Hockley Black & Tan - Hockley Valley Brewing Co.

graybayou

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

07-07-2012 22:00:49 | More by graybayou

CurtisD

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

04-09-2013 11:48:23 | More by CurtisD

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.26/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: A body that is pretty much as dark a brown that you can get without being completely opaque. It poured with a finger and a half of frothy looking head, but it vanished in incredibly short order...so fast that I'm inclined to think didn't wash the glass right, no lacing.

Smell: A roasted dark malt smell with touches of dark chocolate and licorice with an almost rum like quality to it. Warming help brings it out a bit more.

Taste: Starts with a stout like dark and bitter roasted malt that brings forward light coffee is complimented by a lighter malt, ended with a bit of an odd mild brush of tonic water and alcohol.

Mouthfeel: That last brush has an odd texture to it, like the carbonation is trying to bring out the least interesting part of the beer. The transitioning is alright but the beer doesn't leave an aftertaste, which is a mixed bag.

Drinkability: Not quite rich enough to be stout interesting, and not quite refreshing enough to be an easy drinker. Kinda reminds me of a dunkel lager, but made far too tame. Easy enough to drink though.

Final Thoughts: All in all, it was an interesting experience, but i wouldn't say I'll be eagerly awaiting my next black and tan. All it all, I think it was a posistive experience, but really the rummy, carbonation note needs some work.

Serving type: can

03-09-2013 07:46:25 | More by TheHammer

MylesMac

Manitoba (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

02-17-2013 05:52:18 | More by MylesMac

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

02-13-2013 12:26:20 | More by DaPan

djcreepshow

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

12-14-2012 05:34:58 | More by djcreepshow

sbarre

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

11-24-2012 21:18:22 | More by sbarre

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -15%

11-06-2012 18:46:19 | More by cfalovo97

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: It has a nice dark brown color to it with some amber hues shining through. It has a thick tan head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of roasted malts, some chocolate/coffee and faint dark fruit.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a roasted malt character along with faint chocolate/coffee notes and some fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium/high carbonation with a decent overall balance and feel. Slightly watery.

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

Serving type: can

09-17-2012 19:35:46 | More by SebD

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Can into tumbler. Part one of their mix pack.

A- Almost completely opaque brown pour. Short lived two finger light tan head. Recedes to thin cap leaving streaks of thin lacing.

S- Roasted malts, chocolate and some weak coffee. The guy below smelled beef au jus. I can kind of see it but isn't the first thing that came to mind.

T- Fairly bland. Roasted malts, watered down burnt coffee, a touch of chocolate and a floral hop finish.

M- Light bodied, lively carbonation.

O- I've never had anything from Hockley in the past, this is okay, unfortunately somewhat forgettable.

Serving type: can

09-07-2012 00:08:45 | More by korguy123

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

08-22-2012 20:37:03 | More by ThinkAgain

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Small head that dies to rim bubbles, but they do leave a ring of lace. The color is deep brown where light shines through on the edges.

Earthy and meaty smell. It actually smells like roast beef drippings. Some dark crystal aromas and nearly non-existent hop.

The flavor is better than the smell would indicate. There are elements of a stout (black coffee and burnt grain) and a pale ale (nice hop finish). The body is too thin for any beer, closer to soda. Good aftertaste of mocha and white pepper.

Serving type: can

08-21-2012 01:10:37 | More by smcolw

maclean25

British Columbia (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this is a taste 3-pack while in Ottawa (the 3-pack cost $8 plus tax). This came in a 473 mL can. I've only ever had one other black and tan (at a taphouse in Vancouver).

This poured with a finger of foamy-soaping head which reduced quickly and leaft no lacing. It has an opaque black body. On the aroma I get mostly licorice but also dark (and cold) coffee and rootbeer. I find the taste to be tangy with the flavours of roasted malts, with the the coffee and licorice. It ends with a hit of hops. I find both the body and carbonation to be low-to-medium but it has a very silky smooth feel. Overall, I find this to be a good pick.

Serving type: can

08-16-2012 02:20:56 | More by maclean25

RedAleMan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

07-26-2012 23:32:12 | More by RedAleMan

BigGruntyThirst

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

07-08-2012 02:38:13 | More by BigGruntyThirst

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 mL can from the LCBO; packaged on April 12th 2012. Poured into a regular glass mug. Hockley was one of the first Ontario craft brewers I had the chance to try beer from in my student days, and I recall liking most of what I sampled. The B&T is a new one for me, though.

Pours a very dark brown colour, basically opaque with maybe a few reddish-brown highlights. One finger of silky, creamy tan head looks promising at first, but quickly fizzles away, leaving some wisps behind on the surface and not much else. Looks like cold coffee maybe. Roasted malts are really the only specific smell I can pull out of the aroma, and they are of a dark cocoa or roasted coffee-like nature. Timid and inoffensive.

Fortunately, the taste is what matters most - and this happens to taste like a very respectable b&t. The flavours are decidedly on the 'black' side of the dichotomy, with the roasted malts in the aroma becoming greatly magnified on the palate. Bittersweet baker's chocolate and cocoa come to mind, with a few hints of roasted nuts and sweet, dark cherry. Lingering bittersweet burnt malt flavour in the aftertaste. On the thin side of medium-bodied, with relatively low carbonation and a very smooth mouthfeel. Easy-drinking and very refreshing for a dark beer.

Final Grade: 3.68, a solid B-grade. I'm not going to pretend that I've had a lot of black and tans, because I really haven't. That being said, this is a very good example of what I want from the style. Manages to be relatively interesting in terms of flavour/texture, without sacrificing drinkability.

B&Ts are scarce around here, but if anyone were to ask me to recommend one, this would probably be my first choice. I'll probably get it again at some point, too. People hoping for a sweeter dark beer like typical brown ales or (maybe) some stouts/porters may be disappointed, but I still like what Hockley has done here. Worth a try.

Serving type: can

05-25-2012 06:28:30 | More by thehyperduck

Vandelayindustri

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +13.3%

05-08-2012 23:40:12 | More by Vandelayindustri

Wordslinger

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

05-06-2012 10:15:30 | More by Wordslinger

MattPS

Ontario (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Hockley Valley Black & Tan was a pleasant surprise and a very easy-going way to start Christmas Day drinking! Served from a can that was part of a multi-pack billed as a dark but surprisingly dark selection, it certainly lived up to its billing.

Appearance was good. There was a rich dark colour that isn't always there in black and tan mixes, with a good, slightly off-white head, which didn't hold quite as long as I would have hoped.

The lack of aroma was slightly surprising and did was the beers most disappointing quality. Gut feeling is that the light beer overpowers the smell of the stout.

In taste terms, Black & Tan is very smooth on the tongue, with good caramel undertones. It is mild to the taste, but we should remember that the whole point of mixing the light with the stout is to smooth out the strong flavours.

I had this served at room temperature and dwelt over it, and had no issues with lingering tastes or furry mouth. For the style, about the right feel, but real stout drinkers should note that they will find it fairly light and fluffy.

Overall, a perfectly pleasant and well-rounded example of a black and tan, but it doesn't set the world alight and make me wish I had more!

Serving type: can

12-25-2011 22:19:51 | More by MattPS

barnzy78

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

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

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - very dak brown with a hint of ruby around the edges. Persistent cap of creamy, tan head.

Smell - roasted malt, dark fruit, earth.

Taste - Roasted malt and dark fruits make a repeat appearance, along with buttered bread and a slightly metallic bitterness.

Mouthfeel - aggressively carbonated.

Serving type: can

11-06-2011 23:31:49 | More by

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a dark colour, red tints around the edges. nice creamy light tan head. fades quickly and leaves a slight film.

pretty faint smelling but is mostly roasted malt.

taste is malty with a bit of coffee. has a slight roasted/smokey flavour as well.

okay carbonation. overall a decent drink.

Serving type: can

09-15-2011 21:19:55 | More by fostachild

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - deep brown-red with a decent tan head that dissipated fairly slow
S - sticky molasses and burnt sugars, buttery, mild chocolate, leafy
T - definite stout roastiness with hints of cocoa and cold coffee, tobacco, very light leafy hops
M - medium to heavy body, smooth with a lingering tobacco burnt feel
O - surprised to see this as a packaged beverage, props for creativity, a decent enough drink worth a purchase, but I'd rather have it made at the pub

Serving type: can

09-09-2011 02:31:49 | More by joemcgrath27

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black appearance with lots of bubbly brown head that quickly disappears leaving little lacing. Smell consists caramel, nuts and chocolate. Picked up malt and coffee as well, good dark combination.

Taste is similar to the smell, consists of coffee, chocolate, caramel, nuts, roasted grain and a hint of malt. Good combination but surprisingly light overall though. Light bodied with low carbonation. Aftertaste has a hint of malt, but very dry.

This is an interesting beer, comes off strong but very light tasting. Carbonation makes the beer a little unbalanced, but overall tasty and drinkable. Worth a try.

Serving type: can

09-08-2011 07:40:33 | More by CrazyMike

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - poured a two finger beige head on top of a deep brown body - subsiding to a half finger collar with sticky patchy lacing

S - sweet malt, notes of caramel and chocolate, with a faint dark fruit

T - not as sweet as the nose and a little dry, again some sweet malt (a little biscuit), some chocolate and fruit, slight bitterness, hint of metal in the finish

M - pretty smooth and dry with plenty of carbonation and a medium body

O - another decent offering from Hockley I grabbed in their summer mixer pack

Serving type: can

08-08-2011 15:46:05 | More by Stocean1