Old Hooky - Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd.

rjimlad

Australia

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

Poured into a pint handle with a creamy white head. Deep russet/orange colour like ruby red grapefruit. I'm hopeless with aroma but some citrus/fruity esters. Flavour is subdued but citrusy, grapefruit bitterness. Balance is great but I don't know how true to style this is. It's a bit like a pale ale from the esters but I don't care. It is a fruity mild bodied drop with a clean finish and good length in the fruit flavours. All round decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 07:53:57 | More by rjimlad

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-16-2013 13:59:29 | More by KStark

SmashPants

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: a tall, solid dark brown 500mL bottle with an old-school English macro label.

Appearance: dark amber in colour with ruby and brown highlights. A decent and semi-solid head with good retention.

Aroma: typical English ale characteristics on the nose - toffee and caramel, nuts, plum, cherries and a touch of spice.

Taste: the combination of flavours come through on the palate, but in a typically English ale style they are quite demure.

Aftertaste: lingers for a time, but again not much to it.

Mouth feel: fuller in body with a low carbonation, with a touch of bitterness.

Overall: a decent English ale, and one which I would certainly have again. It isn't amazing, but a good standard English ale when you feel like the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 08:23:05 | More by SmashPants

Radome

Spain

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a 500 ml bottle bought in England.

A - Color is a crystal clear deep copper with red highlights. The head is off-white and starts thick and creamy but fades quickly to a thin sheet. Some light lacing on the glass.

S - The aroma is faint an muted, but what is there is clean. Some biscuit-like malt, a bit of earthy hops. No additional complexity.

T - Initial taste is of earthy, slightly fruity, English hops with a light bitterness to match. Then in comes some graham cracker-like malt. A light touch of plum and raisin create a bit of complexity at the end, but the finish is dry.

M - Medium body with just a hint of mouth-coating sweetness. Light to moderate carbonation. Some moderate hops bitterness. No alcohol presence.

O - A very well-balanced session beer. Everything about this beer is done with a subtle, feather-light touch but has enough complexity to be interesting. It would be a great one to share in large quantities with friends at your "local".

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 21:43:38 | More by Radome

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

01-18-2013 09:15:21 | More by tbeckett

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle. I like the sentiment inscribed on the cap - 'Where progress is measured in pints'. 'Nuff said.

This beer pours a hazy medium golden amber hue, with two fingers of puffy, foamy, and bubbly off-white head, which leaves a decent array of skewed honeycombed lace around the glass as it gently subsides.

It smells of bready, honeyed caramel malt, fruity blended herbal tea, a bit of tart, further drupe fruitiness, and mildly peppy grassy, weedy hops. The taste is somewhat crisp, grainy malt, a touch of inert caramel, a kind of muddled, musty orchard fruitiness, some earthy, herbal vegetative notes, a mild flinty character, and more grassy, slightly acerbic leafy hops.

The carbonation is a tad astringent, but mostly just duly supportive, the body medium-light in weight, kind of watery for the style, and a little too edgy to be deemed all that smooth. It finishes off-dry, the now stale-seeming fruitiness having overcome the waning malt, as the various earthy, leafy, and grassy essences continue to mull about.

A rather so-so brown ale - it ain't all that brown to begin with, and the bready, nutty characteristics have I have come to prefer are overlooked here for the other, more fruity take on the style. They have more or less succeeded by this measure, but this far in, I'd put this barely above a Newcastle in the quest for another, especially given the dear per-serving cost.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 03:36:08 | More by biboergosum

FLima

Brazil

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Copper red color. Made a two finger thick head with a medium retention but always leaving a thin lacy.
Malty and fruity aroma, hints of plum with a floral touch.
Sweet malt taste with marked fruity hops. Bitter but well balanced given its bold flavor. Hints of tangerine with a zesty refreshing feel. Aftertaste is mild but long, dry and bitter.
Full body with a medium carbonation with small bubbles. Very good beer, lots of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 20:28:31 | More by FLima

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours dark amber with a fading head.
Nose shows toffee, caramel and bready and nutty malt. Pretty tempting.
Similar flavours, very moreish. Caramel, bready malt, soft diacetyl. Finishes with a mild bitterness.
Carbonation is too high.
Pretty drinkable stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:46:42 | More by CrazyDavros

cavers

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle poured into a glass pint mug. Best before date is August 5, 2013.

A - ruby-copper in colour and brilliantly clear. A rather thin head, though, which quickly dissipates to a rim of largish bubbles and leaves no lacing whatsoever.

S - underneath a smell of stale beer (!) are some very appealing plum-cherry aromas, with hints of fresh hay and sweet malt.

T - rich. There’s toffee, sweet whole wheat bread, and a touch of vanilla atop a very pleasant bitterness. Perhaps a touch of grassy hop flavour. The stale-beer aroma, though, interferes with all that deliciousness.

M - smooth, silky - or rather, it would be these if there was a touch less carbonation. As it is, the bubbles prickle the tongue somewhat and it takes a couple of swishes around the mouth to disperse them.

O - passable, but only because there are no casks of Old Hooky here in Canada. The bottled version is identifiable as the same beer, but it doesn’t have anything like the appeal of the real ale version I’ve quaffed at the brewery and in Oxford. Too fizzy, and the stale aroma shows that a little travel can rob a beer of all its freshness and life.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 00:48:31 | More by cavers

mnixon86

Ireland

4/5  rDev +7.8%

09-15-2012 19:46:17 | More by mnixon86

gcpxavier

Brazil

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another beer from the Hook Norton Brewery and another very well made beer. This brewery is very good to made a very understandable and descriptive label.
The taste is bitter and the mouthfeel is good but the color is a little bit clear for a brown ale.
However it not compromise the overall evaluation of this good beer.
This guys knows how to made a Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:41:56 | More by gcpxavier

doktorhops

Australia

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Good old Hooky" - is what they probably say when they taste a new batch of Old Hooky at the Hook Norton Brewery, but is it good enough? Only one way to find out.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Body is a hazy deep orange, with an off-white head that leaves a ring of lacing in the glass... almost exactly like the Haymaker.

S: Almost pungently sweet aroma fruit notes like in a Moscato wine, quite unexpected mind you, with a bread yeast/grain base and a slight touch of acidic apple... interesting.

T: The flavour is also quite fruit laden, and sweet, only less harsh than expected. Then it opens up to a bread and toasted grain base and finishes with a wine-like tannin. Good Old Hooky.

M: Medium bodied with a light but dense carbonation, not that there's anything wrong with that.

D: It's got that brown ale taste with the fruit esters, though it does lack in full on flavours this only proves to benefit as it has a laid-back, easy-going drinkable taste happening. I could down many a pint of this before the realisation dawned that my palate was asleep and my car keys were being confiscated. So far so good Hook Norton, that's two beers I've liked from you.

Food match: A beer that is almost a wine goes well with vinous suited foods. The flavours that spring to mind include seafood (what!? seafood with ale?!?!) yeah sometimes it works. Also the idea of roast pork with mash, peas, carrot and gravy is making me salivate... maybe I should start eating meat again.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 09:43:32 | More by doktorhops

pin

Australia

4/5  rDev +7.8%

07-02-2012 02:45:33 | More by pin

heygeebee

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Bb Feb 13

Pours a copper gold, one finger head bubbles and dies quickly. Clumpy lace

Aromas (Moderate) mainly bready malts.

Taste of England! Toffees, caramels, some marmalade. Astringent on back palate. Having said that, taste almost more akin to an EPA than a Brown Ale.

Mf a little harsh

Good value beer at price point up 0.5 for that and also a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 08:56:58 | More by heygeebee

petluo

Finland

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

05-08-2012 10:42:33 | More by petluo

locckdown

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

03-24-2012 22:17:17 | More by locckdown

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +34.8%

11-27-2011 00:19:48 | More by Rochefort10nh

fx20736

New York

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a British Pint glass.

Coppery Auburn, nicely carbonated with a 1 finger pitted, khaki head that dissipates quickly but leaves some nice lacing.

Aroma: brewed English Tea and apples.

Mouthfeel: solid, big mouthfeel.

Taste: burnt toast with cordial peaches followed by a quick flash of toffee that screams out before slipping beneath the waves of herbaceous hoppy bitterness.

Notes: English Pale Ale is becoming my favorite beer style and Old Hooky is a good one. The biscuity malt, the fruitiness and the English Hops are well harmonized. Good Stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 23:53:36 | More by fx20736

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hand pulled pint in my new Wetherspoons pub on 19 Aug 2011.

Lovely amber body and a cracking cream coloured foaming crown on top.

The aromas given off were mild hop esters with a fruity overtone, hardly any malts to be found.

The taste is maltier than the smells would indicate, this is a well balanced brew and very easy to drink, the alcohol being hidden by the various flavours the ingrediants have produced: unsweetened shortbread biscuits and brown toast come to mind.

Not rich, but certainly not thin or wishy-washy, it's just about right for a top quality English Bitter (it's never been a Brown Ale).

Serving type: cask

10-08-2011 08:15:37 | More by BlackHaddock

StJamesGate

New York

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Handsome pale chestnut with a lumpy off white head that leaves clumps of lace. Red apple, red currant and a bit of toast on the nose.
Some astringent grain, light crystal caramel, a bit of chestnut and some red pear with gentle tea leaf and wood hops.
Tart berry finish and lingering mint leaf zesty dryness. Soft, round, lt-medium, slight chew.

Light, creamy and balanced. A very easy going premium bitter (Brown Ale? Says who?). Whole is greater than the sum of the parts. With subtlety and balance the measuring stick of English ales, this is top quality.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 20:14:32 | More by StJamesGate

palma

New York

3.7/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

English brown ale this is not. More of an english pale ale or bitter.
Pale orange hue body. Rough pour into a big 16oz pint glass creates a head that is off-white and very rocky. Nice.

Aroma is stale english hops. More yeasty than other english ales. Fruity notes.

Taste is all malt and fruity yeast. Predominant crystal malt. Low profile hops in the end leads to some dryness. Finishes with some slight buttery notes. Nice beer.

Extremely easy drinking ale here. One that I would have again and would love to find on-tap one day.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 01:39:22 | More by palma

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer was poured in my SAdams glass as I was rocking in my chair on the porch. Doesn't get much better...

A dark yet glossy copper color, clear but not pristine. Off brown, tan, white head is large and dense. Rocky in the center. Looks nice.

Aroma of caramel, herbal hops, toasted bread and hints of floral.

Not much confusion here, the flavor follows the nose. Caramel, herbal tones, toasted sweet bread. Perhaps some toffee. The feel on this is more of a metallic sharpness, earthy. Maybe it's the water used; heavy. This would belie the Brown ale designation here. Perhaps this is a dark mild? Hmm....

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 19:14:46 | More by Mebuzzard

billshmeinke

California

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased and consumed in London. My relatives refused to let me chill it. Served at room temp.
A: Copper/amber ale. Two fingers of frothy/rocky white head. Dies down to a solid cap of foam leaving chunky lacing behind. 4
S: Quite fruity and estery scent reminiscent of berries. Bread and English yeast notes. A light herbal and earthy hop fragrance as well. Niiice. 4
T: Bread some caramel malt. Fruity esters that are much more subtle than in the nose. A nice clean grassy bitterness on the finish. 3.5
M: Bitter, fruity, medium bodied, slightly dry, and has a lingering bitter finish. 3

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 03:01:29 | More by billshmeinke

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500 ml bottle into a pint glass. Pours a slightly cloudy rusty amber color, with a thin eggshell-colored head that quickly reduces to a thin layer of bubbly head.

Has a toffee malt aroma, with undertones of pear and peach.

Has a rich, toffee malt taste. Buttery, mildly fruity, sweet, and slightly floral, with little to no bitterness to finish.

Very easy drinking, this is smooth on the pallette.

A decent ale, I would love to try this on tap sometime. Still, certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 21:10:30 | More by TheHoppiest

SirRuss

California

4.55/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Foreward: When reviewing brews I exercise a strict fairness policy that ensures every beer receives my undivided attention - ie. I always open the beer at home in a quiet environment with no time restraints, and write the review as I drink and think about it. Given that English ales are only worth drinking (for the most part) from casks, and given that English pubs don’t operate growler services, I am forced to abandon the fairness policy when reviewing English ales, as they are all drunk under wildly differing circumstances, and reviewed retrospectively. For this reason, I will only provide a very brief overview, and leave most of my review value in the ratings sections.

On Cask at The Fox&Hounds, Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire.

A – beautifully rich conker brown, with a light skim of foam across the surface that leaves a fleeting trace as it obediently slides from glass as the head of any good english ale should.

S – a dusting of hops is dispersed amongst fruity nuttiness thickly spread across a light malty base layer

T – How I have missed real English ales. Boasts everything promised by the aroma, and all balanced with an extra boost from the delicately assertive hops as the malt and yeast notes extrapolate themselves upon the palate.

M – Perfection. There is definitely weight and substance, yet it leaves a thinness that somehow pulls itself off as an attribute that leaves you gagging for another try. Although – at 4.8% - Old Hooky is slightly higher in abv than most ales of this style, it is as unperceivable as ever, and perfectly balanced in every other respect also.

O – This is what I come back to the UK for. If you can find it, buy it… and keep buying it…. until you fall backwards off your chair…. as one jolly local achieved upon our departure (thanks Andrew!)

Serving type: cask

06-03-2011 20:42:43 | More by SirRuss