Kind regards,

Geoff Griggs
(New Zealand beer writer)

Beer worth waiting for

Last week our final visitors of the holidays came bearing gifts of a particularly welcome nature. Knowing how much I’d appreciate the opportunity to taste them our friends Paul and Jacky, who’ve recently shifted to Christchurch from Wellington, had raided their beer cellar and brought me three bottles of one of Britain’s strongest and most revered vintage beers, Thomas Hardy’s Ale.

Named after the famous English author, the beer weighs in at over 11 percent and was first brewed by the Eldridge Pope brewery in the Dorset town of Dorchester in November 1967. After eight months of secondary fermentation and maturation the first batch was bottled in July 1968. The beer was launched later that year at a literary festival to mark the fortieth anniversary of Hardy’s death.

Apparently Alfred Pope, the first Chairman of Eldridge Pope Brewery, was a close friend of Thomas Hardy. It is believed that Hardy enjoyed a strong beer produced by the brewery and subsequently wrote about it in his book “The Trumpet Major”. “It was of the most beautiful colour that the eye of an artist in beer could desire; full in body, yet brisk as a volcano; piquant, yet without a twang; luminous as an autumn sunset; free from streakiness of taste; but, finally rather heady”, wrote Hardy. His words could well have been written for Thomas Hardy’s Ale.

Eldridge Pope brewed the beer for the last time in 1999 – the brewery was sold and closed shortly afterwards – and many beer aficionados thought they had seen the last of this classic English ale. However with continuing strong demand, particularly from the US, the recipe and license to brew Thomas Hardy’s Ale was bought by the respected English craft brewer, O’Hanlon’s.

The oldest of our three bottles was dated 1st January 1979 and its rear label proudly claimed; “This beer will improve if kept at 55°F (12°C) and will last at least 25 years.” This was just as well considering it was now entering its 28th year! The second bottle was just two years younger and the third, a comparative babe-in-arms, was from 2003. Each was carefully opened and the precious liquid decanted gently off the yeast into a jug before being poured into XL5 tasting glasses.

As expected the 2003 vintage, the first brewed by O’Hanlon’s, was still in its infancy. We immediately noticed it was a shade paler than the rich chestnut hue of the two older beers. As it warmed in the glass the aroma was fragrant but sweet, with fruity (apple and banana) esters combining with toffee and orange from the malt and hops. In the mouth it was equally sweet, its chewy maltiness eventually tempered by a late, resiny hop bitterness.

The two elderly examples were altogether different. Despite both showing the sherry-like oxidative notes you’d expect of beers (or wines) of this age, the two beers were quite dissimilar. Our initial impressions of the 1981 bottle were unfavourable; we first detected unpleasant metallic and mushroomy aromas, but fortunately these soon blew off leaving notes of figs and roses, before a lingering savoury finish. Remarkably, after a quarter of a century, the beer still offered a full, rich, almost oily mouthfeel.

Two years older, the 1979 brew had become lighter in body and had developed a late, Islay whisky-like smokiness, along with notes of molasses and liquorice. Still very complex and interesting, the beer was perhaps a shade beyond its best. Paul had shipped this particular bottle with his household belongings when he migrated to New Zealand a few years ago and I suspect the transportation hadn’t done the beer any favours.

Having tasted all three vintages we rated the 1981 brew, at 25 years old, our favourite, with the older brew close behind. The serious sampling work done, we then enjoyed what was left of the beers with a wedge of Whitestone Highland Blue cheese. Fantastic!

At around $9 for a 250 ml. bottle Thomas Hardy’s Ale is one of the most expensive beers on sale in New Zealand, but it’s a genuine world classic and any investment will be well rewarded. Just remember, you have to be very very patient.

Cheers!

and the guy that shared it has a whole case