Twelve Days - Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd.

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pours a clear amber brown with a 1 finger head of foam.

The smell is big sweet malty tones with a touch of some nuttiness. I like.

The taste is chock full of caramel malt sweetness with a nice touch of some nutty tones and chocolate that seems to grow with every sip. Yum. Now tasting some toffee and some very light hoppiness that kind of shines near the finish. Oh my, this is a tasty son of a gun.

Medium bodied with a lightish amount of carbonation, the last taste I can sense in the finish is chocolate.

Drinkability? Low in the abv for an English Strong Ale, high when it comes to taste, this is a really delicious example of the style. I wish I had bought more than 1 bottle!!

It seems Hook Norton can do no wrong in my book and..I got this pint bottle on sale for US$2.99!!
The regular price of US$4.99 would be money well spent!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 20:20:50 | More by Bitterbill

GilGarp

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle served cool into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance is a deep dark brown with redish highlights when held to the light. Clarity is good but the head is fantastic. Thick tight cap settles very slowly and leaves a perfect sheet of thin lace.

Aroma is sweet and malty with a nice toasted wheat and pleasant spice undertones.

The flavor is rich and roasty, more toasted than I expected, a little like a holiday-spiced porter. There is some chocolate and roasted nuts, caramel and toffee.

Mouthfeel is excellent. It's medium-plus in body and creamy smooth carbonation.

Overall a great winter warmer just like their stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 04:56:50 | More by GilGarp

DoubleJ

California

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 500 ml bottle purcahsed from the Pizza Port bottle Shop. It isn't too late for a Christmas beer, is it? On to the beer:

Despite a small head, this beer leaves lots of stringly lacing around the glass at it descends down. It's got a dark ruby brown color with red hues. A great first impression. And the impression leaks into the aroma, which is also great. There's soft English yeast, pudding, semi-sweet chocolate, butterscotch, and raisins.

Two senses have been overwhelmed in joy, and now tastes gets to experience the same. This is simply delicious. The flavors tootsie rools, powdery chocolate, complimentary sweet doughy yeast, raisins, and nuts form a complete beer that's not too sweet. The body is medium with a little buzz of carbonationn, and it has a little chew to it. Another sense in delight.

I came in with moderate expectations, and they were blown off the hinges. This is one of the better English beers that I've had in a long, long time.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:45:41 | More by DoubleJ

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.6/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Was very pleased to see this offering from my old local brewery back in England!

Pours chestnut with 1 finger of sand colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Nice fruittyness, plus loads of bready notes & brown sugar

T: Rich malt sweetness, brown sugar & plummy fruit notes up front. I get more fruittyness & some spices (cinnamon mostly) as this warms. Finishes with chocolate, plus peppery & herbal hops

MF: Chewy, especially for the abv, great balance & minimal carbonation

Drinks really nice, shame this was about $6 a pint. One of the best winter beers I've had this year (so far)!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2008 16:11:07 | More by russpowell

putnam

Michigan

5/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One reviewer referred to this as a "porter" and if we can use that in the historical sense -- an opportunistic blend of pub ales, some dark, some pale, some roasty, some (slightly) hoppy -- then that works for me. Apparently 5.5% is considered "strong" by brewery.

I wonder to what degree the apparent perfection of this beer depends on its freshness. (It just arrived from England by way of normal state distribution.) The aromas of this reddish brown liquid are an alluring mixture of caramel malts, vanilla, cream, butter, baked red apples, red currants, sweet strawberries, brown bread crust, mashed hazelnuts and almonds, coffee and straw. Voluptuous creamy texture with a biscuity crumb lifts the bread and fruit flavors until they meet with oozing bitter tannins. The resolution is bright and fresh, bittersweet, and fascinating. Irresistable texture and organization. Astonishing drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2007 19:18:01 | More by putnam