Beers that grow old gracefully

Should we treat beer as seriously as wine? Of course -- though wine snobs will disagree. They tend to ignore the fact that in countries such as France and Italy few people drink expensive vintage wines but are happy to consume versions that are meant for immediate consumption.

It’s the same with beer. While draught beer won’t improve with age, there are some bottles that deserve to be treated with as much reverence as the latest vintage from Bordeaux. Take, for example, two beers I have had the pleasure of sampling recently: Thomas Hardy’s Ale and Fuller’s Vintage Ale.

The 2018 Thomas Hardy’s is called the Golden Edition as it celebrates the 50^th anniversary since the beer was first brewed. It was produced by the Dorchester brewer Eldridge Pope in 1968 to support a literary festival that marked the 40^th anniversary of the writer’s death.

As he had waxed lyrical about the beers of “Casterbridge” -- the name he gave Dorchester in his Wessex novels – a special beer was considered obligatory for the festival. It was aged in sherry casks for several months and when it was unveiled it created such interest that Eldridge Pope decided to turn it into an annual vintage.

Each vintage was much sought after by beer lovers and there was understandable concern when Eldridge Pope went out of business in 2003, followed by relief when Thomas Hardy’s Ale passed to O’Hanlon’s Brewery in Devon. But the joy was short lived as O’Hanlon’s found it took so long to brew and age the beer that it was holding up production of its bread-and-butter draught beers.

The brand was bought by an American beer importer who eventually sold it to an Italian company called Interbrau. The owners, the brother Sandro and Michele Vecchiato, took their acquisition with true care and devotion. They have it brewed at Meantime in London, arguing that such venerable English ale must be made in what Hardy would call its natal country.

The 13 per cent beer has impeccable English ingredients: Maris Otter malted barley from Warminster Maltings, light crystal malt, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. It has 2½ weeks primary fermentation, three months of long, slow secondary fermentation, one month of cold conditioning and then nine months in bottle before it’s released.

This amazingly complex beer has figs, dates, fresh tobacco and chocolate on the aroma and palate, backed by peppery and spicy hops – and it will improve with age. It’s available online from www.laithwaites.co.uk.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale is another beer that’s greeted with keen anticipation every year. The 22^nd vintage is a special one as it’s the first to be produced by head brewer Georgina Young, who has succeeded the just-retired and legendary John Keeling.

The beer is made with different malts and hops every year though, as Georgina stresses, the ingredients must be drawn from within the UK. In common with Thomas Hardy’s, the grains are Maris Otter pale malt and crystal malt while the hops are a blend of new and old. The new variety is called Olicana and it’s joined by a hop called Ernest, an old variety that was recently discovered and grown again.

But two hops aren’t sufficient and Georgina has blended in Challenger, Goldings, Northdown and Target. The end result is a 8.5 per cent amber/red beer with marzipan, nougat, custard cream biscuits, walnuts and spicy hops on aroma and palate. It’s available from www.fullers.co.uk or from leading retailers, including Waitrose.

Both the beers can be drunk now but it’s worth laying a bottle or two down for a year or more. It’s claimed that Thomas Hardy’s will improve for up to 25 years, though I’ve never managed to keep one that long.

A few years ago I spent a memorable hour in John Keeling’s office at Fuller’s Chiswick brewery, sampling every Vintage Ale to date and marvelling at how they had improved and deepened their flavours over the years.

So hold the wine! I know what I will be drinking with my Christmas meal.

*First published in What’s Brewing, December 2018