13 October 2008

Beer Review, Thomas Hardy's Ale

Thomas Hardy's Ale

2007 Edition, P09149

Appearance: Pours an opaque blackish-red with absolutely no head. About as expected due to alcohol. 4.0/5

Smell: Strongly alcoholic, somewhat sweet, heavy doses of malt. Hints of chocolate-covered cherries, a touch of grapefruit, perhaps some bananas? 4.5/5

Taste: Very fruity sweet beginning, lots of apples and cherries. A tart astringency follows, giving the beer almost a taste of strong cider, but without the carbonation. Thomas Hardy's Ale finishes dry but with fruity aftertaste that leaves me wanting more. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Considering the level of alcohol, this only has a moderate thickness. It's smooth and finishes clean, although the alcohol bites the tongue a bit. No hops present and no carbonation. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Overall this is a highly respectable and very good beer. I'd love to do a vertical tasting, but I'm not sure I could bear to hang on to any of these for the long haul. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.3/5

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