Thomas Hooker Oak Aged Imperial Porter

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

Pours dark brown with a thin white head. Smells of chocolate, some oak, some boozy hints, a hint of tartness. Tastes of roasted malt, some booziness from the oak. Decent.

On tap at Capone’s in Norristown... Appears a near black with dark brown edges and a small, light tan head that fades into a mild collar. Smell is oaky, with raisins, freshly baked brownies, grape juice, and vanilla with some nice citrusy pine resin coming through. Taste is of the mentioned aromas with chocolate and rum soaked raisins being the focal point of the flavors. Mouthfeel is full bodied, fruity, semi-sweet upfront with bitter chocolate and hops lingering. It’s slightly fizzy along the tongue and it finishes with a bitter cocoa flavor.

Draught at Capone’s Poured a dark black head with thin head. Malty aroma, smokey, vanilla with some wood. Smooth malty taste, very mellow. Hoppy beer. The barrel aged really comes thru in the end. Very smooth. I seem to be one of the few who really enjoyed it there - but maybe my expectations were low considering a few others were saying some mediocre things.

Draft @ Capones. Dark Brown color with small head. Oaky bourbon aroma mixed with some chocolate in the nose. Taste was of a pretty good porter mixed with some bourbon flavors, vanilla, and some chocolate. Tasty, but not quite amazing. I know Matt (from Capone’s) is awesome, but how the hell is he the only one to feature this beer so far?

Draft at Capone’s. Poured a dark black with a nice brown head. Aroma was malty with choclate, coffee and even a hint of vanilla plus some oak. Flavor was great with choclate, oak and a slight hop bitter finish that lingers. This is a great beer to go with desert.

Draft at Capone’s. Onyx pour with 1-finger khaki head. Aroma of dark roasty malt, dark fruit, slight chocoff, slight oakiness, and some hops. Tastes roasty malty, with solid dark chocolate and dark fruit notes and a big hoppy finish. Subdued oak here, and a fairly complex palate. Very good, but not elite.

Sampled from a growler @ DLD 4/28/07 shared by AlexDeLarge. Pours a cloudy dark brown color with a smallish tan head. The aroma was bourbon infused roasted malts, chocolate and hops. The flavor had dark cacao, roasted malt and grassy hops. The bourbon is present but not distracting. Medium-full bodied, very smooth and easy to drink. I would like another shot at this one.

Tap at Capone’s. Dark brown color. Fair lacing. Aroma of wood (oak), bitter chocolate and just a touch of smoke. Medium-heavy body. Moderately sweet and lightly bitter flavor. Nicely bitter finish.