Hockley Valley Dark

Brewed by Hockley Valley Brewing & Malting Company
Style: Brown Ale
Orangeville, Canada

Can from Len, Thanks! Dark colored pour with out much of a head. Malty and smooth, with a nice roasted character. Certainly a very interesting brown ale, one that I would like to drink more of. I was pretty pissed off in my stupor when I knocked over the glass and spilled more than half of it all over my desk. Still, a nice beer.

500 ml can. Poured nice and dark with a nice heavy head. Aroma of chocolate and fruit and a nice, full-bodied flavour. This is one of the best bitters going.

Poured out of the 500 mL can a really heavy dark tan head of big frothy bubbles. Everything else is a dark, opaque brown with red at the edges. The head hung around for longer than expected, remained a lacy topping throughout. Aroma is mild grassy hops (it gets grassier as it warms), sweet molasses and toasted malt. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with pleasant spicy carbonation that’s more intense than usual. Right away I detect grape sweetness on the tongue, some honey (more as it warms), mild hoppy bitterness. Some roasted coffee beans hang around. In the aftertaste, I get a bit of tangy chocolate. I enjoy this one quite a bit. It goes the extra distance without trying to be too explosive or too showy. Good to have on a warm summer night on the patio.

Can, courtesy of hogtownharry - thanks! Pours a clear deep mahogany color with a huge, foamy beige head that diminished leisurely. Aroma of toasty malts, roasty nuts, hints of molasses and vegetal matter, with some floral hoppiness. Flavor doesn’t live up to the promise of the aroma, somewhat sweet, again a nuttiness and roasty bitterness, hints of coffee along with a slightly unbalanced burst of herbal and vegetal hop flavors in the finish. Medium body and gentle carbonation. Not bad for a canned beer though.

Can. Poured a very dark amber color with a ruby tint and small tan head. Aroma of roasted sweet malt, light coffee, prunes, and a hint of olive juice that showed every time I swirled the glass. Sweet roasty flavor with some hop bitterness. Flavor at the end had some tartness. Something about the beer seemed to be lacking.

Nice, good aroma, nice smoky touches, smooth and subtle. Great brew, interesting depth. Nothing overly special, just good.

A great, sweet, chocolaty dark ale. I loved it, especially being from the convenience of a can, and Canadian.

Canette de 500 ml achetée à la LCBO (Kingston, ONT) lors d’un séjour au Charleston Lake Provincial Park. Arôme: Odeur de caramel, de chocolat et de petits fruits foncés. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée foncée avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col beige mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel, de chocolat et d’épices. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture minérale. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Présence de caramel en arrière goût. (Rating #494)