Fullers Hock

Brewed by Fuller’s
Style: Mild Ale
London, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Impressive low ABV style. Bit parts chocolate, fruit and fruit cake. This would be a monster of a beer in an ’imperial’ version. Maybe the best mid strength I have ever had.

Handpulled at Old Joint Stock, Birmingham. Over ten years since this was in the UK? I’m not surprised. Thin to the point of watery, washy fruit seeps at the end but it’s a thin old thing.

I first tried this beer back in the late 70s when it was still a regular Fullers brand. To their credit, Fullers have revived it for limited periods on more than a few occasions unlike the Young’s equivelent Best Malt Ale which vanished almost 30 years ago. Some of the Hock revivals have been very decent, but the last reincarnation, IMO was caramel and very little else. I first encountered the latest batch at the recent London Drinker beer fest and to be honest was not too impressed. I tried it a few days later at the Euston Flyer and it was impressed how much better it tasted. However the Hock that I drank a skin full of at the Wheatsheaf at Ealing Broadway a few days later was stunning. Dark brown/ruby black with a lively off white head. A complex beer for it’s low gravity with subtle roasted malt, a hint of caramel and restrained but evident fresh english hop content. An amazing session beer by any standards.

First tasted this in Coanes, Johnstone in May 1994. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear dark ruby red in colour with a thin creamy tan head. Dusty scraped burnt toast in the short aroma. Thin but creamy mouthfeel and good lacing. Darl malts deliver a sweet maltloaf base with juicy raisins, cherries and soft caramel. Slight prickle of dusty hop resins give a very short bitter aftertaste,along with roast grain notes. Finish has a mellow roast coffee flavour in at the end. An excellent mild and well recommended.

Cask in Croyden. Clear dark amber brown with a bubbly cap. Aroma is quite dry, of smoke, plumb and toffee. The flavour is a little thin as you would expect, but shows some smoke and toffee. Weak bitterness, with little hop flavour. The finish is a little sweeter than the aroma would suggest, quite smooth though.

Tried at the Royal Oak, Good looking pint, Luke mentioned that this was the best mild he’s ever tasted and was about to write milds off before he had it so i was keen to try it! Smokey nose followed by a caramel sweet nutty palate that finishes quite dry....impressive body for the abv!

Cask@Charlies. Dark ruby with small white head. The aroma is a bit sweet. Soft, smooth and mild taste with a fruity aftertaste.

Hand pulled half pint, in a pub near the Barbican. Deep brown colour, small tan head. Wet blanket, momed grass with maltyness. Very light in the mouth, tending towards watery. An ok mild.

This one’s been around since the year dot. Dark with strong caramel flavours and almost like a ’Boys’ London Porter’. Shame it’s not brewed regularly as I rate it as one of the best dark milds.

Cask at Mad Bishop & Bear, London W2. Back for Fullers Autumn ’06 "festival"-this latest incarnation seems fuller bodied & creamier than i remember. Still a rather straightforward dark mild though.