Manor Ale - Hobsons Brewery

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was brewed for the Severn Valley Railway beer festival. It is named after one of their refurbished steam trains.

It became so popular (and the brewery were looking for a summer brew), that it is now to be brewed every summer to replace the winter brew Old Henry (which I will review when it re-appears in October).

I have drank this beer in Shrewsbury and at the brewery, enjoying it very much.

It is a dark redish brown with a loose creamy head which stays on the side of the glass.

At first I thought of burnt caramel and chocolate malt, but it is a coffee aroma which comes through really. Amber malt has been used, not chocolate malt, the headbrewer informs me. Fuggles hops (amongst others) also add to the aroma. This brewery still uses whole hops and mills its own malts, almost all of which is locally sourced.

Again the burnt caramel comes to mind in the first mouthful, but coffee overtones soon take over.

This is not a sicky, thick, over heavy beer, but its mouthfeel is one of strenght and goodness.

Very, very drinkable. I would call it a Bar-B-Q Beer!

Serving type: cask

09-06-2006 11:35:15 | More by BlackHaddock

vinicole

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%

03-26-2013 19:49:11 | More by vinicole

StJamesGate

New York

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale gold with crusty white film. Oddly barrel-like nose: smoke and iodine.
Toasted hazelnut, waxberry and cocoa nibs with mulchy autumn leaves hops plus some grass and lemon rind.
Long bitter linger. Light, crisp, soft, oily.

An oddly smoky start opens up into a strange mix of flavors that is aggressively oily and bitter overall. I've yet to taste a Hobsons beer that is to style, with mixed results. This one is interesting and innovative again but ultimately doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 14:50:14 | More by StJamesGate

YankChef

Louisiana

4.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

500ml bottle poured into american pint glass, brought from england to me by the ole lady

appearance: very pale and golden, very high clarity with a nice sticky foamy white head

smell: mild aroma, some sort of hay or barn sort of aromas, musty touch of pine and really subtle toffee

taste: Surprising!!! Has some sweet roasted flavors up front like caramel even a little toffee, maybe some diacetyl in there too... hops are nice and crisp without being overwhelming to bring some balance and make this brew refreshing, carbonation is surprisingly low which adds to the drinkability to me

Overall: Give me more of this stuff!!! One of the most flavorful sub 5% beers i have ever had and i would drink this a hell of a lot if i could get it regularly, if you ever have the chance to get this stuff consider it a treat

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 04:39:17 | More by YankChef