One of the most classic beers for aging makes a comeback after a seven year absence. Thomas Hardy's Ale is a British Barley wine, or Old Ale (depending on who you ask) which was brewed for the first time as early as 1968, in the memory of the famous poet Thomas Hardy. The beer has since had a bit of a checkered history with some years out of production, and a lot of changes in the management. Today, it's the Italian importer Interbrau that owns the rights, and even though they're trying their best to keep the production site secret, rumors are that it's the British Meantime Brewing that brews the beer.
Appearance: Clear shimmering liquid with a neat orange-amber color.
Nose: Large bready and sweet aroma with dried fruit. Whisky marmalade, cereals, rye bread, maple syrup, dried figs, dates and apricots, leather and perhaps a bit glue. Definitely alcohol (no surprise with 11,7 % ABV).
Palette: Full bodied, soft carbonation, oily / sticky liquid. High sweetness with lots of bready malt and maple syrup / brown sugar, rye bread again (that german pumpernickel), orange peel, dates and brandy soaked figs, sweet apricot jam, wild honey, pleasant bitterness, leather and peppery spices in the finish (Christmas spices?) with warming alcohol. A little bit youthful, but already fairly balanced.
Finish: Long and hoppy.
Conclusion: This is what you might call a 'malt bomb'. The intensely bready, sweet and malty taste makes me think of Bommen & Granaten from De Molen. And the first thing that spring to mind when I nose the beer is actually the beautiful Austrian double bock Samichlaus. There is a nice balance between sweetness and hoppiness, but you can feel that it's still young. It will most likely gain on some aging. We have yet to try aged bottles of this version of Thomas Hardy, so I can only imagine how good it will be in 5-10 years. I really hope that production will not be interrupted again. Final score then? Let's give it a 3.9 for now; and see how it will have evolved in a quinquennium. Cheers!