Hook Norton Double Stout
We talked about Hook Norton brewery some time ago. This is an old school brewer in Oxfordshire, England. Their brew is and has been served at the pub where J.R.R. Tolkien hung out, the Eagle and Child. They make a range of bottle-condition and cask-conditioned ales of high quality. I recently was able to get my hands on a bottle of Double Stout here in the U.S. It’s something of a rarity here so I was excited to bring it home. The bottle did not disappoint. This is a very English stout, tasting much more like a heavy British ale than like its Irish cousins. That is not a down side, just a statement. This is one smooth beer with a nice smell of yeast and malt and a great feel going down. The bottle is really nice looking, too, if you put any stock in that. I’m a big fan of Hook Norton beers and the Double Stout is definitely on the keepers list.
