OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Barley Wine
Whimple, England

Vinatage 2007. A very unique beer to say the least, I was completely blown away by the flavour...it is sweet and rich, with the alcohol presence subtle but keeping the sweetness in check. Some carbonation would make this near perfect, but mighty fine as it is.

250 ml bottle. 2007 vintage bottle # 10005. pours brownish/red/copper with no head and very little carbonation. very complex aromas. red apples, wood, multiple malts, leather all make up the nose. flavours are huge and are a very complex mix of the aromas. a truely terrific ale that i loved. im glad i have 2 more sleeping downstairs. ill wake them up in a few years.

Vintage 2004 No 08511. This beer is mahogany with a red hue and practically no head. The aroma has nice, dark fruits, and I think of raisins, that have been soaked in port wine. The mouthfeel is oily and the flavour is strong, vinous, fantastic with notes of ripe, dark fruits, sweetness, alcohol, and it’s rather like port wine. The finish has a nice, dry bitterness, that develops throughout the long finish. What a wonderful beer!! I have some in my cellar for maturing, and this first one we shared to celebrate out first grandchild (or rather my husbands), but I feel he is mine too!!

2006 bottle #P25233. The pour is an elegant dark brown, with hints of red undertones as it reflects light. The head is very slight. The nose is complex with touches of dried dark cherries, caramel, sweet malts and other dark fruits, to name a few. The flavor is also complex, hinting at dark fruit, fig, toffee and to much more to be described. A very nice beer, that will only become richer with time. I have a few in the cellar and can’t wait to get some good age on them and try this one again.

2006 bottle, Christmas Day. I love the way these suckers pour - hazy murky brown, very little head, it just looks so damn intimidating yet intriguing. Great aroma of alcohol, tobacco, toffee, caramel, and an almost port like character. Taste is lots of alcohol up front, not as hot as a 2007 (which I have had recently) so maybe just a bit has faded in one year. Lots of sticky delicious malt after that with more tobacco and wood and a long dry alcohol finish. Lots of dark fruit as well. Certainly a sipper - this does not always blow me away, sometimes I can find them too harsh or vinous, but this one was just right.

2007 bottle, can’t be bothered to wait 10+ years. Sweet aroma. Murky brown color. Burnt caramel flavor. Drain pour unfortunately.

2004 Bottle: This beer is almost not like a beer. It is thick and like a fine liqour. Aroma and taste of malt and fruit. Nice beer for special occasions.

[27/12/07, bottle] 2005 vintage. Dark red, brown body. Poured it in a snifter, head was almost non-existent. Rich aroma with strong cherry, licorice and caramel. Strong molasses immediately hit the palate, followed by a port-like warmth. Falvours are strong and incredibly bold and definite. Prunes, raisins, licorice, figs. Carbonation is almost completely absent. The complexity is admirable, but the whole really turned out a bit too monodimensional and flat for my tastes. I tried to accompany it with some panettone (sort of pancake) to fully appreciate it and that proved an absolutely perfect match! An extreme beer whose greatest strengths are its only limits.