Thomas Hooker American Pale Ale

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

12 oz bottle via trade with IMtheOptimator - Thanks Andrew! - Pours copper clear with a decent white head that laces pretty well. Aroma of tangerine. grass, a touch of hay, and some caramel malts. Flavor is hoppy more notes of tangerine over a sweet caramel malt background. Palate is pretty balanced, but a little watery. Very drinkable though. A nice summer pale ale..

Good beer. Kind of grassy with some undetectable spiciness (my month-long bought of bronchitis might have tainted my taste buds, hopefully not for good!). Poured a light amber. A very buttery beer, which I found kind of appealing. On draft at Redbones in Somerville, Mass.

Cask (GBBF): Copper hazy colour. Nice hoppy aroma, decent floral notes. Great sweet hoppy flavour with lovely citric finish. Medium bodied, nice.

bottle courtesy DYCSoccer, Nice reddish amber color with a medium off white head. Nice hop presence in the aroma, along with some malty presence. I also smell butterscotch. Nice hop bite to start, sweetening in the middle, a hint of caramel. The mouthfeel drops off to a fairly watery consistancy to finish. The start is promising, but the finish a little disappointing. A decent beer none the less.

Cask at GBBF 2005. Amber brown colour. Fairly typical US IPA with goodish hops that were slightly more floral than most. Some malt, not bad but needs more depth. Amazing hop finish (according to my notes)

On tap at GBBF 05. Understated aroma of horse (? I think this is what it says in my pad) and grain. Flavour takes a little while to get going. Meatlly bitterness, but with a small injection of US hops. Hops don’t dominate and consequently this feels like it doesn’t quite fulfil it’s promise.

TH Pale has a big creamy light tan head over a deep light amber beer. Light malt aroma. Just a touch of sweet malt before the hops come on. They swell and roll all the way to anicely dry finish. A good one.

(12 oz botttle: Obtained in trade with IMtheOptimator, thanks Andrew!)Not a bad little brew from the state of my birth and childhood. The label says "crisp hop flavor," and I can’t dispute that. Pleasant, mildy sweet maltiness provides a nice base for the crisp, moderately bitter hops. Lots of grapefruit, pleasant, not overdone for the style, and certainly not as strong in many of the west coast hop monsters. Very nice balance overall. The nose could be a bit more aromatic, but it’s reflective of the flavor, lightly malty and hoppy. Medium in body, smooth and round at first, followed by a cleansing crispness from the hops. Light amber color, slightly hazy in appearance. Sizeable off-white head shows excellent retention, gradually diminishing to a thin but complete layer, and holding there for the duration of the session. Much ringed and patchy lacing remains on the glass. This one isn’t going to bowl you over with flavor, but it’s pleasant and easy to drink.