Hooker Blonde Ale
Purchased From: Thomas Hooker Brewery - Bloomfield, CT
Serving Type: Growler, poured into a Hooker pint glass
Hooker’s Blonde Ale pours a light golden straw hue with slight hints of oranges and reds throughout. It’s clear with moderate carbonation and a thin head. The retention was light out of the growler, but there was light lacing on the glass. Results might be different from a bottle or straight from the tap, rather than a growler a few days old.
The nose is malty with a honey suckle sweetness to it. There are hints of hops, but they’re not nearly as prominent as the fresh malts. The taste is directly linked to the smell. The malts are bright and fresh, a huge and central component to the flavor. If you take a tour of the brewery the distinct smell of their base malts can be found dinstinctly here. There’s a small hop component here, but its more of an accent than anything.
I would definitely describe this beer as being a “malt-bomb,” but not derrogotorily as I may use it in connection with the adjunct lagers I recently reviewed. Here, the barley malts are crisp and clean. In the mass-market lagers you get a muddled mess of barley thinned down by cereal grains and rice. The flavor is clearly different and the character of the Blonde Ale is somewhat rare. Very enjoyable.
Final Verdict: B
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