Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

Very sweet nose of caramel and chocolate. A little bit of hoppiness compliments the chocolate/coffee maltiness. Nice thick moutfeel with little carbonation. Not as roasty as I would have liked, but it is an imperial porter worth trying.

The beer pours very dark brown, nearly black, and is opaque. The head is nearly non-existent. Even after swirling in the glass, trying to rouse some foam, all I got was a very thin layer of very large light tan bubbles. The aroma is not really strong -it has some molasses, roasted grains, alcohol, and hints of dried fruits. The flavor starts with roasted graints and chocolate. Towards the middle, lots of malts and sweetness enter the flavor - along with some coffee and hints of dried fruit. The beer finishes sweet and alcoholic, and very full-bodied. The mouthfeel is thick, with the carbonation just barely lightening its weight a little. Very interesting - in fact, a little more special than I was expecting.

2005. Black pour with a large, dense, creamy, tan head. Nose of roasty burnt malt, coffee, dark chocolate, sharp hops, dry wood. Same flavors. Full, smooth palate. Excellent porter. Having a whole liter of this makes me feel rich.

Flip top bottle. Large fizzy tan head that mostly diminished, sparse lacing, no visible carbonation, opaque, and a deep brown hue. Malty, caramel, chocolate, coffee, and a roasty nose. Flavor was sweet, caramel, chocolate, coffee, roasty, and hops. Smooth mouthfeel and medium body.

1L Flip Top pours a very dark brown with almost no head. Only traces of lacing. Nice woody, dark caramal aroma. Quite smokey charcoal flavor. Another good Baltic, Nice sharp bitter trailer.

Bottle: Deep brown color with no head at all, even after agressively pouring it into the glass. Sweet mochachino aromas as well as fermented dark brown sugar. Initially, the flavor is sweet, but immediately followed by a strong/burnt coffee bean flavor (almost like drinking liquified choco covered espresso beans). Nice. The feel is pretty thin leaving a harshness for you to ponder. A powerful brew that stands up to your tastebuds and taunts and jeers them screaming "sissy’s!"

1L Swingtop Bottle: Pours a dark brown burgandy color through the dges with very little head; tannish, and some lacing. Very little carbonation in this. The nose is sweet and vegetal with some maple and toffee notes up front and some hop and coffee roast in the back. The flavor is fairly intense with the bitterness and astringency combo. Strong and drawn out, it has a wicked long tail and a nice finish. Some pine and wood in the finsh. Interesting take on the baltic porter, very liberal with the earthy hops. Thanks to Ken for sharing this gem.

Deep reddish brown with a big light brown head. Roasty, almost burnt nose, some coffee notes. Flavor follows the nose, and adds a mild nuttiness with some chocolate. Some charcoal notes present in the finish. Good stuff!