OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Barley Wine
Whimple, England

8.5 oz bottle, 2005 edition. Pours a clear mahogany with no head. Aroma is dark fruits, raisin, plum, dates with a touch of molasses and brown sugar. Palate is moderate in body, but with a real warming presence. Flavor is molasses with cherries, raisin, plums and malt. Fine complex flavors all blended perfectly together. Alcohol is warming, but not boozey. More like a fine cognac.

1/12 A 0.25l bottle, vintage 2008, purchased at beer8 shop, Genoa. Yeah cute, my first barley wine. It poured murky brownish body without head. Very aromatic in quite nice malty way. There are some caramel, dried fruits, touch of sugar and alcohol. Flavor is malty again, caramel, chocolate, licorice, dried fruits, quite similar to some stronger drinks like brandy or sherry. Notes of oak barrels. Alcoholic of course, with medium to fuller body and very low carbonation. Nice long, sweetish and warming finish. This was strange, different than any other style I’ve tried, very alcoholic but still very nice and pleasant dessert drink.

2008 bottle poured by Glenn at Alvinne. Copper colored with slight white head and incredible lacing. Caramel and malt aroma. The taste is all about the malt. Buttery, toffee flavors with lots of caramel. Nice body, as expected from a barley wine. Take it slowly, and this one goes down pretty nicely indeed.

Brown orange with a lacy tan head. Nose of yeasty bready malty boozy grapefruit. Sweet tart, rush of spice then a tart finish. If it wasn’t for the tart finish I would love this. Overcarbonated caramel followed by crab apple. If you like tart bitterness you will love this. Unfortunately I don’t.

25cl bottle, Kaisla, vintage 2006, #33147. Pours mahogany with no head what so ever. The aroma is complex, raisins, plums, alcohol. Flavour is outstanding, raisins,dark fruits and spices. Alcohol can be felt when taking the first sips, but is not at all disturbing. Full body, with an oily mouthfeel. The one thing that immediately came to my mind when taking the first sip was the wine Commandaria, that is made in Cyprus. It has very much the same taste and aroma. Minus the sweetness. I am not that fond of beers with abv over 10%, But this one really stands out, will definitely try another bottle some day.

This feels very much like a cognac. Pours a deep mahogany into the glass, with a light head that reduces to nothing (due to ABV, certainly). The nose is of caramel, sour apples and some peppering alcohol. The flavors are similar, with lots of burnt toffee, some caramel, butterscotch, plums, raisins, alcohol, light figs and a finish of alcohol and a dry-hop, which brings forth a sharp close to the pull. The mouthfeel is oily and slick, yet thickly coating with a deep body. Alcohol is well-hidden for the style, and this is a perfect "sipper", just like a nice cognac on a well-chilled evening.

2006 No. P 26564 edition - the first of the sixteen bottle I plan to age for the next 25-30 years, opening two every five years. Pours in to a snifter viscous deep caramel-apple liquid with no head. Aroma is caramel, raisins, figs, a hint of butterscotch, light spice hops. Flavor is dominated by the dark dried fruits in syrup, brandy, woody undertones, baked banana and warming alcohol. Palate is thick and viscous, soft carbonation at best with some astringency in the finish. I look forward to rating this one as it ages.

Bottle no. 03076 from the 2008 vintage, purchased at the beer8 in Genoa and shared with heavy
Aww, heavy’s first BW, cute :p. Poured a murky dark red-orange body with no head. Dry malty nose, strong notes of dried figs, sweetish, notes of caramel too. The taste is, as expected, sweet and malty again, ending with a dry woody wall, with some bitterish notes. Coffee could be felt earlier on too. Light notes of toffee and something else (damn my handwriting). Complex and nice. Slighty saly at times. Very nice.