with suspended particles throughout. A heavy, alcohol-laden molasses - somewhat complex. A very good sipper.


 Bigmmartin (380), Dayton, Ohio, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/517/20
Jul 16, 2008  
Bottle. 2007 edition. Dark reddish brown color with pretty much no head. Aroma is fruity malt and alcohol. Flavor is sweet and complex, but also slightly harsh. Tons of malt, fruit, wood, wine, and alcohol. Good, but not overly impressive. Although I stashed a bottle away I’m looking forward to trying the more mature version of this barley wine.



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