Twelve Days - Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd.

garcia2a

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was a Christmas leftover at the Brickskellar in Washington.

Pours a nice deep amber with light carbonation and a fleeting head.

The bouquet had nice sweet malt, allspice, walnuts and a hint of cinnamon.

The malts were pleasant on the tongue as the sweetness complimented the nutty undertones. Nice smooth, clean finish leaving a warming aftertaste.

This is, like most english beers, a medium bodied beer that is smooth on the palate and easy to drink. This is a friendly drinkable ale that should make any holiday festival a bit more jolly.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2009 22:50:12 | More by garcia2a

Nipitato

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a bottle at Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA.

A: Very dark brown with ruby highlights. Pours with a large buff head - almost moussy. Dissipates slowly. Opaque. Sticky lacing.

S: As the label says a nutty malty sweet aroma wafts out of the glass. Faint dark fruity esters noticeable. Some cola.

T: Predominantly nutty malt flavor. There is a nice pronounced bitterness that works well with the sweet malt.

MF: Moderate mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Slightly dry.

D, notes: I would not define this as a strong ale...maybe a kicked up brown. Still good though.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2009 00:48:39 | More by Nipitato

TKempe

Netherlands

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brown to very deep red in colour with a strong beige head and a good amount of lace.

The smell is very malty in a rather roasted and dryish fashion, accompanied by some big fruity overtones, a delicate touch of refreshing (somewhat minty) hops and a soft whiff of alcohol. A smell that is quite powerful and saturated.

The taste starts of bittersweet with a strong hoppy note and some sour fruitiness. It then very slowly becomes predominantly bitter and roasted, ending very porter-like, with the slightest bit of fruitiness remaining in the background. This beer goes through a major development taste-wise and has a long-lasting aftertaste.

Carbonation is about medium (bordering on soft) and so is the body.

A bold beer this is, 'dark and strong'as the label states.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2009 21:11:20 | More by TKempe

baggio

Sweden

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle@home

A: Dark brown with a creamy beige head. Some lacing.

S: Dark bread, Roasted malt, Dried fruit (pear!), Chocolate.

T: Roasted malts, Coffee, Chocolate, Nuts, Fruit, Dark caramel.

M: Quite heavy on the roasted side with some pleasant bitterness at the end. Body is somewhat thin. Carbonation is just the way i like it (medium).

Very drinkable english-style beer. Might need to buy this again if i can get my hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2009 19:28:15 | More by baggio

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a four finger light tan head that fades very slowly to a thin layer leaving a good lace. Opaque mahogany color. Roasted coffee nose. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Flavor is malty/roasted coffee. Slight bitterness at finish. $6.50 for a 500ml bottle from Tully's Beer & Wine Wells, Me.
Labeled as a Christmas ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2009 23:59:04 | More by jdhilt

tmoneyba

Ohio

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

Bottle from River's Bend.

Pours a hazy brown color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate toasted malt and spice aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium spicy sweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

Good drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2008 13:49:38 | More by tmoneyba

bark

Sweden

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

The colour is deep brown; the finger thick head is pale brown and firm. Some lacing occurs.

The smell is generous and very malty with roasted notes (nuts, chocolate). Some dry notes of dried fruits, dark bread and caramel.

The taste is powerful with roasted notes of nuts and black coffee. Very dry notes with bitter hints, some rye bread, dried apricots and green apples. The body is quite weak. The aftertaste is dominated by dry roasted flavours too; coffee, earthy fruity malts and a hint of dark chocolate and toffee. The finish is fresh with a somewhat metallic bitterness.

The carbonation is mild; the bubbles very small. The liquid is smooth.

Some more body and a little less metal in the aftertaste, this would be a very fine winter ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2008 19:51:04 | More by bark

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber/ brown-ish color with a small tan head. In the aroma, small roastiness, nutty, and small citrus like hops. In the taste, sweet roastiness, dry nuttiness, citrus like hops but not too bitter. A faint bitterness and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry piney/ citrus hops in the aftertaste. A step above from a standard English warmer with nice hop presence, quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 14:28:34 | More by OWSLEY069

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber/light brown color; seemingly clear. Awesome head that recedes in a rocky fashion. Light ring lace left on the glass.

A surprising sour smell. Largely chocolate aroma.

Tastes like a rich brown ale. There are elements of black patent, chocolate and dark crystal malts. Good hop finish that blends well with the light coffee flavors.

This is a very good Christmas beer. It has elements of a porter and a brown ale. Well balanced and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2008 22:46:27 | More by smcolw

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice chestnut brown color. No real carbonation to speak of. Malty enough aroma with a somewhat spicy tinge to it-hard to pin down exaclty what you are smelling. Somewhat cinnamon/orange like. Solid malt flavor-rather earthy and nutty. Again a faint spice flavor though nothing stands out. Decent body-rather dry in the finish. A decent effort for sure. Gotta love how the Brits pack a lot of flavor in a lower abv.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2008 01:23:31 | More by lackenhauser

tangentrider

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Reddish brown beer with an off-white head. Carbonation appears light.

S- Sweet caramelly malt; some dried fruit aroma.

T- Roasted malt, a bit of coffee bitterness; nice flavor, but lack the expected richness in a strong ale

MF- Smooth feel, with light carbonation

D- Good beer; a bit lighter than expected, but would be good when I want an English Strong Ale with a lower abv.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 03:23:36 | More by tangentrider

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Burnt orange with reddish bronze undertones when backlit with sunshine. The sandstone colored crown is a good match for the beer. It's firmly creamy to start, melts in appealing fashion, and is beginning to deposit a thick band of BB-shot lace just above the nonic bulge.

The aroma is primarily earthy and brown malty. I detect no added herbs or spices. It's darker than a bock and lighter than a brown, with olfactory characteristics of each. Not bad, but I'm not in a holiday mood yet.

Twelve Days is on the subtle side. That isn't surprising given what's considered strong ale in this country in 2008. My palate hasn't been completely recalibrated, though, because I like what I'm tasting. After nothing but 3.5% bitters all year long, I'd probably consider this some pretty substantial beer. And it is, in it's own way.

Since it's tough to pick a style that this offering most closely resembles, let's stick with nut brown ale. The 'English Christmas Ale' seen on the label works as well. The malt isn't quite as dark as most browns, but the beer is pleasingly pecan nutty and delivers plenty of medium-dark fruit.

Specifics include lightly toasted brown bread, English toffee, cocoa powder, unsweet figs, a dash of vanilla and a handful of shredded hop leaves. Sweet is easily countered by tea leafy bitter, especially on the surprisingly tight, drying finish. A faint spiciness must be hop-related. This stuff is proving to be nicely drinkable.

The mouthfeel, while far from massive, works in concert with the beer's other attributes. It's impressively smooth and has just enough substance to lend a featherlight creaminess to the proceedings. Drinking it on cask... in Oxfordshire... in winter... must be a near religious experience.

Twelve Days English Christmas Ale is both delicious and highly drinkable. Bombastic Big Beer is all well and good, but restraint is sometimes the way to go. For what it's worth, I've had this bottle for more than a year and it has held up beautifully. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good nap.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 13:25:28 | More by BuckeyeNation

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Aroma is strong and richly malty with a strong overtone of brown sugar. It pours a clear dark brown with a thick, fine-bubbled, off-white head that stays around. Flavor is malty with ribbons of brown sugar or molasses and smoky and nutty hints. Aftertaste is rather sweet but not cloying; there is just a whisper of hop bitterness. A delightful ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 03:17:43 | More by Cyberkedi

DogFood11

California

3.08/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured 16.9oz of this brew into a stemmed tulip. It has a ruby red body and the head was a medium tan. Head falls to a skim layer on top and its loose.

The aroma doesn't jump out at ya. Very subtle nose on this. Roasted malts and a touch of dark fruits come to the surface. Carbonation is laid back. Some astringency and watered towards the middle and then drys up ok in the finish. Not much spice or much of anything to write home about. Tobacco aftertaste. Its a rather boring ale.

Notes: I wouldn't classify this as approachable even with its laid back style. It has some issues with the bitter side that doesn't translate well on the palate. Malt bill is the best part of this and would make it worthy if they can figure out the other side. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 02:10:25 | More by DogFood11

jwc215

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep chestnut brown with a thin head that eventually becomes a lasting, swirling patch.

The smell is of caramel/toffee with a hint of chocolate and dark cherry fruitiness. Roasted nuts mixes in.

The taste is malty - caramel/toffee, some chocolate. A balancing subtle, fruity bitter presence takes some edge off sweetness while keeping maltiness in the forefront. Fruitiness is of dark cherries with some pear. Roasted chestnuts suggested by nuttiness. A balanced sweetness finishes it off.

Medium-to full-bodied with a creamy touch.

A tasty, very drinkable, smooth, malt-accented with a nice, spicy hop touch, English ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2008 20:53:59 | More by jwc215

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours chestnut with a thin head that fades to a ring. Caramel aromas as well as a nuttiness, and slightly spicy. Tastes of hazlenuts and cream with a slight sweetness. Round and mild.Smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and very easy to drink. This is a very mild Christmas brew, but a nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 23:10:41 | More by Georgiabeer

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

montageman

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass.

The guys at Cloverleaf Wine really pushed this beer as something great. I'm skeptical of British beers because they usually lack the strong flavors of American brews. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this beer. As a Christmas beer, the appearance is reminiscent of liquid gingerbread. The aroma is spicy and sweet. The taste is very nice like spice cookies with some notes of caramel and chocolate. The mouthfeel is fine - nothing objectionable with the carbonation. This is a nice Christmas beer - easy drinking with very nice flavors. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 05:07:01 | More by montageman

dgallina

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1 pint, 9 fluid ounce narrow brown bottle. No apparent freshness dating.

Pours clear reddish-brown with a slim finger of head and light lacing. Smells of nutty toasted malts and gentle herbal hops. Flavor is more malt-forward. A base of toasted caramel malt develops nutty and doughy notes in the center and slightly bitter herbal hop and hard water tones in the finish. Faintly smoky aftertaste lingers. Body is creamy and medium-light, with only slight carbonation. Pleasant but not particularly noteworthy.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 05:36:59 | More by dgallina

Dukeofearl

California

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

$5.99 at La Bodega in Riverside, CA. in December, 2007, shortly beofre Christmas.

Pours a brown-ale looking medium brown, clear with ruby highlights. Minimal head and almost no carbonation.

Aromas of toasty malts, a light smokiness, and some herbs. Not sure what, but they are there. Flavor is moderatley rich and full biscuity malts with nutty and herbal notes- some garden leaves and stems baked right into the bread. Slight sweetness, quite pleasant. Full mouthfeel, decently drinkable, but not something I want more than one.

I like this English ale, but one is enough at a time.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 02:37:47 | More by Dukeofearl

TurdFurgison

Ohio

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

Poured from a unique-looking bottle into a pint glass. The beer was dark brown, clear, with a thin head. The aroma was mostly toasted malt, biscuity and nutty. Same with the flavor, toasted and burnt malts and a hint of some light fruits. The beer was full-bodied and filling, nicely complex but not really my style.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 02:20:00 | More by TurdFurgison

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The pour is a somewhat hazy reddish brown with a modest light tan creamy head that fails quickly leaving a velum like coating of lace. Nose has a sweet rich malt aroma, caramel, and a bit of hops, spicy and pleasant. Front is quite sweet, decently malted, with a touch of the bittering hops at the back, moderate in feel. Finish has a fair to middling acidity, the hops delectable in their spiciness, sweet and dry aftertaste lingers long on the palate, a quite nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 19:35:26 | More by Gusler

theopholis

California

3.2/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance- The body is a clear, dark reddish-brown in color. No effervescence, and very little head. Looks like a flat Coke. What little head it had was a beige, slightly foamy head with absolutely no retention at all.

Aroma- Mostly malty with some caramelized sugar. Just enough bittering hops in the nose to let you know it's a beer.

Taste- Nice balance of maltiness, malt sweetness and bittering hops. Doesn't have the dark fruits and powerful esters you might expect from a strong ale, but pleasant all the same.

Mouthfeel-: A bit over-carbonated for the style. The body is light for the style, but it seems to work.

Drinkability- Not a great example of the style, but quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 06:42:52 | More by theopholis

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

budgood1

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours out of the stately half litre bottle a clear but very dark mahoghany colour. thin tannish head which sticks around awhile...leaving some sparse lace. sweet brown sugar aroma, some fruit and woody notes...pretty nice. boozy wooden accents, brown sugar and molasses, dark rum, some cherries and dark chocolate, a bit of x-mas spice and a good dose of flowery hops. complex for sure...all perceived nuances are subtle yet sturdy. this is a dry beer...lip puckering in fact. i like it. a nice bodied english ale with a mouthfeel kept on guard by the dryness of the profile. drinkability is great...it's only 5.5% ABV but seems a lot boozier due to the liquor like flavours imparted.

english ales are hard to judge due to the subtle and modest qualities of the flavour profiles, but this strong ale has enough to keep the drinker interested yet invoke a sense of sessionability.

a nice meat and cheese platter would be a perfect pairing for this english x-mas ale.

recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2007 01:31:40 | More by budgood1