Thomas Hooker Nor'Easter Lager - Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

1.85/5  rDev -45.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

This one poured out as a deep orange color with a cream colored head on top. The retention is completely gone withing a few minutes and there is zero lacing. Very bland looking. The nose is a little spicy with some hints of apple pie or cinnamon. The taste is strong with a spice kick upfront followed by some malt sweetness in the finish. The mouthfeel is decent, nothing too special. Overall the more I drink the more I don't care for it. I got this in a mixed case from a friend and pretty glad there is only one bottle to get through. I wouldn't seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 23:48:00 | More by Knapp85

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle (part of a six-mix) into a pint glass.

Pours medium amber with quick foam. Very little trace left. Deep rich malty nose. Taste is a rich caramel malt, modestly sweet. Very mild bite bitter at the finish, but more sweet than not. Easy drinker winter for sure. If anything, maybe a touch too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 16:03:31 | More by KTCamm

mikeg67

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours dark amber with a short lived off-white head. Aroma is of bready malt, hops, hint of spices and baked apples. Body is full, slightly crisp. Taste is caramel, cinnamon, earthy hops, baked apples and cherries. Finish is long, earthy. Not very tasty, but easy drinking, for holydays brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 03:01:24 | More by mikeg67

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Grabbed a bottle at Euro Market. The bottle date says it's about 3 months old. Well, the spice certainly hasn't died down here. It reminds me of the same spice profile of Southern Tier Pumking, heavy on clove and nutmeg. Unfortunately I think I'm also pulling a light sour note of this from infection.

I gotta say I'm not crazy about this beer. It's all spice and I'm not getting much (or any) barley and hops. There's a little caramel malt as it warms, but the sour lemon is also growing. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 01:21:44 | More by tempest

rwrk42

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pour: Pours amber, medium brown with limited head if any at all
Smell: Not very strong with a faint malty smell and apples
Taste: Smooth and light. A flavor with a hint of caramel and apples. Slight hop bitterness to even it out nicely
Overall an okay beer. Was hoping for a bit more hop & malt flavor

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:15:50 | More by rwrk42

metter98

New York

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is relatively clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high light beige head that quickly died down, leaving a thin film covering the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of caramel malts and hints of a variety of spices in the nose—cinnamon and nutmeg seem to stand out in particular.
T: The overall taste is quite malty and like the smell it has added flavors of spices with some hints of malty sweetness.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer tastes like a hybrid between the maltiness of a Vienna Lager and the spiciness of a Winter Warmer (but without the full-bodied nature and alcohol warming).

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:37:51 | More by metter98

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is amber with a nice light cream foam. Smell, in very faint and lacking in the aroma area. Mouthfeel is very clean and crisp, lays well in the mouth. Taste is nice and the hints of herbs are nice. This beer is balanced well in the spices and herbs. We had a 2010 and this 2011 is much better. Good with some stew or chowder.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 23:54:15 | More by barleyroad

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a reddish amber color with a two inch head that slowly falls.

Smell: bready with some spiciness.

Taste: caramel, bread, nutmeg, ripe plums and red apples, a moderate bitterness, and a floral flavor that is hard to describe but pleasant.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smoother at the finish. Short aftertaste.

Overall: a nice winter beer that definitely fits the season. Very easy to consume and almost a sessionable beer. Well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 22:52:23 | More by Gavage

dexterk1

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Not really much head. Color is dark reddish or light brownish. Appearance is good overall.
Odor is light and sweet. Like fruity candy. Not really much else beyond that.
Taste is pretty average I would say. Not bad, but just to much cinnamon or spice. Not really balanced all that well. Has a nice smooth fell to it though.
Overall a pretty average beer and nothing really to rave about. Not bad however, just not very memorable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 00:52:56 | More by dexterk1

Billolick

New York

3.38/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce bottle, "Born on 2011-10-19" etched onto the neck of the bottle.

Pours is hazed medium plum, under a very moderate and timid off white head, that departs rapidly and leaves just a hint of a tiny bubble film and near no lacing.

Slight sniff of sweet fruit and hard candy.

Moderate fruityness, slight winter spicing, with some licorice in the finish. Ehh, not my favorite winter seasional, but likely to do in a pinch on a cold winters night

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 00:12:01 | More by Billolick

BeerLover99

New Jersey

1.48/5  rDev -56.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: shiny faint amber, zero head, no lacing

S: cinnamon, caramel, hint of apple
and then big vegetable nose...odd.

T: mild sweet cinnamon, caramel, light malt,
then sour/mild bitter vegetable finish

M: light/med body, semi-dry mouth

O: I'm shocked at this beer.
like this brewery and style, but
this did not work. Stuck with another
5 more of these beers, rarely have this
feeling of regret.

TERRIBLE, PLEASE AVOID!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 19:15:08 | More by BeerLover99

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up while visiting lovely Brookfield CT.

Clear cola to copper color with a thin, insta-vanish head. Smells like a subtle apple pie spice, rum cake, Hershey's chocolate bar and a wet stick. Tastes like apple pie infused rum and dark bready chocolate - kinda like chocolate biscotti.

When I discovered my newly acquired souvenir beer was an apple pie spice infused winter warmer I was scared of something along the lines of McDonald's apple pie and an over-spiced Sam Adams winter bock. The spice is fairly reserved and it's actually pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 02:18:47 | More by donkeyrunner

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.1/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nor'Easter smells of spices, apple pie, and Christmas. The brew does contain "mild apple pie spices"--though the brewer's website says "mild winter spices"--and there are definite touches of allspice and clove in the nose, as well as a healthy dose of brown sugar, and a fresh bread/pie crust malt aroma.

On the tongue, the apple pie spices come out in full strength, bringing not only the aforementioned allspice and clove tones, but cinnamon as well. The malts bring a further apple-like fruitiness, as well as bread-like notes and brown sugars. Hops are barely noticeable over the malts and spices, despite the brew having three different varieties of hops, and mainly exist as a slight tingle at the edges. The aftertaste is mainly apple, bread, and spice, and lasts for a while. Mouthfeel is medium-light, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, the beer is good, and definitely lives up to the apple spice flavors noted on the packaging--i.e. if you're not into flavored brews, this one is not for you. It would, however, go excellently with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream and a roaring fire.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 03:49:26 | More by jondeelee

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle consumed at our Christmas in July tasting this past weekend. Served in a SAVOR snifter.

Pours a clear light copper color with a very thin white head and a spot or two of lacing. The nose brings forward some light grain and a bit of fruit. There's some light grain to both the nose and flavor, but then quite a bit of oxidation comes into the flavor. Mild sherry and fruit throughout. Light body and moderate carbonation. Nothing too offensive, but not very tasty either.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:41:19 | More by Thorpe429

Homebrew35

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a half fingers worth of white head, clear amber brownish body. Smells sweet and Carmely, some toffee, cinnamon clove mixed with a typical lager yeasty quality. Tastes of Carmel, bready yeast and malts, cinnamon, clove and allspice. Medium body, low carbonation, medium dry finish with some lingering hop bitterness. Overall this is fairly good. When fresh this is a nicely spiced beer that's an easy drinker. I'm updating my previous review because the bottle I reviewed apparently was quite old. $8.50 a sixer

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 05:12:19 | More by Homebrew35

Drew966

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thomas Hooker Nor'Easter Lager pours a reddish brown with a tan head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. The aroma is dominated by caramel malt. The flavor is also on the malty side, some dark fruit also makes itself known, there is also a mild spicy flavor of some sort. Mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 05:59:55 | More by Drew966

PEBKAC

New York

1.38/5  rDev -59.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Time to get tough. Fridge needs clearing. More winter warmers.

Hazed, Vienna lager-sorta color. Inch of insecure cream-colored head.

Smell is a sharp, soured & browned. Thick with sticky malt & sprinkled with bitter nutmeg. Smells like an infection, except I can't tell if just the additives at work.

First off, feel is nearly flat. Frothy & thin. Tangy, lightly honeyed, bit limey, tea-ish. Empty spices, flat grain finish. Bit of whiskey. A flat score of "1" is reserved for beers that actually make you nauseous, while this was just misshapen.

...And here comes the headache.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 06:39:42 | More by PEBKAC

Doomcifer

Rhode Island

1.15/5  rDev -66.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I usually take a whiff of my beers as soon as I pop the cap off the bottle....this time I was smacked upside the dome with an aroma of rotten apples that were left out in the hot summer sun; fermenting in their own slimy filth. Ugh, WTF is going on here?! Have I been duped?!

Upon closer inspection of the bottle: "Lager with artificial flavor" ...huh?! I wish I had seen that lil subtitle before purchasing this. It all makes a bit more sense now.

I guess I'll pout the contents and give it a shot. What the hell, right? I work pretty hard for my money. It pours a cloudy amber color with minimal head or retention. Smells like hard cider produced from pressed rotten apples. The aroma doesn't even resemble beer at all. Flavor takes a detour into artificial territory with the finish. Starts off with a hard cider taste along with sour notes and then melds into a weird artificial caramel candy apple flavor. Mouthfeel is pretty watered down. Not much body to speak of. I think the statements I made above can clue you in on the drinkability factor.

Thomas Hooker brewery hardly ever disappoints me but they have truly struck out with this offering. This "beer" presents us with a whole 'nother level of putrid. How is this rated a B? How can anyone drink this shit with a straight face?! "A Winter Embracing Brew" my ass. More like an appropriate substitute for Drano. Pardon me while I go pour this down my slow draining bathtub drain. I'll post the results.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 21:45:11 | More by Doomcifer

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.23/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Color was a dark golden amber with a very thin off white head. Head clung to the sides very well. Aroma was sweet and fruity with a hint of malt. Almost an overly strong barley wine at times. Taste finished off a vanilla flavor with hints of malty but also had hints of salty sour. Terrible feeling in the mouth. A small amount coated well, but most of it felt watery. Went down easily, but I couldn't see any reason to drink. The flavor was just off, and coupled with the moutfeel it wasn't a hit.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 23:51:19 | More by mountdew1

cbutova

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Always cautious about the artificial addition of flavors, see how this pans out.

A- Hazy brown with a fizzy white cap that has poor retention. A cloud and ring stay behind and leave some sticky suds but only a few spots of lace.

S- The first impression is sour apple/cider with a caramel over tone. A spice/raisin feel in the background.

T- Might be the artificial flavoring, there is a tart apple feel to this one. Caramel and light spice are in the backdrop. Slight banana, clove and raisin. Yeast bread.

MF- Lighter body with the aforementioned sour punch. Carbonation is on the high side.

DB- I can't tell if this is infection or just a strange concoction. Each sip brings on more of a sour punch but it doesn't totally remind me of bottles with lactic infections I have experienced. I will have to give this another shot but will keep this here for reference.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 03:24:03 | More by cbutova

Jason

Massachusetts

1.33/5  rDev -60.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

"Lager With Artificial Flavor" YIKES!!!

Clear and tawny with a nice looking head on top. Perfume-like cinnamon toothpaste, brown apples pulp, faint alcoholic esters and some graininess in the nose ... not too pleasing. Some smoothness in the medium body. Hint of caramel from the malt the this odd artificial flavor drops on the palate and knocks the beer off kilter ... a chore to get past. With each sip it becomes more annoying to the point of being undrinkable.

Seriously ... is there a need to add this garbage to beer? Pass on this one, there are too many other winter seasonals that are better or at least drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 01:23:55 | More by Jason

number1bum

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Pours a pretty clear, slightly reddish amber color with about two fingers of beige head. Keeps a thin lace, thicker around the rim, with a splash of stick here and there.

Smell has a buttery caramel sweetness to it, along with some hints of chocolate and a bit of a nondescript spice component. Gets even more buttery as it warms, like butterscotch to some extent.

The nose did not prepare me for the overwhelming butterscotch flavor that the first sip let loose on my tongue. Overwhelming and unpleasant. Butterscotch is never a flavor I enjoy from beer and this is particularly bad. It overwhelms anything else that might be there, is sweet to nearly sickening proportions and is just plain bad.

Mouthfeel - and I'm trying to be generous here - is pretty creamy but is sticky sweet. It's medium bodied and the carbonation is fine, but that butterscotchy sweetness is hard to wipe from the mouth.

Ugh, I'm not pleased that I bought a 6 pack of this. Lager with spices sounded interesting, but if the word butterscotch had appeared on the label it still could not have prepared me for this sickening butterscotch sweetness. I did not enjoy this at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 03:44:38 | More by number1bum

TimHoss

Connecticut

4.78/5  rDev +41%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Great lager! Read the reviews on BA and thought they were right on for the most part. Don't pair this with anything, I suggest you sit down and have this when you want to enjoy a very tasty adult beverage. Great after dinner drinlk.

Nor'easter starts out with a mildly carbonated pour that develops a thin head. This is the where the crew at Thomas Hooker got it right. You get very subtle hints of caramel and spices. From here you are treated to very smooth drink with a great after taste that I can best describe as a full Christmas dessert. Nor'easter is filling beverage that will leave you very satisfied. I am looking forward to my next one! Happy Holidays.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 13:53:27 | More by TimHoss

ianmhall

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010 batch bottled two days ago...

a- brownish red hued elixir with a whiteish head...

s- slight herbal and sweet; a bit minty and fruitcakey... definite hints of chocolate.... big big chocolate caramel blast mmm....

t- refreshing caramel and chocolate, some notes of spice, a bite of clove and orange zest with a nice hoppy toastiness that reminds me of a very sweet and leaded molasses pumpernickel...

m- sweet with aggressive carbonation, aggressive but small bubbles very nice graphite feel on my tongue... good weight a medium to full bodied beer...

d- i have not had too many hooker ales that i have truly enjoyed... spiced ales are also not my favorite of styles but this is a very good batch, i will recommend this beer! Better and better as it warms 91/100

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 03:50:36 | More by ianmhall

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

hazy dark copper color, but the head almost immediately disapears completely. looks flat, even though its not. smells a spicy almost boozy whiskey smell, even though it's not high alcohol. toffee and carmel in the aroma as well. a heavy sweetness in the taste that I can't quite but a finger on, but I like it. lower carbonation. body is thinner, but has an intersting "sticky" aftertaste.
suprising tasty for being probably 8 or 9 months old, I'd like to taste it fresh

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 04:11:56 | More by jmdrpi