Thomas Hooker Nor’Easter Lager

Brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Bloomfield, Connecticut USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tumbler

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Very spicy aroma - smells a bit like cinnamon buns. Taste is very distinctly dominated by cinnamon - kinda like drinking less sweet, liquid Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Not my thing.

Bottle. Amber-orange pour with medium khaki head. Lots of butterscotch in the nose. The flavor reminds me of a liquid Sno-ball: toasted coconut, marshmallow, and caramel. Medium body. In the finish the marshmallow fades into a more grainy flavor. Very nice. This came off as probably being too sweet for many, but I thought the intensity suited it well.

bottle from last year. nice clear dark red color with light molasses head, which faded quickly. light citrus aroma with only a hint of spices. was expecting sweet & spicey, but got dry grapefruit dull orange taste with a thin, dry, yet lingeringfinish. would get again, but wouldn’t search for it. hard to get in NJ.

Bottle at the Governors Island BrewFest. Not bad but struck me as a little weird. Pours amber-brown with a medium, white head. Lots of spice in the aroma, along with plenty of malt, caramel and light toffee. Flavor is sweet and loaded with holiday spices. Also some notes of orange and plum. Medium bodied with average carbonation and perhaps a bit syrupy. Finishes sweet with lingering spices. Maybe I just had this beer way too far out of season.

Location: Sampled at the NY Brewfest on Governor’s Island, 6/19/10

Aroma: Nose has some spice notes (cinnamon), fruit, caramel, and a bit of nuttiness
Appearance: This one pours a reddish-brown color with a thin white head
Flavor: The taste has some spice, fruits, and other malt flavors to it
Palate: This beer had a medium body, nice drinkability, and soft carbonation
Overall Impression: I liked this stuff enough. It was a decently good Winter lager. The right flavors were all there. Solidly well-made. I feel like this beer works pretty well, and I’m glad that I got to try it. This is the second time I’ve tried something from this brewery, and I see myself enjoying more of their beers in the future if given the chance.

Serving: 12 oz. bottle from a shop in Wisscasset
This is the third bottle from the same shop. Given this is a winter brew, I can only assume that it is probably past it’s prime. Stupid of me to buy it. However, I should have read the label closer, then I wouldn’t have bought it in the first place. "Lager with artificial flavors." What the hell is that??? Anway, it pours a very tea like color with a frothy white head. Nothing alarming so far. It smells like wet dog, sour mash, and a slight medicinal note. This is not good Mav. The taste is an odd mix of holiday spices (clove, mace, and maybe some anise?) and dark fruit. Think minced meat pie. I don’t like minced meat pie in my beer. The body is light to medium with average carbonation and a spiced, dark fruit finish. The combination of the sour smell (similar to a bad lambic) and the minced meat pie do not make for a good experience. This is a self proclaimed "winter embracing brew". I tell you what it is going to embrace, the drain.

On tap for growler fills at Half Time. Pours a clear ruby brown with a medium white head. Cinnamon, caramel, citrus, and plums. Sweet toffee and toasted marshmallows. Caramel popcorn. Smooth and malty, surprisingly tasty.

12oz bottle in English pint. Pours bright brownish orange with thin tan head. Aroma of toasted malts, herbs, and raisin. Slightly sweet, average body, and lively carbonated. Finishes well with a raisin/oat/malt flavor that rests on the palate. A good beer, especially for this state.

kinda like a real beer with apple pie spice (as it says on the bottle). not bad at all it is malty with a light sweet cherry flavor. good substantial enough body it is frothy and seems to have a bit of the hop (though it might be imagination). gonna try this one again.

Bottle… Clear, dirty orange ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Decent retention. The nose is of caramel and toasted nuts with a tinge of lactic acid. Medium-bodied and raspy with prickly carbonation. The flavor is dry, bland and lightly acidic. Infected, no doubt. Short, crisp, mildly tart finish. Even with the bug, this isn’t totally undrinkable.