Hockley Dark - Hockley Valley Brewing Co.

assurbanipaul

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Pours a very dark brown with a frothy cappuccino head. Aroma is all malt, rich and silky with a trace of molasses.

Taste is pure dark roasty malt. Hints of coffee, molasses or bitter chocolate but it's all malt, all the way down. More dry chocolate and caramel emerge as I work through the bottle.

Mouthfeel is light, maybe a little too thin, but extremely drinkable. This is an excellent example of the triumph of simplicity: a simple beer with simple flavor that simply shines.

Swing-top liter bottle as pictured, taped seal hand-dated "10/05/06"

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2006 03:12:40 | More by assurbanipaul

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -10%

06-15-2013 17:12:50 | More by TheBeeraholic

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Although higher alcohol content than many a "mild", lots of flavour in this British-style beer.

Pours a dark amber colour with little head and low retention. Impressive aroma of roasted toffee and dark roasted malts. This leads into a more simple taste, with a sweet nuttiness before a pleasant but light roasted malt body and hop bitterness.

Not a beer I buy often, but one I always enjoy and would recommend to any fan of North American takes on British ales.

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 20:35:20 | More by hopsolutely

timiskin

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%

04-11-2013 17:02:55 | More by timiskin

MylesMac

Manitoba (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -10%

02-17-2013 05:46:06 | More by MylesMac

mjacquard

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%

01-09-2013 01:03:33 | More by mjacquard

djcreepshow

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +10.8%

12-24-2012 03:28:49 | More by djcreepshow

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -16.9%

11-06-2012 18:45:45 | More by cfalovo97

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: It has a nice dark amber/brown color to it. It has a nice light tan head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of caramel, roasted malts, nuts and toffee.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice nutty character with caramel, roasted malts and some breadiness.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavors and aromas.

Serving type: can

10-16-2012 21:11:19 | More by SebD

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown, slightly hazy pour. Half finger creamy, light tan head. Lacing is decent.

Sweet biscuits, toffee, caramel, brown sugar. Light toasted malts with a touch of being toast.

Toasted malts, brown sugar, toffee and a touch of vanilla.

Light body, good carbonation.

Serving type: can

10-08-2012 00:28:09 | More by korguy123

bigox420

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -16.9%

10-07-2012 01:30:57 | More by bigox420

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark brown/caramel color that's translucent. Small film of off-white head. Not quite as dark as I expected given the name on the can, but I like a beer with good clarity none the less.

Aroma: Big toffee note and an overall sweetness to the aroma. Smells like a Scottish Ale. Nice caramel apple type scent. However, the smell isn't as robust as I'd like it to be.

Taste: Much less sweet than the aroma hinted at (which works in its favor). There are some interesting malts being used in this brew. That nice toffee aroma comes through in the flavor, but in a much more subdued way. It reins in the sweetness and just gives you the toffee flavor with a nice roasty bitterness to hold it all together. I'm tempted to call this one a tad watery, but at only 5% abv it's giving a lot of bang for the buck. Slightly dry aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation and between medium and light in body. Easy drinking but the aftertaste becomes a little cloying about halfway through.

Final Thoughts: When I think of English Brown Ales, New Castle comes to mind. While Hockley Dark is in that same grain, it offers slightly less sweetness and a little more roughness on the palate. Overall, an interesting beer but not one that I would seek out again.

Serving type: can

09-19-2012 03:01:50 | More by JamesMN

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The second in my ($8) 3-pack of cans.

It pours with a light beige, creamy head which reduces with lacing. The body is dark brown and appears clear but it's nearly opaque. The aroma is mostly rootbeer and licorice. It tastes sweet. It has no strong flavour but has hints of old coffee, dates, and roasted nuts. It has a light body and medium carbonation
Overall, another good beer from Hockley. I find it shares similar characteristics to their Black & Tan (this dark ale may have been used in that). This beer isn't spectacular but definitely above average.

Serving type: can

08-18-2012 02:47:39 | More by maclean25

RedAleMan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

07-27-2012 00:26:47 | More by RedAleMan

emerge077

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Jay for sharing this beer. Served from a tall black & tan colored can, into a tulip glass. Reviewed from quick notes.

Overall impression was something of a Dark English Mild, mellow but with full bodied roast/coffee flavors. Aroma was soft and mild but carried some notes of dark roast and mild coffee. Dark in the glass but a light brown when poured from the can. Flavors were full and lightly roasty with some coffee and cocoa impressions. A light bitterness in the aftertaste from the roast, overall smooth and malty. A good beer i'd seek out while in Ontario, hopefully on cask or draft.

Serving type: can

07-25-2012 14:20:11 | More by emerge077

BigGruntyThirst

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%

07-08-2012 02:38:32 | More by BigGruntyThirst

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tallboy can from the LCBO; packaged April 2012. The last time I tried this was in April 2008, as one of my first BA reviews (which I am replacing with this updated one). I rather liked it then and have decided to give it another go.

Pours a deep crimson-and-copper colour; fairly dark but still translucent enough to see through when held up to the light. Atop the liquid is seated one-finger of dense, silky, light-beige coloured head, which leaves behind smears of lacing on the glass as it slowly seeps away. Pretty good retention. Pleasing aroma, with the most noticeable trait being the toasted malts and caramel, alongside notes of sweet chocolate and dark fruit. Just a hint of bitter coffee grounds on the nose.

I still enjoy the flavour of this stuff, though I am perhaps less enamored with it than I was during my original sampling. Roasted malts and caramel sweetness remain dominant, with a bit of a nutty feel to the malts. This is accompanied by milk chocolate, as well as some fruity notes that remind me of raisins or dates. Dry, roasty aftertaste that encourages further sips. On the light side of medium-bodied, with relatively low carbonation for an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel.

Final Grade: 3.75, an above-average B grade, but not quite the 3.98 I gave it in 2008. I still think this is one of the better OCB brown ales, and certainly one of the better commonly-available ones. Rich, malty flavours combined with an excellent balance between sweetness and dryness make this an extremely drinkable ale.

It has been a few years since I last had the pleasure of quaffing some Hockley Dark, but now that I'm not living out west anymore this will probably re-enter my dark ale rotation. A decent-to-solid brown ale, one that no fan of the style should neglect to try.

Serving type: can

06-02-2012 03:31:53 | More by thehyperduck

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 473ml. can, canned 280312.

Appearance: A vigorous pour yields less than 2 fingers of foam before disappearing. Body is better with a murky brown-red.

Smell: Caramel malt is strong with toasted grains, a bit of wheat and a dry fruit aroma.

Taste: Chewy caramel, dried fruits. Flavor is nice but wanting.

Mouthfeel: Better than the taste. Very creamy with low carbonation makes it a tad more pleasing.

Overall: Alright is the only word that comes to mind.

Serving type: can

05-22-2012 11:26:42 | More by papat444

Wordslinger

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%

05-06-2012 07:10:44 | More by Wordslinger

traumaqueen

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%

04-03-2012 06:47:00 | More by traumaqueen

WeissBoy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%

03-20-2012 05:17:18 | More by WeissBoy

Brianhophead

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Hockley Dark is a deep ruby colored ale with leathery highlihgts. Minimal carbonation supports an off white mousse colored head. Retention is not bad.

S- Hockley Dark starts off with roasted malts that gives me a pleasantly chocolatey aroma. Chocolate malts move into aromas of raisins and hints of leather. These aromas are supported by a pleasant nuttiness. Aromas come together nicely, giving Hockley Dark a sort of understated roaste quality.

T- This medium bodied ale tastes very much like it smells. Flavor starts out with chocolate and cocoa in the front. Center gives me a pleasant combination of toffifee and hints of leather. Chocolates are supported by a nice through note of nuttiness leading into Hockley's dry finish.

Overall, the brewers at Hockley Brewing did a nice job combining two different styles of English ale. Hockley Dark comes together well to give me a chocolately, nutty English ale with a dry finish that doesn't overpower the rest of the beer.

Serving type: can

02-15-2012 03:15:55 | More by Brianhophead

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -30.7%

01-06-2012 16:11:29 | More by ThinkAgain

MattPS

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -3%

12-26-2011 14:19:09 | More by MattPS

barnzy78

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.9%

11-27-2011 05:11:31 | More by barnzy78