Fullers Hock

Brewed by Fullers
Style: Mild Ale
London, England

Tried at the Royal Oak, Good looking pint, Luke mentioned that this was the best mild he’s ever tasted and was about to write milds off before he had it so i was keen to try it! Smokey nose followed by a caramel sweet nutty palate that finishes quite dry....impressive body for the abv!

I first tried this beer back in the late 70s when it was still a regular Fullers brand. To their credit, Fullers have revived it for limited periods on more than a few occasions unlike the Young’s equivelent Best Malt Ale which vanished almost 30 years ago. Some of the Hock revivals have been very decent, but the last reincarnation, IMO was caramel and very little else. I first encountered the latest batch at the recent London Drinker beer fest and to be honest was not too impressed. I tried it a few days later at the Euston Flyer and it was impressed how much better it tasted. However the Hock that I drank a skin full of at the Wheatsheaf at Ealing Broadway a few days later was stunning. Dark brown/ruby black with a lively off white head. A complex beer for it’s low gravity with subtle roasted malt, a hint of caramel and restrained but evident fresh english hop content. An amazing session beer by any standards.

Cask @ London Drinker 25: A great looking beer. Very, very dark red/brown with an excellent mousse of beige head. Deep cereal aromas with the slightest hint of chocolate. Very dusty. Sweet fruits (raisin) meld with very dusty and airy cereals to create something robust and moreish. I really think this has the perfect balance of weight and drinkability. A heady and very tasty ale that punches well above its weight.

Cask, Duke of Kent: Pours brown with a lovely red hue. Mild malt aroma, quite nutty. Flavour is similar, just nutty caramel/choc malts, but very clean. Medium bodied smooth mouthfeel. In great condition, and not a bad drop either!

Cask@Charlies. Dark ruby with small white head. The aroma is a bit sweet. Soft, smooth and mild taste with a fruity aftertaste.

Rating #1200. Cask conditioned at the George and Devonshire, Chiswick. A very refreshing, fairly sweet mild with a load of chocolate malt flavour. Ultimately a refreshing spring day beer and a superior mild.

Cask @ Charlies Pub, Cph.: Dark brown/red coloured. Almost burgundy. Off white head. Malty and fresh aroma. Is light hopped and malty in the flavour. Some chocolate notes. Is smooth and pleasant and ends on a light dry note.

Cask at Mad Bishop & Bear, London W2. Back for Fullers Autumn ’06 "festival"-this latest incarnation seems fuller bodied & creamier than i remember. Still a rather straightforward dark mild though.