The more I learn about beer, the more I know I have yet to learn.  The statement “I don`t like beer” once made sense to me – however it makes less sense as I learn more and more about beer from around the world.  We live in a day and age that makes sampling the world`s finest easy and show us that beer is not simply a golden carbonated beverage.  Varieties which resemble fruit juice, others that a crisp like champagne, rich and mixed with coffee, fermented in bottle and others that feature toasted smoky hops are just a few of the many of the varieties that show beer to be as diverse as vegetables.

I`ve been waiting for a while to crack this bottle:

Thomas Hardy`s Ale is not for everyone.  It`s a small bottle (250 ml) and a strong pour (in flavor and alcohol as it`s 11.7%).  This English Ale was created in 1968 and is regularly collected by beerhounds around the world.  The label claims people have allowed the beer to age for more than 25 years and a search on the Internet will reveal claims of people sampling 40-year old varieties.  The beer is bottle conditioned, meaning that it continues to ferment and develop flavor in the bottle and can continue to develop flavor for years in the bottle (similar to Fuller`s which we previously wrote about).  Unlike Scotch, this means that you can buy a young bottle and let it gain value and flavor in your cellar.  This makes is more affordable (though not cheap at almost $5 a bottle in the LCBO) though far more tempting to break in to.

We had a sample last evening.  It poured like syrup and tastes closer to hard liquor than beer.  A wonderful after-dinner drink or something to match with beer and chocolate it resembles a stiff mixed drink more than one would expect with the word “ale.”  It is not so much refreshing as it is a slow-sipping treat that can be stretched for an hour or two (I actually paused to drink a pilsner when I got a little hot in the kitchen).  There is very little carbonation and the flavor will potentially overwhelm your mouth with flavor.

This beer is highly regarded amongst beer drinkers of the world and is very hard to find in many places.  As Canadians are still discovering the beers of the world, this is surprisingly available at a lot of LCBOs.  I predict that this type of thing will become more difficult to find in years to come and while you may not love it, I highly recommend trying it while you can.