Hook Norton Old Hooky
This is the second beer I've tried from Hook Norton. I enjoyed the first one so hopefully this one will be more of the same.
Details
- Premium ale, 4.6% ABV
- 500ml bottle
From the website:
First brewed to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 – so popular we’ve kept brewing it ever since. The cornerstone of our classic range, beautifully balanced, fruity by nature, with a well-rounded body.
Expectations
The description doesn't give me much to go on, and the dark brown glass of the bottle doesn't provide any clues either. I'm hoping for a tasty dark ale though, since the label says "tawny red".
Experience
I'm not exactly sure what "tawny red" means, but if it means "reddish brown" then it describes this beer well. The head is about 8mm, foamy and quite stable. There are plenty of bubbles in the beer replenishing it.
The smell is good, though not much of it makes it through the foam. It smells like a proper ale though, something dark and malty.
The taste is not quite what I would call fruity. Maybe more like dried fruit, in some kind of biscuit. Is there a chocolate garibaldi? Something like that. It's pretty nice anyway, a bit sweet, slightly bitter, malty, and I want to say nutty too. Well I just said it, so either this beer is nutty or I am.
This beer is pretty much what I was hoping for - it has a nice, strong taste that hangs around and makes me want to drink it slowly and enjoy the experience.
Verdict
5/5 : Even better than I expected, a really tasty beer.
