Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter - Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Huge thanks to beersndrums for this one!

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic pint at cellar temperature.

L – Deep brown, nearly black color with a huge 4-finger bubbly, tan head. Really nice retention as the head fades down into a half-finger of froth that sticks around for most of the experience. There are some wisps of lacing.

S – Mostly sweeter aromas including raisins, black cherries, and cocoa are apparent, but a nice amount of roasted malt is there, too.

T – It starts off sweet with cocoa, raisins, black currants and cherries, and a touch of vanilla and eventually progresses to a dry, bittersweet roasted taste with coffee and dark chocolate notes. This is really tasty.

F – Medium-to-full-bodied with average carbonation, a sticky, mouth-coating, and velvety-smooth feel, and a bittersweet and dry finish. Sweeter flavors like chocolate and dark fruits linger the longest. There is a very subtle and smooth throat-warming sensation from the alcohol.

O – This is a really nice porter. It is not very complex but it is very true-to-style and very tasty. I love the thicker mouthfeel that almost borders on stout territory, and it is insanely drinkable for 8% ABV. If I hadn’t known, I would’ve guessed it was around 5-6%. I’m really glad that I got to try this one. I’m glad I have another offering from Thomas Hooker (Liberator) in my fridge. I’ll have to check out more from them when I’m back up in New England. Thanks, Jared!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:28:23 | More by BlackBelt5112203

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I poured this bottle into my tulip glass. There was very minimal head on the initial pour. This is a pretty dark beer. You can get some light through this one, but not much. The coloring is borderline stout... I know the dividing line is more than that. Guiness still has to figure that out.

I like the smell coming off of this one. There is a clean coffee smell with quite a bit of roastiness. It really works well when you breathe it in. The flavor is almost all coffee. It plays well across your pallatte. I think this made for a very good sipper.

I recommend picking this one up. I think it is a very good example for a porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 20:36:19 | More by ummswimmin

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Snagged a bottle of this for 1.75 at the House of 1,000 beers.

A - Pours fairly black a touch thin with a 1/4 inch of mocha head that pulls back to a sticky lace ring. Seeing some floaties in the glass I assume it's a tad old.

S - Mild roast, touch of coffee, and really sweet milk chocolate. No detectable hops or chalky yeasts.

T - Really nice dark chocolate hit in the front, leading to some respectable roast/coffee, then fades out to a rather sweet finish of cocoa nibs. Tasty stuff.

M - Medium bodied, slightly chewy, easy to drink.

Overall a nice step up from the lager dopplebock. I would buy this again!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 03:55:23 | More by DrDemento456

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a dismal head with no head or thin layer of foam. It is a pitch black color with no clarity or visions of carbonation.

Smell: Roastiness, chocolate, dark fruits, smokiness, and some booze on the nose.

Taste: All of the above plus some vanilla and subtle bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, boozy, silkiness, full bodied, very little carbonation, and warming burn on your palate.

Overall: Solid porter. Minus the lack of head and carbonation, this beer is still good.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 06:46:36 | More by Flounder57

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a chilled pint glass.

-Appearance 3.5: Poured out a gemy black color; slightly translucent. Very small, khaki head formed and dissipated into a filmy swirl.

-Smell 3.5: I smell a deep, toasted grain bouquet with barley highlights. The smell is thick and makes me think that the taste of the beer will be over the top as a result. We will see.

-Taste 4.0: Front is earthy and slightly tart with a cloying and subtle sweetness. Middle is a big barley kick, with some smoky grains in the background. Finish is slightly smoky, and has some residual sweetness and some more of the barley. Aftertaste is long, hoppy and smoky.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Excellent carbonation. This brings out so many elements of the flavor profile. If only more brewers would learn this crucial component.

-Overall 4.0: Very good "Imperial" porter. It does have a few drawbacks, namely the fact that it is basically a "dubbel" porter and the taste certainly reflects this: a porter on steroids. Also, the alcohol content tends to sneak up on you and kick you in the shorts. Still, the brew certainly exceeded my expectations, and I would unreservedly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 21:46:27 | More by BeerDocT

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from undated bottle to mug the beer arrives a dark opaque brown with deep brown edges in the light, a nice 2 finger off-white/light mocha color head with good retention and lacing. The nose is a bled of roasted barley and caramel sweetness, hints of dark fruit, and perhaps a heat from the alcohol. The beer starts very much the same way with a smooth creamy malt roast after which the dark fruit and caramel warm the beer up a bit, finishes with a lingering roast. Mild bitterness and hides the alcohol well. Medium bodied and creamy, this is a good beer. Overall, a treat, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 01:46:11 | More by hopfacebrew

metter98

New York

3.48/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is very dark amber—although not quite near black in color—and has some small particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a thin than head that quickly died down and left lacing on the surface along with a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of cola and dark fruits in the nose—prunes and plums seem to stand out in particular.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of dark fruits, although as it warms up it becomes a little more complex with notes of dark malts and hints of balsamic vinegar.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit thin on the palate with a moderate to high amount of carbonation.
O: The alcohol is well hidden from the taste, but overall this beer doesn’t seem to fit the style with all of the fruity taste. It becomes a bit more drinkable as the beer warms up.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 00:58:58 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque extremely dark brown to almost black in color with some hints of medium brown + dark red when held up to the light. There is some light amounts of sediment in the beer. The beer has a half finger tall beige head that quickly reduces to thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate lacing is observed.

S: The smell of this beer is interesting with some fairly strong hints of cola and balsamic vinegar. There is some definite dark fruit presence, mostly prune with a little bit of date.

T: Lots of flavors of dark fruit (prune and date) sweetness with some light hints of chocolate upfront. There is some bitterness in the mid-body of the taste, which is a little unusual. The finish is a little vinous, hints of balsamic vinegar.

M: Medium bodied with moderate to high amounts of carbonation. Almost a little thin/watery.

O: The alcohol presence is well hidden in this beer but I am not a huge fan of the cola aroma and vinous notes. The beer is not overly enjoyable to me with a little too much balsamic vinegar.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 20:43:58 | More by dbrauneis

HopHead84

California

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3/31/2012

1 liter swing top into a snifter. 2003 vintage. Thanks!

A: Deep brown with a reddish tinge near the edges when held to light. The beige head quickly fades.

S: Date blends with prune and grape. There's a light smokiness with leather and dried fruits. Dark chocolate meets a light nuttiness. Oxidation is smooth and does the beer credit. There's a whisper of licorice.

T: Leathery with light oxidation that's not at all detrimental. Dark fruits are pronounced, reminiscent of grape and prune. Chocolate is mellow and lightly sweet. I get a little molasses with an accompanying smooth and gentle roasted malt profile.

M: Upper medium body with matching carbonation. The mouthfeel is sticky and smooth.

Overall: Really impressive for a 9 year old Imperial Porter. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 20:29:05 | More by HopHead84

Aiptasia

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

After drinking a highly praised, yet under-appreciated soy bomb that was Ten Fiddy, I cracked open this beer sent to me by Robtobfest and poured it into the pint du jour.

It pours a nice burnt umber color reminiscent of sasparilla. When held towards the ceiling lamp my 8 month old refers to as "sky boob," it radiates a dookey red crystal clear color. The head was most impressive, like a gentle noble warrior prom night teen girl's cream dream. I look, I want. I lust.

The smell is subtle and teasing, like a good porter should be. It barely hints at malt and some grassy notes. That's all you get, because you've been bad and you don't deserve this beer.

The taste is like the first wet kiss on the end of a hot fist. I lie, it's a pleasant homeostasis of warming wet hops love and alcoholically dry sweet malts. I need a new thesaurus for the word subtle. Whereas the world flops in clown shoes towards Imperial Porters, there's a real growing appreciation from this roller skate for the complex and delicious porter. Bravo.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 00:54:14 | More by Aiptasia

Stratocat0

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Boy does this one jump up at ya. Smells and looks absolutely fantastic. Very dark, wicked roasty chocolate smell. Nice head with great lace. Thick and creamy roasted coffee with a bit of chocolate and molasses. Ends with a warm alcohol taste, then throws more roasted coffee at ya. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:06:48 | More by Stratocat0

robwestcott

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to wisonsinality for this one.

poured cold from the bottle root beer dark brown to a dogfish head signature glass with a 1/2 finger, short lasting tan head leaving spotty lace up the side of the glass after each sip

aroma of coffee and licorice

big molasses and brown sugar up front, also hints of bourbon and vanilla. not getting coffee on this one. interesting

medium bodied, smooth and creamy, super sweet, medium carbonation. heat.

overall: unique take on the style, very good beer. my introduction to thomas hooker.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 22:51:48 | More by robwestcott

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance: Dark red brown. Not opaque but you're not seein much through this guy.
smell: Wow. Rich and big. Approaches a barrel aged stout in expanse. Cola, dark fruit and chocolate.
taste: A bit of letdown from the nose but not much. A little bittersweet chocolate but mostly dry ending in a nice Porter bitterness.
mouthfeel: A bit thin for a Porter much less and imp porter.
overall: Very nice. I'd love to try the oak aged version.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 22:48:42 | More by cindyjeffsmith

seanwhite

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smell: Strong, malty smell with some roasted and burnt aromas, and drops of chocolate and coffee

A: This one pours a dark brown color with a small light brown head

T: The taste is similar to the nose, malty and roast, light-medium sweet, hints of earth on finish. Light-medium bodied (lighter then expected for the style),

M: Creamy mouthfeel, and no burn

Overall Impression: Overall, I thought this was a decent Imperial Porter, but it just didn’t quite hit for me. There was something a little lacking, maybe a little thin, about it in both flavor and body, that kept the score from being higher.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:14:59 | More by seanwhite

chinchill

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz undated bottle from a recently purchased 4 pk. (~$10).

Appearance: Nothing unexpected: a murky, dark brown body with a small beige head. Head quickly reduces; there's a lasting ring and small bits of lace on the glass. Some sediment in the bottom of the bottle (added).

Smell: Roasted malt with dark fruit, including prunes, and hints of roasted nuts. Some notes of baked bread and earthy hops.
Alcohol appears upon warming.

Taste: Bold taste (and higher ABV) lives up to the "Imperial Porter" labeling. Too boozy, with the higher ABV not hidden at all. Rich flavor of roasted malts with notes of cocoa and dark fruits, yet not with much sweetness. Earthy and lightly spicy hops are present, as well as some coffee taste. Roasty, fruity and mildly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Has a very slight bite.

Overall: a strong Imperial Porter with an aroma that is better than the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 23:55:43 | More by chinchill

jslot38

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle to DFH pint glass.
Appearance: Near black, bit of brown hints on the sides. Head is almost pure white, barely top covering.

Smell: Very intense, roasted malt, bread, raisins, chocolate, coffee, molasses, brown sugar.

Taste: Interesting fruit flavor not found in many porters. The fruit character reminds me of Thomas Hooker's outstanding doppel bock. Makes me think the fruit overtones are from the yeast. Mixed in is biscuit, sourdough bread, some chocolate. Has a sweetness I also wasn't expecting.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, low level of carbonation.

Overall: I'm not sure what to think of this beer. The aroma is great, the taste is just odd and makes me go back and forth. In the end while its not exactly what I'm looking forward to in a porter, its still a nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 01:44:46 | More by jslot38

maximum12

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

How time flies when you're having fun. Thanks to jtrockchalk for this extra from, uh, over a year ago. Where the hell did that year go? Damn.

Pour is black, & one can imagine a bit of red-length edges on it. Smell is lovely, rich roast & chocolate malts.

Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter hews straight to the nose. Chocolate, roast. Sweet, too, especially on the finish. A touch thin.

Unremarkable. Pretty good, but nothing to set it apart from hundreds of other porters.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 03:31:38 | More by maximum12

JayS2629

Alabama

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured a dark chocolate brown that is almost black in the glass. Beige froth is soapy, fades slow and leaves creamy rings of lace.

S- The aroma is bold. Roasted malts, notes of coffee, rich toffee, toasted nuts, and burnt brown sugar, dark chocolate,and sherry. Plum and other dark fruit notes. Earthy hops and musky notes throughout.

T- Bittersweet cocoa, roasted malt and coffee give way to earthy, musty notes. Toasted nuts and toffee makes an appearance along with dark fruit notes, red wine, plum and molasis. Middle falls into a quick boozy note followed with resiny, herbal and bitter hop finish that also includes nutty, dry, woody hints.

Rich, smooth, medium bodied

Little too bitter on the finish. Very roasty and chocolatey. Something is missing in the balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 23:30:48 | More by JayS2629

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle - $2.79 at Total Wine & More in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown body with one finger worth of beige suds. Small smattering of sticky lace on the descent.

Smell: Roasty, oven-cooked nuts in the aroma with supporting bready, chocolaty notes and a background herbal, earthy hop tone, though, as it warms, this grows a bit.

Taste: Roasty, toasty malts with some soothing tones of bitterish cocoa powder (okay, maybe not so soother), blackstrap molasses (not particularly soothing there ,either), and caramel (soothing), though not too terribly much sweetness present. Some plums roll across the tongue. Earthy, resinous, herbal hops with plenty of bitterness throughout, moreso than I recall being there in this brew ages ago. Who knows. Either way, it's there now. As this potentially newfound bitterness begins to accumulate on the tongue, the roastiness takes on a sharp, bolder coffee taste. Roasty, bitter finish with a lingering bitterness and dry malt accents.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Has a good, creamyish texture to it.

Overall: It's been a long time, Hooker. I recall seeing them far more often at the marketplace around 2006, then, I recall a few infected large-sized swing-top bottles (got one myself), and, after that, they seemed to all but vanish from the stores in GA. Now, I'm seeing them a bit more, now with their entire line-up in twelve ounce capped bottles it seems. I'd revisited their doppelbock late last year, enjoyed it, and now it's time to revisit the imperial porter. It's good, thankfully not infected, but seems more bitter than I recall.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 19:35:45 | More by ChainGangGuy

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up in Totowa since I hadn't ever gotten around to trying this. If this was anywhere as good as the Liberator Dopplebock, then I was going to be in for a treat. Even though the carbonation was low to this beer and it didn't feel like a typical brew, this was wonderful to enjoy and went down very easily. It wasn't a perfect beer but there's no doubt that I'd have one of these again when the weather cools off a bit more!

Loved the pour to this, as it came out a nice shade of brown with slightly garnet edges and a head that looked like it was perfectly suited for my pint glass. The whole effect had the look of chocolate mousse and the lacing matched up too as if it seemed like it had enough sugar in it to resist the washing that I gave it afterward. As for the taste and mouthfeel, it was great and nicely balanced. Not a lot of carbonation but this had a full body and a very roasted and chocolate taste. There was a bit of oatmeal up front and there was a strong amount of bitter chocolate that took over in the aftertaste, from the milk chocolate that was more up-front. The overall effect was that this went down as easily as any beer that I've ever had.

Even with the strong amount of alcohol in this, I could hardly feel it as I enjoyed this beer. It's hard to dislike this offering since it's so silky and easygoing, and any fan of dark or dessert beers will find it well worth it to seek this beer out. It's a great example of how enjoyable a Porter can be.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 14:56:44 | More by JerzDevl2000

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown, practically opaque, with an almost purple tinge. Has nearly no head, looks like a still, murky swamp. A few miracle blotches on the side.

S: Very yeasty, musky malts, malted milk balls type of chocolate.

T: Has a slight chocolate taste to go along with the roasted malts. A bit mocha-like at times. Has a nice roasty bite at the end, but very sweet as a whole. Reminds me of yeasty malted milk balls, the best description I can think of.

M: Great carbonation, bubbles dancing over one's mouth, creating a creamy and frothy feel. Looks dead, but once it's sipped, it comes alive.

O/D: At 7.8% ABV, it doesn't scream boozy, but has a bunch of great flavors jumping around. It's a straight forward beer, but it's good at what it does. A solid Hooker brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 23:05:16 | More by mostpoetsdo

davey101

Connecticut

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a DFH signature glass. Being a winter seasonal it must have a few months on it...duh.

A - Dark cola brown body with red tints. Really light mocha head.

S - Roasted malts and chocolate. Smells like burnt chocolate syrup.

T - Some oddly bitter roasted malts and cocoa powder. Really lasting and bitter. Mouth feel is pretty thin for this much flavor. Alcohol does creep in slightly.

O - Ehhh. I do like Hooker, but this was a bit of a let down. Perhaps its better fresh, but the driving bitter roastiness was a bit tiring. I guess its in between a porter and a stout. The flavors seem to be a bit intense and big, while the body is thinner.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 03:40:57 | More by davey101

Chaney

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up in a Total Wine in Tampa, FL.

A: Poured black as night, with a very dense, creme-colored head that left some of its sticky charm on the side of the glass as it died down.

S: Malted milk, Whoppers candy for sure, with an eery absence of coffee of any kind. A bit of a fruity or red wine undertow. As it warmed, cocoa took over.

T: Very bitter right out of the gate, but then a semi-sweet, cotton candy explosion, along with a tinge of red wine. Very unusual, yet memorable, and ultimately effective.

M: A bit thin, but I think that was intentional. This was almost like a cocoa-laced, red wine. Low carbonation, and the lacing made the glass look like it went through a car wash without rinsing.

O: Not my favorite porter, but definitely one of the more memorable ones. Good stuff...

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:06:21 | More by Chaney

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - nabbed this half-liter swingtop on a trip to Orlando in '09, I'm celebrating my first Florence Freedom game, a 9-3 shellacking of the Rockford Riverhawks. Pours fairly opaque with a thin creamy mocha cap. Decent staying power - although it fades to a partial cover within a minute, its staying right there.

Aroma - a good whiff of roasty malts and coffee. Good staying power on that as well.

Taste - rich and roasty, sweet notes of coffee syrup and espresso. Huge , huge flavors, I love the intensity without the big alcohol bite. The swallow and aftertaste show some bittersweet chocolate mixed in. An excellent and tasty finish as the flavors are slow to wind down.

Mouthfeel - milky and silky, the carbonation stays in the background but provides enough spark to keep this from being too heavy.

Drinkability - an excellent porter, next time I see this I'll grab several. Excellent beer tasting choice.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 03:18:40 | More by brewdlyhooked13

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Cigar City snifter. Not an overly dark body for an imperial porter, but still quite dark. About a fingers worth of off-white head.

Sweet, malty, chocolaty and lighted roasted on the nose. Pretty good, but kind of one-dimensional.

Lots of sweet, almost syrupy, chocolate followed by dark roasted malts to clean things up a bit. A bit on the sweet side for me. Hint of booze.

Mouthfeel is smooth with light carbonation and just a touch of alcohol.

Overall, this is a pretty good beer. If you like porters and have a sweet tooth, then this beer will be right up your alley. Reminds me a little bit of a Southern Tier offering. Lots of sweet chocolate, probably too much sweetness for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 01:41:29 | More by sisuspeed