Hook Norton Twelve Days (Bottle)

Brewed by Hook Norton
Style: English Strong Ale
Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England

Dark brown, thin white head. Loved the maltiness of this, all caramel, chocolate and then a dry mellow hop finish.

Date: December 03, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Appearance: clear dark brown, wispy beige head, streaks of lace
Aroma: sweet chocolate aroma, sweet dark fruits, light spicyness
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, touch of caramel sweetness, balancing earthyness keeps it pretty dry, light essence of dark fruits, hint of spicyness
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ** /4

Pours a deep dark chestnut brown color that is completely opaque with only the slightest of mahogany edges when held to a light source. Two finger frothy off-white head with very good retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Slightly toasty sweet malt aroma with hints of toffee, caramel and rye as well as a prominent hazelnut character and very subtle earthy hops. Slightly toasty medium body with a lot of silky chocolate malt, toffee, caramel, hazelnut, roasted coffee and burnt toast. There’s a nice balance of sweet chocolate and deep roasted flavor that somewhat dominates the palate. Slightly bitter with a subtle lactic creaminess. With all of the dark roasted malts the body is still slightly thin and the nut profile and roasted bitter notes are a bit much. I wish the sweetness was a little more prominent creating more balance. Pretty complex for a British brown ale but still kind of underwhelming

Bottle. Nice head with medium duration. Color is dark brown. Aroma and taste are rich with nuts, malt, hops and has notes of fruits and some roast as well.

Appearance: Pours a clear, humble brown body with some amber-tinted hues around the edges and topped with a frothy, lasting, light beige head. Smell: Why, it smells of toasted bread and toasted nuts, it does. Slighter, lesser notes of powderized chocolate and dark fruits. Taste: Toasty, nutty brown maltiness with lightly sweet hints of brown sugar and cocoa powder. Though agreeable, the various flavors remain mild, though that nutty kick lasts from start to finish for me. Small amount of dark fruitiness. Earthy, herbaceous hop character with a light bitterness. Finishes nicely dry, smooth, and with that lingering nuttiness. Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-light carbonation. Drinkability: It’s fairly decent and delightfully nutty, like many of my ex-girlfriends. While nothing beyond the label and name inspires any Christmastime imagery, it is a decent, well-balanced ale regardless of season.

Dark amber/light brown color; seemingly clear. Awesome head that recedes in a rocky fashion. Light ring lace left on the glass. A surprising sour smell. Largely chocolate aroma. Tastes like a rich brown ale. There are elements of black patent, chocolate and dark crystal malts. Good hop finish that blends well with the light coffee flavors. This is a very good Christmas beer. It has elements of a porter and a brown ale. Well balanced and flavorful.

A good English-style ale with a lot of malt flavor for its size. Twelve Days pours a deep ruby with a small, creamy, off-white head. The aroma is mostly caramel malt with some earthy tones. There’s probably a touch of English hops in there but it’s light. It’s somewhere between a bock and a good English brown ale. The flavor is relatively sweet but nowhere near cloying. I can see what they’re getting at with the "nutty" descriptor, but it’s more earth to my palate. The mouthfeel gets pretty thin as I drain the glass. I imagine it’s a lot better from a cask.

Amber brown body with a full, bubbly caramelized cream head. Appealing wisps of brown malt, caramel, sweet nuttiness intrigue the nose. A woodiness arises in aroma and carries over to the first taste on the palate. A deep woody-brown malt flavor with some nuances of nut and aging. Easy roasting and layering of mid- to low-range crystal malts. Hints of nuts and raisins, English toffee, and dark fruit. A pleasantly nuanced brown ale.