Bottle Collecting?
I only have a couple commemorative beer bottles which a friend gave me. I left them unopened as he advised me to.
I was just wondering if anyone else here has collected the various commercial bottles through the years? I find the Canadian "stubbies" very nostalgic now.
I buy a barleywine special release every year just to let it sit and age. When I get to 10 I'll start drinking the first one.
I used to be a huge fan of James Page beer, but then the brewery got bought and moved to Wisconsin. I don't know if it is a difference in the water or the fact that they went to a longer neck bottle, but the beer just wasn't the same.
So my friends and I all collected as much James Page from local liquor stores as possible - we had a good stash which slowly went down as we enjoyed the last bit of beer. Then we were all left with one.
We all kept that one bottle until recently when I was clear out of beer and really was wanting one - I broke down and opened it up. Thankfully it still tasted good!
So yes, I have collected a bottle, but no, I was not able to keep it around. I got too thirsty. 
I've started to age a couple of barleywines myself. I think I have one 3 year old bottle and a few younger ones. My dad on the other hand has a stash of them, and I always make him open one on a special occasion. So good.
I'm glad, I have 4 now, I was starting to wonder if they would be good after that amount of time. I have afew friends that do a similar thing with Chimay, they just date the top and take it out after a few years. The key is hiding it from yourself.
Does anybody have any Thomas Hardy Ales from years past? I got my first one last year, and it is still sitting there waiting to be opened. I am trying decide how long to keep it. I figure I will get one or two each year. I may, as others are apparently doing, pick up some other barleywines as well.
Tom Hardy's are worth an insane amount of money (the old ones 1960-80), probably a good one to keep around.
There's actually a 1968 bottle on ebay right now, from the UK, $60.
Unfortunately, my Thomas Hardy is only a 2004. I guess I will have to keep it a while!
Is it even made by Thomas Hardy brewery anymore? I thought they quit making it.
Nope, you are right. It is brewed by O'Hanlon's Brewery. I didn't see that until I just checked the bottle.
What a rip-off.
Supposedly, it is the same basic recipe, but who knows. I haven't tried anything prior to this one, so I won't be able to compare.
I know that Thomas Hardy is brewed by a different brewery now but the beer is spot on and hasn't changed at all from what I can tell. I did a tasting with a '93, '97, '04 and even though there are differences because of the aging, all three taste like they are brewed by the same people even though the '04 is brewed by new people. My buddy found a place downstate MI that sells all kinds of T. Hardy vintages but I guess they get pretty pricey....and who knows how they've been kept. Could be a gamble.
Well, regardless it is pretty cool that there's a beer with as much aging value as a wine, seems like the wines tend to get all that glory.
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