Double Stout - Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd.

movingtrain

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a bit brown around the edges, but with more liquid in the glass, the beer appears near-black. Decent tan head on top, about two fingers with an aggressive pour, falling to less than one finger.

The aroma is quite sweet, bringing to mind notes of cherry, light roasted coffee, chocolate, some smoke, warm bread, and dry oats.

The taste as a bitterness up front, almost a piney note. This bitterness is followed by a rich, dark chocolate smokiness that permeates the palate and lingers a long time. There are notes of brewed coffee, toasted oats, and dried dates.

In terms of mouthfeel, this one is a bit light...actually, quite refreshing for a stout. It doesn't hold the richness or creaminess that one may expect from its appearance, but does sit well on the tongue.

Overall, this is a decent beer. For an English stout, this one is pretty darn good. It is balanced, dry, and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 00:49:51 | More by movingtrain

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-16-2013 13:58:50 | More by KStark

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-07-2013 18:19:46 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

Seaba

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

02-26-2013 19:30:18 | More by Seaba

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

02-23-2013 18:29:23 | More by CwrwAmByth

DmanGTR

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

02-06-2013 20:34:44 | More by DmanGTR

Auror

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%

01-09-2013 18:14:17 | More by Auror

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

11-30-2012 02:21:26 | More by KalanM

EPortJake

United Kingdom (England)

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - dark but not opaque pouring with a frothy beige head which subsides fairly quickly to a thin clinging layer of small bubbles
S - roast coffee with a hint of sweetness
T - slightly sweet malt followed by strong roast coffee and hints of chocolate with a dry bitter finish
M - medium/full bodied and moderately carbonated
O - a very well balanced and respectable stout. There are better stouts of this style out there but on the other hand there are a lot worse. Would go back for another.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 18:58:46 | More by EPortJake

doctorb

Maryland

5/5  rDev +27.9%

10-05-2012 20:23:47 | More by doctorb

ceetee26

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

09-28-2012 05:25:34 | More by ceetee26

Sooch222

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +21.5%

06-25-2012 02:00:05 | More by Sooch222

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark and brooding near pitch black body with big tanned clouds for a head.

Deep roast aromas expresso mainly but fleeting dark fruit notes played on the nose.

Lots of coffee in the taste bits of liquorice malt presence combined with prunes and finishing in yeasty bitterness.

funny mouthfeel for both a stout and a strange carbonation (highly lively) for BC.

A queer brew indeed but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 20:34:04 | More by EmperorBevis

chel29

Brazil

4/5  rDev +2.3%

03-02-2012 01:37:03 | More by chel29

JayS2629

Alabama

3.2/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

I was fooled by the label calling it double. Low ABV and nothing too bold in the taste either.

Dark, almost black. Completely opaque with a one finger creamy, light tan head that has descent retention, but thin lacing.

Faint chocolate aroma with a hint of licorice, some coffee notes and some herbal and grassy hints. Sweet caramel notes throughout. Nothing complex, but nice.

Coffee, burnt dark bread, pumperknickle and ashy, acrid notes. Cocoa and coffee with earthy elements and some grassy hints.

A little thin for a stout in my opinion, medium bodied and smooth

Overall, a little too ashy and thin for my taste of stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 03:32:34 | More by JayS2629

beergoot

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A very dark ebony colored body with thick, creamy head. Rings of lacing cling to the pint glass.

Burnt and toasted grains, chocolate, and coffee notes in the smell. There's also a distinct sweet maltiness to the nose.

Slightly burnt toast, vanilla and dark chocolate in the taste. Mouthfeel is medium, smooth, and rich.

Yes, this is a great, all-around stout. Rich and robust without clobbering you with excessive alcohol in the ABV. Very good...

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 23:50:39 | More by beergoot

Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%

01-06-2012 22:44:54 | More by Dope

Antnyd82

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

01-03-2012 06:52:13 | More by Antnyd82

StJamesGate

New York

3.85/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Rocky stiff solid beige head over black body with oxblood edges. Sweet coffee nose with ashy roast, cocoa powder and a bit of black currant jam on the nose.
Brown sugar, earth and carob up front with clean hop bitterness to end.
Espresso oil and brown sugar syrup end and dry linger. Medium, round, smooth.

Like many English stouts, this is about smoothness and balanced. Hops aroma is absent and bitterness is pretty restrained. Drinkability over intensity of flavor, but can't knock if that's what they set out to do.

Still, I don't know if this tastes like a 100-year-old recipe (like the label says) and there are better stouts in England and better beers from Hook Norton.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 01:23:58 | More by StJamesGate

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.3%

11-24-2011 14:13:47 | More by PEIhop

fx20736

New York

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a British pint glass, served at 63f.

Bituminous black with a faint sliver of dying ember red at the bottom. 2 fingers of toffee colored head that leaves miasma looking lacing.

Aroma of unsweetened cocoa and anise.

Mouthfeel: Black velvet.

Tastes like it smells; dark chocolate and licorice with a faint herbal bitterness on the tale.

Notes: another SENSATIONAL beer from Hook Norton. This is velvety smooth, delicious and aromatic. Delicious, chocolately without being sweet. At 4.8% abv this makes for one hell of a session beer. I have loved every Hook Norton beer I have had, this and Sam Smith's are my favorite two British brewers.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 18:08:20 | More by fx20736

NatalBrewingCo

South Africa

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Drank on October 3rd, 2011 in Durban South Africa. 550ml bottle poured into a Hefeweizen glass.

a - Pours a very dark brown with a medium bodied tan to off-white head. Strong traces of carbonation and light lacing. Opaque

s - Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. Mild and pleasant.

t - Roasted malts, chocolate and coffee. Slight notes of caramel.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth finish.

o - Very drinkable and pleasant stout. I'm not sure what makes it a "double" stout as its not particularly heavy or robust. Definitely worth a try and might be a good starting point for those who are trying to get into darker beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 19:12:06 | More by NatalBrewingCo

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Double stout is a bit of a stretch, but on BA it's listed as an English stout. I'd go for that.

Dark, black plum-like pour. Hints of ruby. The head is thick, somewhat creamy and off white. Looks really nice. Good lacing

Aroma is sharp at first with raisin, roasted malt, toast. Some anise and leather come and go. Chocolate, baked caramel. Yum

Yup, tastes pretty good, too. All of those characteristics in the nose come through in the flavor almost all at once. It's a quick burst of plum, prune, anise, leather, caramel, chocolate--dark, and toffee. They don't linger and it finishes fairly dry. I would say it's bold, the abv is too low for that, but just right for drinking any time.
This is a good stout. Nice representation of the style, methinks.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 07:05:31 | More by Mebuzzard

July2Nov

Hawaii

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Huge three-finger beige, foamy head. Dark brown in color without any light getting through. Impressive.

Smell: Has a chalky bittersweet chocolate scent with a roasted quality.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Light-medium in it's body. Thin upfront with the chocolate flavor coming out. Has some carbonation to it, which spikes up the mouthfeel and takes away from the brew. The carbonation and sting of it is all i can feel in the aftertaste.

Overall: Good English stout. The carbonation was just too much for me and I couldn't get past it. I'll try this one again to give it a fair shake.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 02:36:11 | More by July2Nov

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(served in a nonic)

A- This dense black body has a faint brown glow at the base of the glass and a sea of microbubbles trailing up the sides to support a cinnamon beige head. The head last as a thick lumpy mat on top.

S- The aroma of wet slate is followed by black roasted grain hint and some dry toffee and graham characters. There is a yeasty note and a char hint in the finish.

T- The dry black roasted grain and malt has a crisp earthy hint that takes on a smoky quality as the beer opens up. There is a berry ester note and a band-aid hint to the flavor aswellas a dry tartness. The char black grain note in the finish does not linger.

M- This beer has a medium-light mouthfeel with a dry texture and no alcohol heat.

O- This beer has dark roasted grain characters that or dry and crisp but mellow with no bitterness but all the flavors and aromas are a bit thin. Some nice depth to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 21:41:35 | More by rhoadsrage