Christmas with a Hooker

Thomas Hooker Brewery’s Nor’Easter Winter Lager to be specific… this malt-forward Christmastime session brew is just right for watching football on a cold, Winter Sunday afternoon. At 5.8%, it won’t get you drunk too quickly, but should help keep you warm while the snow falls outside your window.

Appearance:
[rating:4/5]

Just by looking at this beer, I can tell it’s up my alley. The deep color is almost brown, but not quite, with a reddish tint. It’s appearance is similar to a brown ale like Newcastle, translucent and well-carbonated. It pours with a nice head and maintains a thin head throughout the entire drinking experience. On my notes, I wrote, “Beautiful! – my kind of beer.”

Aroma:
[rating:7/10]

The mild, pleasant aroma has literally nothing offensive about it. While the aroma does not jump up your nostrils like some bigger beers, the subtle sweet and malty notes certainly whet the appetite and augment the flavor.

Flavor:
[rating:8/10]

What a great beer, sweet and rich, but not too heavy. The flavor remidns me of one of the best beers I had last Winter, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice. Malt, malt, malt! On the Hooker Brewing site, they describe the beer quite accurately:

Brewed to celebrate Winter in New England, Nor’Easter Lager possesses a Hearty Malt flavor delicately accented by mild winter spices.

Palate/Mouthfeel:
[rating:4/5]

This beer has a wonderful mouthfeel. It is slightly chewy and quite rich. There is a sweet finish and no dryness to the beer at all. That isn’t to say that dryness can’t be a good thing, but with this beer, it’s easy to see that a sweet palate can be more than satisfying.

Overall:
[rating:17/20]

This is a great Winter lager. As a fan of the sweeter, richer winter beers (as opposed to the Pacific Northwest style Winter ales with big hoppy flavor), this one is a perfect choice. If you want to know if you will like this beer, take in mind that Newcastle Brown Ale is my go-to beer and I typically lean towards malt-forward ales and lagers, If this is you, then grab a case of this NOW!

Or, head over to Frank Smith Beverage in Pottstown and grab a mixed Winter case. Mine included this, Stoudt’s Winter Ale, Lancaster Winter Warmer, and Breckenridge Christmas Ale.

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~ by thepaintedman on December 24, 2009.