OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

2005 Bottle - No. P10152 Edition Pours a dark syrupy brown color with light tan head. Aroma is of intense brown sugar, dark fruits, malt, and caramel. taste is much the same but some light vanilla and peat flavors mixing it up with the dark fruit, malt and brown sugar. Very malty and a tad harsh for my liking. However, this is a decent sipper that surely will get great with age.

2005 Bottle - No. P10152 Edition Pours a dark mahogany color with a thin creamy off-white head with some residual lacing. Aroma is strong - cognac, vanilla bean, dark fruit, raisin, and alcohol. Taste is about the same - very rich with vanilla and cognac. I would push this more towards an old ale than a barley wine.

2007 bottle - only have one so here it goes. Opens with little carbonation and no head except a few quickly gone bubbles. Color is hazy dark orange/brown. Aroma very sweet, bit winey, raisins, and oranges. Flavor very sweet and syrupy fruity oranges, sweet grapes and a bit of caramel cream. Overall, i can definitely see how/why this would age well. Enjoyable drink. Wish I had another to age.

2005 Bottle. Pours deep amber with a large fluffy white head. Aroma is fig raisin, syrup and all other thing dark fruit and sweet. Sweet malty taste, smooth but still a little harsh. Flavor is sweet dark fruits, plums and the like. Very good. I’ll crack another 2005 in 2011.

2006 bottle, Pours a chocolate brown with zero head. The aroma is winey with a bit raisin. The taste is sweet, winey, definitely sweet. Almost overly so. I can imagine this beer would be incredible in 20 years. I can’t wait to find out.