Hook Norton Hooky Bitter (Bottle)

Brewed by Hook Norton
Style: Bitter
Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England

Bottle, thought I’d rated this some time ago but as I’d picked up one amongst others from SH Jones Bicester 23-09-06 I may as well rate it here. A warm golden colour you can get hops in the aroma but not much. Taste is a bit unbalanced and not at all like the cask version bitterness seems to be a bit unchecked and ends up becoming one of the main features masking all else, some maltiness little sweetness but as already mentioned they are drowned out by the bitterness. Ok but not great

(Bottle 50 cl) In my version simply called "Hook Norton Bitter". Pale caramel colour with a small head. Weak malty character and ditto bitterness. But very, very quaffable. A fairly ordinary Bitter. 210301

Amber colour with a small head. Aroma is quite strong with sweet malt and grassy hops. Taste of malt with melon fruit. Too much carbonation. Medium bitterness.

Bottled, pasteurised. Golden colour with slight white head. Doesn’t fare too well in a pasteurised bottle in my opinion, the subtelties are lost, the delicate bitterness and malty sweetness. This has a harsher flavour, one dimensional with a harder bitterness on the finish.

Not the best bitter at all. Very weak specimen of the bitter style, it lacks complexity. Bit skunky hops and malts, and not the pleasant bitterness as some/many other bitters.

Hoppy, fresh aroma. Clear, golden-yellow coloured with a thin white head. Taste is sweet, quite bitte, slightly maltyr and hoppy. Not the best bitter.

Orange coloured bitter. It’s smell’s okay. Not great. Taste is good, bitter but a little bit too much water.

Light orange brown color, liveley carbonation, but no head. Ripe apple most and wet grass nose, but weak. Medium hoppy, horse blanket taste. Goes by fast at is very thin.