Twelve Days - Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd.

TheHoppiest

Ohio

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

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a pint glass. Pours a mahogany red with an ivory colored head that quietly dissipates.

Has a malty, bready smell with a pleasant underlying aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Has a spicy, hoppy taste, ending bitter and peppery. Hints of toffee, orange peel, and grain.

Medium bodied, with a pleasant sweet/bitter finish.

Very enjoyable, one of the better Christmas Ales I've had this year.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 02:19:44 | More by TheHoppiest

Mosstrooper

California

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 1pt .9oz bottle into nonic pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark cola color with a large, creamy head that is the color of a scoop of vanilla ice cream after it's been dunked in root beer- in fact, this almost looks like a root beer float! The head dissipates very slowly and leaves behind thin, bubbly rings of lace.

Smell: Sweet caramel with a slight nuttiness and some sugary plum notes.

Taste: Begins with caramel and overall sweet malt, rounding out to sweet fruits and finishing nutty and with a balanced hop profile.

Mouthfeel: Thinner body with light carbonation, and a smooth finish that dries out.

Drinkability: I was having a hankering for a beer with a distictive English flavor and a winter beer- this is both wrapped into one and is definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 02:08:13 | More by Mosstrooper

seanyfo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

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

500ml bottle poured into 2 half pint glasses

A - Poured aggressively provides thick creamy 3 finger solid head, that produces great lacing. Body is a dark mahogany brown, some ruby qualities when held up to the light.

S - Some dark fruit notes, with a little citrus grapfruit, some slight hints of sickly sweet caramel malts.

T- Not a harsh citric taste like some ales, some nice fresh bread malts, well balanced with a soft hop bitterness in the finish.Slight alcohol kick in aftertaste.

M - Medium carbonation, full bodied,

D- A very sessionable ale, however nothing that suggests its something out of the ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2007 19:20:24 | More by seanyfo

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Given as a gift for completing my Master's degree. Thanks Eric!

A: dark copper, brown color with nice small-bubbled head
S: a bit mild, but very good roasted (almost burnt) malt overtones
T: well-balanced with a dominant malt presence, roasty, toasty, and a good drinker
M: great mouthfeel, well-balanced and smooth
D: very drinkable

One additional note. I really like the bottle design with the label and back panel description of the brewery. Extra kudos.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2010 01:31:21 | More by wisrarebeer

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Big, 4 finger brown head on a dark black/brown beer. Lots of bubbles in this one and alright lace. Seems a little weak.

S: Roasted, carmelized nuts, a lot of peanut in particular. No hops, no spices, and nothing to strong.

T: Again, slightly nutty, but I get a slight burnt grain, though it's very hidden. More nuttyness, though in the taste it seems more walnut than peanut. Still no hops, and less sweet than I had hoped from the smell. This just doesn't fit a style for me. Not the flavor of a winter warmer, somewhere awkward between a brown and a strong ale.

M: Too light for an x-mas beer by a hair.

D: It's drinkable, but not in the good way.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 04:33:32 | More by mdwalsh

beerdrifter

Germany

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear, deep red-brown pour with quickly fading head and nice lacing. The nose is very malty with hints of hazelnut, vanilla, figs, and caramel. The taste is much the same but more of a roasty, almost burnt chocolate comes out as it warms. Decent mouthfeel and drinkability but nothing special. A little disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 01:41:54 | More by beerdrifter

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

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

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

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

sacfly

Maryland

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

1pt .9oz. mysterious L233 20:13 on the neck. Just put the date will ya?

Pours a clear deep reddish brown. Cheery wood. No head to speak of. Aroma is sugary sweet. Candied pears. Taste is lightly toasted grain and mild pear- not nearly as slick and syrupy as expected. Body is medium. Aftertaste has a bit of an astringent bite, but that fades rather quickly into a tart(?) slightly sour(?). Rather nice. Not sure if 5.5% qualifies as a “strong” ale, but I was not disappointed. Ha! I just noticed the pears on the front label… I guess the pear was intentional!

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2007 23:55:55 | More by sacfly

hoegaardenhero

California

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

a: nice dark brown/mahogany with some minor maroon highlights; 1/4 inch of creamy beige head that fades but leaves a covering on the top

s: chocolate, biscuit; light hay in the back; light nuttiness; sort of a little like ovaltine actually

t: chocolate; dry grain; a little watery-mild; very light coffee; light nuttiness; some abv; sort of smokiness; very interesting

m: creamy and smooth; very mild carb and very english

d: a good brew with some interesting tastes but could definitely be a bit more festive

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 04:56:04 | More by hoegaardenhero

fullsweep

United Kingdom (England)

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

500 mL brown bottle poured into a pint glass.

I really enjoyed this beer, was pleasantly surprised. The only other offering from Hook Norton I've tried is Hooky Gold, and I enjoyed this much better (to be fair, it's for stylistic reasons).

A: clear but darkish brown with mahogany hints. Lots of clarity, very small head that dissipates quickly.

S: strong caramel scents with a bit of fruit too

T: sweet and rich--very enjoyable, a bit of alcohol that leans in the direction of a barleywine but not nearly as strong or pronounced as that.

M: very mild carbonation (almost nonexistent) and surprisingly light considering the sweetness.

D: very drinkable--would certainly buy this again!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 20:47:03 | More by fullsweep

fx20736

New York

4.4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into a nonic, served at cellar temp.

Deep, deep brown which appears black until backlit. Thin creamy sandstone head which leaves magnificent lacing.

Aroma of baked brown bread spread with Nutella.

Mouthfeel: slippery and smooth

Taste: Rich, dark bread like pumpernickel but without rye. A distinct cocoa flavor which is distinctly cocoa and not chocolate and a slight English Hop bitterness on the fade.

Notes: Magnificent! Tasty! A Brown Ale with richness and malty goodness.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 02:49:57 | More by fx20736

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

doktorhops

Australia

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

Last out of the three bottles we get in Oz. It's been sitting in the fridge since I reviewed the other ones and after taunting me for a couple weeks I've finally succumbed to reviewing it.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: A delicious clear smokey topaz body with a 0.5cm fawn head.

S: Chocolate with hints of figs, prunes, raisins. There is a slight toasted malt base and whiffs of yeast in the background. Expecting a big fruit cake taste.

T: Quite heady in the flavour department, this is good, the expected fruit cake flavours are there in the chocolate, figs, prunes and raisins. Then there is a boozy sherry knock in the middle - this is like the fruit cake your grandma made while drinking sherry ala "one for me, one for you" style. The nuttiness mentioned on the bottle is a back note and the yeast adds nice bread characters. This is actually an exceptional balance.

M: Slightly heavy body with light carbonation.

D: Very impressed with this one, clearly the best out of the three Hook Norton brews I tried (others being 'Old Hooky' and 'Haymaker'). The slightly cloying alcohol note in the middle betrays it a little (sort of flavour you would expect in a much higher ABV brew), but doesn't hold back the overall flavour too much. "Grandma's Boozy Sherry Fruit Cake" would have been an apt name for this.

Food match: The bottle states 'cheese platter' and I don't disagree. Other than that a nice game bird roast would work well - Jamie Oliver's "Roast of incredible game birds with proper polenta" is a great place to start.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 09:55:30 | More by doktorhops

Dentist666

Russian Federation

4.19/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown beer with tan head. Good foam retention. Nice smell: dark fruits, chocolate, roasted malts. Decent taste, close to porters, roasted malts in the front, some fruity roundness, rather warming with evident hop bitterness in the finish. Medium-bodied, balanced and full-flavoured ESA.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 10:32:23 | More by Dentist666

bob3701

New Jersey

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

Poured into a shaker pint. pours a cloudy mahogany color with a big fluffy light tan head that laces rather nicely. Malty aroma with hints of dark fruits and spices. Mostly dark fruits in taste but hints of ginger spice and caramel, also some buttery notes. Slight but pleasant bitter finish. Very interesting and complex brew, drinkable but not one you want to drink a lot in one sitting of. Overall a pleasant experiance.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2010 23:05:51 | More by bob3701

SmashPants

Australia

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: solid 500mL brown bottle, stylish country label.

Appearance: dark colouring with a decent, thick off-white head. Decent looking.

Aroma: not hugely strong, per the style. What's there is sweet malts and dark dry fruits. Very nice.

Taste: a combination of flavours - sweet toffee malts, dry earth and nut malts, and some hops bitterness.

Aftertaste: the bitterness lingers for a while, but other than that there isn't much in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied with low-to-medium carbonation. The carbonation carries the flavour across nicely.

Overall: an interesting English Ale with a reasonably restrained flavour. The flavours that do come through, however, are well considered and bounce off each other nicely.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 01:41:29 | More by SmashPants

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

rjimlad

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Right up my alley, this one, so a little biased. Nice deep, dark red tan colour with thick head and some lacing on a pint handle. Aroma is a little fruitcake and roast. I'm olfactorily challenged so aroma scores are a bit sketchy. Flavour is roasted malt with plum and fruitcake as you'd expect. Good bitterness on the back palate so I didn't find it cloying at all. Boozy? according to Doktorhop. I guess it is a little but the flavour is big enough to pull it off. A bit chewy at the end but that's just lip-smackin' style and I found that all in all this is a really pleasant ale and I would like some more.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 07:41:22 | More by rjimlad

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

shleepy

California

3.1/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served from bottle into tulip glasses. Writing based on 2-week-old notes.

A: Dark brown, fluffy head. So far, so good.

S: Toffee, caramel. Not too interesting.

T: Burned caramel. Very toasty, to the point of bitterness, but balanced by sweetness. Leather, prunes.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: It's alright for a UK beer, but not spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 03:48:29 | More by shleepy

PolarBear3

Australia

3.24/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a darkish mahogany colour with an tanned head that retains fairly well

S - nutty aromas with some dark sweet malts and a hint of chocolate

T - Roasted malt, nutty , earthy flavours with a a hint of coffee and dark chocolate coffee together a little bitterness at the finish

M - medium bodied and medium carbonation

O - Promised alot at first with pleasant aromas upfront. I was slightly disappointed with the taste which lacks a little intensity and complex flavours to that of a good dark ale. But nonetheless very drinkable on a cold winters evening.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 09:39:54 | More by PolarBear3

fastpass17

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Mahogany in color, one finger head fades rather quickly. Good lacing through the drink.

S: Figs, caramel, black berry, smoke, malt driven towards the end.

T: Spicy, slightly bitter, strong malt presence, smoked meat, roasted coffee bean in the end.

M: Sharp, dry, stings the tongue, nice sticking aftertaste.

D: Two or three around the holidays would definitely be enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2010 04:14:56 | More by fastpass17