Country of Origin: Great Britain
Availability: 2003 vintage; numbered limited edition. Still a small amount of the 2003 available for purchase, but once that's gone, no more will be available for about another four to five years.
Price comparison: About six times the price of everyday beer.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 11.7% at bottling (in 2003), but probably stronger than that by now, and designed to grow stronger yet as time progresses.
Cute bottle/label? Tiny slender 8½ ounce brown glass with a foil neck wrap, plain black bottle cap, and serial number 007631 on the understated beige label. The high spot of this packaging is a small metal ornament with Thomas Hardy's silhouette on one side, and the words "Thomas Hardy's Ale, Brewed and Bottled by O'Hanlon's Brewing Company Ltd, Whimple, Devon, England" on the other. This ornament is suspended round the neck of the bottle with a small length of bright red string and is going to have a nice spot on my Christmas tree next year.
Appearance: A bright yet thick amber with no head and very light carbonation.
Scent: Fresh red bell pepper with hints of brandy and lemon custard. (Three scents you wouldn't expect to blend well together, yet they do, very much so.)
Flavor: Lovely dessert-wine sweetness, like cabernet, with some citrus peel and raisin characteristic as well. There's a lot going on, in terms of flavor, and it changes as the brew warms to room temperature: a little more caramel; a little more vanilla; fine brandy at the finish.
Impressions: This beer is huge. In a year or so it will be barleywine, if it isn't already. The hops are barely there but enough so for balance.
Will I buy this beer again? I have two set aside that I'm picking up at the end of the week. One for me, one for Laura. Mine's getting cellared.
This ale is not cost-effective for gulping down whilst eating peanuts and watching the game, but I highly recommend your getting some while you can. The brew is bottle-tempered and the bottle itself is designed such that you could open it twenty years from now and the beer inside should be magnificent. Call it an investment.
Rating:
5 out of 5 cute beer glasses — perfect score!
Reviewed: March 17, 2004
