Thomas Hooker Brewtus Maximus - Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

ShamasUVA

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Trumbull Kitchen in Hartford CT. This beer is very similar to Sierra Nevada Pale ale, and is, in my opinion, an upgrade over Hooker's APA. Very clear, amber color. A well made beer overall-- it drinks like an IPA although with the intensity of a Pale Ale. Was suprised at how good it was.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2010 14:35:47 | More by ShamasUVA

Chegui

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +21%

05-14-2013 20:58:20 | More by Chegui

JAHMUR

Connecticut

2.75/5  rDev -26.1%

12-06-2012 22:26:03 | More by JAHMUR

FutureOBrew

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%

11-26-2012 18:54:12 | More by FutureOBrew

slim2043

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +14.2%

09-30-2012 17:45:16 | More by slim2043

Newbiebeer

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

09-22-2012 12:35:38 | More by Newbiebeer

nebula1999

Connecticut

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

On tap at The Bushnell in Hartford, CT at recent Wilco show.

Brown to amber color, foamy white head.

Aroma of lightly roasted malts, very hoppy, but not in an IPA sort of way. Richness.

Tastes of hops mostly, but some maltiness too. Creamy mouthfeel. Overall richness in the throat, but not spectacularly.

I tend to seek out this beer whenever I go to the Bushnell as an option to the other $6 bottles. Definitely something to have again, but the ABV must be well over 5 or 6% judging how I feel afterwards.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 14:37:26 | More by nebula1999

Jim_DemonDeacon

4/5  rDev +7.5%

07-28-2012 01:08:24 | More by Jim_DemonDeacon

mdebonee

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.5%

05-31-2012 18:35:52 | More by mdebonee

griffey123

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

05-06-2012 14:26:39 | More by griffey123

Boto

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught @ Max Fish: This one pours a hazy amber color. There was a small off white head that left some lacing. The aroma is nice. Malty, but not sweet. Some citrus and earthy hops, with a hint of biscuits. The taste is also good. A bit bitter, with a decent malt backbone. No real sweetness to it. Citrus and earthy hops, and a bit biscuity. A nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2012 18:06:26 | More by Boto

dukes

4.5/5  rDev +21%

04-20-2012 18:41:20 | More by dukes

Novanglus

3.25/5  rDev -12.6%

04-08-2012 23:19:14 | More by Novanglus

raythealeman

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.5%

04-05-2012 01:11:11 | More by raythealeman

BobbyV123

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +34.4%

12-02-2011 18:45:19 | More by BobbyV123

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap in a nonic pint glass at Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford, Conn.

A: Poured a clean, orange amber color with a thin veil of creamy white carbonation and a slightly chilled protein haze. Clarity otherwise good with modest carbonation yet no real lacing to speak of.

S: Bready, buttered biscuit aroma with snappy, grassy and herbal hops prickly on the nose. A wildflower and toasted malt husk scent rounds it out..

T: Sturdy, creamy two-row malt flavor up front that leaves some freshly toasted grains and slight toffee taste on the palate. This washes over with a grassy, citrus, west coast-style hop character that builds up big and bitter but washes down dry and grainy in a hurry.

M: Medium bodied ale with slight creaminess initially followed by a dry, slightly watered grain finish amidst the hop resins.

D: A pretty beefed up version of Hooker APA, this brew has simply been jacked up on Cascade hops or something. It adds an interesting dimension to the brew, but ultimately it's a bit of a one-trick pony. Not too bad with my preserved lemon grilled mahi-mahi, but it would take a spicy dish to bring out this brew's true pairing capabilities.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2011 04:50:25 | More by Gambrinus1184

Thads324

Connecticut

2.38/5  rDev -36%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

On tap @ Trum kitchen

A dark rusty color with slight white head, not retained at all.
Smells of hops and not much else, maybe a little freshly baked bread toasted the tail end.
The taste was quite disappointing. All hop, followed by a hole of nothing. What little malt exists is overpowered by hop, which isn't all that strong. The hop flavor isn't bad, but the lack of malt balance makes the beer unfit to finish.
Mouthfeel wasn't bad, although the taste was poor enough to lessen it.
Just a really poor tasting brew. Maybe the hops don't blend well. Very surprised the max group would put their name behind it. I'll have wine next time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2011 13:56:38 | More by Thads324

Damian

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank on-tap at Max's Oyster Bar, West Hartford, CT
Served in a nonic

The dining establishments in the Max Restaurant Group are noted for having small yet quality selections of craft beers. It is great to see that they are now working with Thomas Hooker to make a brew exclusively for them.

The beer poured a crystal clear, glowing, orangey-amber color and was topped by a frothy, bright white, one-finger head. Within minutes, the head faded to a stiff ring of froth. Thick streaks of sticky lacing coated the glass.

The aroma was very mild initially. Slightly malty with subtle citrus notes. The nose seemed more English than American in character. As the beer warmed, the aroma really opened up. Strong notes of orange peel were complimented by a stiff, crystal malt backbone. A touch of pine came through as well.

Pungent, C-style hops dominated the flavor profile. Pithy and dry with loads of citrus. A semi-sweet maltiness was present but it definitely played a supporting role to the hops. Fruity in the center. Loads of pine and resin appeared in the bitter, resonating finish. All in all, this beer was tasty but a bit one-dimensional.

The mouthfeel was super smooth and creamy. Medium-full bodied with a fine, moderate effervescence.

Drinkability was decent. I appreciate the fact that this beer is packed with such flavor intensity. However, the dry, aggressive nature of this brew would make drinking more than one a challenge.

This an aggressive, West Coast-style pale ale. I am glad to see that the brewers at Thomas Hooker did not dumb this beer down for the masses. I paired Maximus with my Alaskan king salmon and would recommend that others do likewise.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2010 04:28:53 | More by Damian

WhiteOak

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Max's Oyster Bar.

A- Red/amber color with minimal head.

S- Some simple hop notes.

T- Bitter hops dominate, with thin malt in the background.

M- Feels thin and lacking in malt structure.

D- The shortfall of malt, the uninviting light structure, and the simple uncomplemented hop bitterness fail to attract one to further drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2010 19:56:07 | More by WhiteOak

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford.

Pours reddish amber, slightly dark, with a little bit of white foam. Didn't lace but the pastic cup may have been a contributor.

Minimal smell - but waht I did pull out was reminiscent of an amber ale.

Taste is hoppy, but not in an overbearing way. It blends nicely with a light caramel taste, some fruit. Holds serve at the finish. Good balanced carbonation.

Overall - not the best pale I've had, but holds nicely, and worked.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 14:15:02 | More by KTCamm

jeffthecheff

Connecticut

2.7/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

This beer is brewed by Hooker for Max's restaurant group. I had this pale ale at Max Burger for $3 at happy hour.

Not knowing what to expect from this beer, it's poured perfectly into a nonic pint glass. Dark amber color with an excellent fluffy sand white head. A bit dark for a pale ale, but very nice looking.

The aroma is a nice, slightly hoppy pale ale. Probably cascade hops, because there is a nice, gentle citrus to it along with some light pine sap.

The beer starts going downhill once it hits the palate. You would expect a moderatley malty pale ale from the amber color, but what you get is a watery, slightly bitter, plain pale ale. Good thing this is light on bitterness or this would be more of a watery mess otherwise. The hop flavor is there but just not worth much.

Mouthfeel, as I mentioned, is way too light, turning this beer into a fizzy bitter water.

This beer is a poorly executed pale, in my opinion. For the price, it's not bad for a generic pale. However, the beer is exclusive to this bar, and there are too many other options for me to go for this again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2009 00:49:07 | More by jeffthecheff