OHanlons Thomas Hardys Ale (vintage 2003 and later)

Brewed by OHanlons
Style: Barley Wine
Whimple, England

250ml bottle 񢉖) (Kuikka/Kaisla/Alko)
Rich red, no head. Port and dark berries literally climb out the glass and up your nose. Very rich sweet malty body, with a pile of plums and raisins, a smattering of rich dark sultry bitter hoppiness, and just a hint of marmite (yes, I was very careful about the sediment). Wonderfully mellow - nothing harsh at all, just comforting and warming, and flavours and feelings that feel so familiar even if they are quite rare! Leaves the bitterness and malt for a very long finish. Wow! Best of all - I know that when I have another in subsequent years they will be even better.
Rerate: Stunning. Sweeter, mellow. Wow. Moved 1 from overall to palate.

(Bottle NO. P 28934) Raisin, port vinous and sweet aroma. Dark brown red colour, no head (some large bubbles). Sedimentation in the bottle. Sweet, raisin, port vinous and dried fruits flavour of long duration. Flat carbonated, full-bodied, syrupy, alcoholic, warming and sticky palate. Excellent barley wine! 17/08/07

330. 2005. 16508. Pours murky brown with no head and a slim rim of tan foam. Enormous harshly sugary nose--overbearing figs, raisins, dates, and other sundry tree fruit. Still, slick, oily body. Definitely killing a baby here, but no older vintages are around to taste. All the tree fruit comes roaring across on the mid-palate; it’s also thick, raw, and boozy. Not such a fun beer to drink--tonight--but it’s only a couple years old.

Name: Thomas Hardy’s Ale
Date: 03/30/2004
Mode: Bottle Conditioned
Source: Whole Foods Market, DC
Vintage: 2003

muddy brown, headless, slightly sweet light fruity aroma, rich malt flavor, long bitter finish, some harshness, very green, starts getting alcoholic after warming

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

2005 bottle. very flavourful barley wine - one of the best I’ve had. You don’t notice the high ABV. Downside: small bottle; what’s with that? For the price it should be in a larger one!

2005 bottle. Wow, this is a beer with some serious gravity that will definitely warm you up inside. Deep reddish cider like pour. Dark, fruity aroma with little to no head. The aroma deceivingly hides the warming alcohol and strong flavor that sits on the back of the tongue. To me, this beer beats any Belgian I’ve tasted so far because it lacks that bite in the finish. Relish this expensive tasting beer by sipping slowly.

I found myself a 2003 bottle of this stuff, so I am a lucky one as it seems that my version of this beer was slightly older than those of the other recent reviewers. Pours with no head, but with some lacing. Sediment remains stuck to the bottom of the bottle. Deep brownish red color. Looks almost like blood I would say. Rich molasses smell. Beer itself is sweet and syrupy. Has some taste of brandy. A little bit of butterscotch. Coffee and chocolate to some extent are present as well. Hard to take big sips because it is so thick and big. Alcohol is not existent in the taste. Probably the best barley wine I have ever had the honor of drinking. (Even though I bought it only for the name...)

Bottle of the 2005. Quite powerful aroma. Sweet and savory, like stewed fruits and hoisin sauce. Liqueur-like, quite thick and sweet. I can see the potential in this, were it aged for another three years or so.