Review: Old Hooky

Name: Old Hooky
Brewery: Hook Norton, Oxfordshire
ABV: 4.6%
Style: Amber Ale
Season: Autumnal

Availability: Most major supermarkets.

Old Hooky is a beer I'd heard some good things about (lots of 'Top Ales of GB' lists make a nod to Old Hooky) and so I had to get myself a bottle. To summarise, I feel like this beer is inches away from perfection but with a disposition like mine, crashes swiftly away from it at the last minute. It's all about the back of the palate and the finish. Pouring out this Amber ale was like watching maple syrup settle into my glass and the light froth bubbling up promised a slightly carbonated body, which certainly made itself known upon the sip: not too gassy mind, just the right amount to lift it beyond becoming weighty. At first taste, I thought this would be a very rapid addition to my favourites list: a malty front which provides a sweetness along similar lines to darker sugars and there are definite whispered hints of toffee or caramel in the air. Surprisingly, there is a floral note - an earthiness that reminds me of fallen autumn leaves: a real freshness that cuts straight through that demerara element to create a finish on the back of the palette that is, for me, just far too bitter. This final finish spoiled the deIivery for me (anyone who has read my previous reviews on Old Peculiar and Darkside will know I have a penchant for the sweeter side of taste) and I found that, the more I drank, the more this bitterness completely overthrew the pleasure of the sugared malt and all that delicate floral edge was torn apart by clumsy hop bitters. If you prefer your pint slightly more on the bitter side (like a Windsor & Eton Guardsman) then this may really appeal but if, like me, you prefer the morish and malty, you'd best head for something sweeter like the mighty Cornish Doombar or Bath Ales incredible Gem (which I cannot wait to review soon!).