We are pleased to inform that we will attend the upcoming Horeca Expo exhibition from the 20th to the 24th of November 2016 in the beautiful Belgian city of Ghent
HALL 6 – BOOTH 6126
We will present our Thomas Hardy’s Ale and a brand new Oak Aged special release…
Looking forward to meeting you there!
The prestigious World Beer Awards welcomed back Thomas Hardy’s Ale: the title of “Country Winner” in the Barley Wine style is proof that the 7-year interruption has not diminished this beer’s singularity – it’s “English” by vocation.
Thomas Hardy’s Ale is finally back in production and it has already added another seal to its rich, tormented and illustrious history. After the recent gold medal at the International Beer Challenge, the title of “United Kingdom Country Winner” awarded by the competition’s international jury to the Barley Wine as the best in the country is the confirmation that Thomas Hardy’s Ale is ready to pick up from where it left off.
After all, the label changed ownership in 2003 (and with that, a change of location for its team of workers and production) when the American importer George Saxon and O’Hanlon’s Brewery decided to resurrect the beer dedicated to the English poet and novelist produced by the Eldridge Pope Brewery from 1968 to 1999. Unfortunately, Saxon also was forced to throw in the towel in 2008 due to the high production costs of a beer that requires supervision, production time and the quality of prime materials that are far superior to those needed for the classic Lager beers.
But today there is a growing awareness on the part of public which is always on the lookout for quality, authentic stories and a flavour that goes beyond conventions. In this regard, Thomas Hardy’s Ale has admirers and collectors throughout the world thanks to its smooth yet complex body. The beer’s many subtle flavours make it difficult to describe in just a few words: notes of candied and brandied fruit, dried figs, fresh tobacco, chocolate, bitter orange marmalade, dried fruit and chestnut honey.
Another reason why it’s so well loved is because it ages very well. 25 years in the cellar perfects its structure and refines its aroma.
Ever since the rumour got out that Thomas Hardy’s Ale was coming back, we have started to notice a kind of positive vibration, a mixture of happiness and apprehension coming from every part of the world. When, in autumn 2012, the previous version of Thomas Hardy’s Ale website was launched (www.thomashardysale.com) messages began to arrive from fans. These messages are the most tangible indication of what Thomas Hardy’s Ale means to the world beer community. And they have amazed and thrilled those who have read them.
This is why we wanted to share again the voices of the most important people. That is, the people who have loved this beer and who love it still, people who treasure the old vintages in their cellars, people who were keeping the last precious bottle without knowing when to open it, simply because they thought it was really the last…
Below you will find a selection of messages from these passionate and enthusiastic people.
Stuart says:
December 27, 2012 at 10:05 pm
When & where will we be able to purchase the beautiful elixir please?
Stefaan says:
January 3, 2013 at 3:39 pm
Congratulations. I am looking forward to it. Please keep a few bottles for a poor Belgian home brewer ;-).
But will it be with that same yeast strain giving it the “pineapple” taste?
Håkan says:
January 26, 2013 at 2:43 am
Greetings from Sweden!
Thank you for trying to bring Thomas Hardy’s back from the dead. This was my favourite beer and I still have 5 bottles of the old brew but they won’t last forever.
I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing it on the shelves again.
Good luck!
Adam says:
February 19, 2013 at 7:00 pm
I just wanted to say thank you so very much for the resurrection of this wonderful Ale. This was literally the first beer that I had ever tried and enjoyed.
Robert says:
March 17, 2013 at 4:39 pm
I just opened one of the 25-30 bottles that I have hoarded for the past 5 years, then decided to see if there was any new news. I am so happy to see that I won’t have to spread these bottles out over the rest of my life, I may go pop another!!!! Can’t wait to try the new batch.
Josh says:
March 28, 2013 at 6:28 pm
It’s exciting to see that this beer may come back into production. I’m glad that it’s being done for the right reason: love of quality beer.
I hope this makes it to Canada when the first batches roll off the line. Looking forward to it, and wishing you the best of luck!
Kevin says:
November 18, 2013 at 2:35 pm
How is the progress coming? I saw the “Raw Materials” post in October. It got me excited. Is there any talk of a brew date or a release date yet?
Respectfully,
+ Kevin
Alan says:
December 7, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Having just found your website I look forward to tasting what I consider the nectar of the gods again. I hope it will be produced and sold in bottles, not in tins. I hope it will be produced in nips, 180ml bottles.
Jim says:
December 23, 2013 at 8:16 am
The best beer in the world, ever!
Believe me this ale is awesome…
Even the astonishing and excellent Brewdog’s and DeMolen’s ones are not so great than the Thomas Hardy’s Ale! I’ve only one 1999 bottle left and live only for the day I will drink a Thomas Hardy again 🙂
Andrew says:
March 9, 2014 at 10:57 pm
I have been nursing a set of bottles of the 1994 and 1995 vintages. Today I opened one of the 1994s and find it an extraordinary experience. I would not describe it as sherry- or even port-like. It’s like one of those dark chocolates filled with liquid toffee, infusing my entire head with its flavor. I am so fortunate to have held on to these. Why, I must have been gifted with great foresight! I can only hope I’ve retained as much perspicacity as this ale has retained virtue.
Glen says:
August 3, 2014 at 7:10 pm
What great news, Thomas Hardy’s Ale is my most favourite of all time. Do not rush, it will last years, when you finally open it, slowly pour into a jug in one slow pour avoiding the sediment, then leave it to stand for an hour or two before pouring into glass, it will improve the flavour.
Last year 2013 I had my oldest bottle 1988, it had a slight ‘cellar must’ initially but drunk the afore mentioned way was fine.
September 2006: Thomas Hardy’s Ale, produced by the O’Hanlon brewery, was awarded the gold medal for the world’s finest beer at the International Beer Challenge in London, perhaps the high point in a story cut short too soon. Two years later, O’Hanlon discontinued production, because it took too much time and too much money to brew this Barley Wine first made in 1968 in memory of the English writer.
September 2016: ten years later, a new chapter in this history of Thomas Hardy’s Ale opens up from where the story left off. At the latest edition of the International Beer Challenge in London, the 2015 vintage of this distinctive ale came away with a second gold medal that appears to have brought its history full circle, confirming – if indeed confirmation were necessary – that the quality remains sublime, unchanged despite the new ownership.
This award is the fruit of four years of hard work that have allowed the Vecchiato brothers – who purchased the brand and the recipe in 2012 – to put together an outstanding team.
The official presentation of Thomas Hardy’s will take place on Monday 12 September, during Milano Beer Week, at Baladin in Milan (Italy), with a special guest: the English journalist and beer writer Roger Protz, one of the most authoritative names in the sector worldwide.
All we can do now is eagerly look forward to 12 September, to find out more and to get our hands on a bottle or two of 2015 vintage Thomas Hardy’s Ale to store away in the cellar so that the lengthy bottle maturing process can bring out its aromas to the full.
Thomas Hardy’s Ale gets better with time.
By interpreting the original recipes of the pioneer Barley Wines of the English aristocratic cellars at the end of the 18th century, the secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle gives the Ale a fine condition as it matures. The loss of sugars results in a dryness of taste, just as with a red wine. The back label of Thomas Hardy’s Ale makes clear its potential to be laid down like a fine wine.
The balance between sweetness and dryness is clearly each beer drinker’s choice. One may find it at five years, another at 12, and yet another at 25 or more. Some people who had the opportunity to try it say that it reaches the best aroma and taste after 25 years of maturation in bottle.
Most vintages of Thomas Hardy’s Ale are sealed with crown corks. Keep bottles with crown corks in an upright position to minimize the liquid surface area exposed to infiltration of air. If one is fortunate enough to have an extremely rare vintage with a driven cork, these bottles should be laid on their side to keep the cork moist as with a fine wine.
Store bottles in cellar at 13°C / 55°F, away from light, for at least 12 months.
Before drinking, stand the bottle for 24 hours to allow natural yeast sediment to settle. The suggested serving temperature is from 13°C to 18°C / 55°F to 64°F.
Pour the Ale in a broad balloon glass and wait some minutes to allow its settling before drinking. In the meantime, you can take delight by the deep amber color with dark golden highlights and by the succession of aromas.
Thomas Hardy’s Ale is a versatile brew that can be enjoyed with meals ranging from red meat to pasta, and is equally enjoyable at home with after dinner cheese or sweets. It’s in grand harmony with hearty stews and soups, and perfect with plum pudding or fruitcake, especially when young.
Pairings with blue cheese, dark chocolate or, why not, a good Cuban cigar are highly recommended. It’s a relaxing “nightcap” and a warming friend in winter. In short, the time to enjoy it is limited only by one’s imagination.
Thanks to its complexity in flavor and fragrance, in our opinion Thomas Hardy’s Ale is best enjoyed by itself.
Sampling each vintage year after year gives the joy to compare the changing subtleties of taste.
What’s more, just as with wine, no one is quite sure what happens inside the bottle.
Differences may exist from brew to brew, and even bottle to bottle.
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