Thomas Hooker
Imperial Porter
Review Date 5/6/2006
Try?
Re-buy?
Good day beer
lovers, and welcome to another review of a fine craft beer. The beer, however, was
brought to you (and me) by Connecticut’s own Trout Brook Brewing Company,
makers of the illustrious Thomas Hooker line of beers.
I continue to be impressed with this brewery, and the more of their beer I sample, the more I begin to think them one
of the country’s first-tier brewing operations. Every beer I’ve tasted from recently has been a dynamite, bold and over the top, knick your socks off treat. And Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is no exception to that rule.
Brewed in the style of Baltic Porters, this beer is actually a lager. The most common styles of porter that follow the English vein are ales, and thus top fermented. The robust and assertive Baltic Porter style is a forerunner of Imperial Stout, and the beers were probably influenced by the stout and porter trade flowing through the region to the courts of the Czars of Russia.
Trout Brook says this about their beer:
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is a full-bodied, dark lager. This brew's roots are in the strong porters of 19th Century England, which ultimately evolved into the stronger stouts of today.
Our Imperial Porter derives its tremendous complexity from the use of 8 different malts. We blend these to achieve a balance of sweet, caramel, and coffee flavors. A judicious use of dark roasted malts adds another level of intriguing notes to the mix. Generously hopped with German and American hops our Imperial Porter comes to life as it is allowed to warm to the ideal drinking temperature of 58-60 degrees.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is a special seasonal brew that is sold in attractive swing top bottles holding a full liter of this magnificent brew. At about $8.99, this isn’t a bad deal for so much beer of such high quality. This is a high-strength beer, however, so with so much of it to enjoy why not share your bottle with a friend or two?
The beer won Kudos at the 10th Great International Beer Competition in Providence, Rhode Island, where it received a third place medal in the Imperial Porter-Strong Beer category. All that I can say is that if this beer came in third, I would surely love to taste the second and first place entries.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter pours to a dark black color, though not
completely opaque in color, since a bit of light will pass through if held
directly up to a light source. A light but creamy head formation floats atop
the liquid, and a thin film of Brussels lace hugs the sides of my glass as
the beer descends in the glass.
The nose reveals hints of chocolate, fruit and raisin. I can’t resist immediately sipping, and when I do I’m treated to a rich, luxuriant mouthfeel that isn’t quite as full as, say, an imperial stout, but is quite hardy nonetheless. Immediately I get complex notes of rich dark chocolate followed by complex fruity notes of raisin and prune. Coffee, molasses, caramel, and sweet malt are all present too.
In the finish, the dark chocolate notes reassert themselves, accompanied by a warming sensation provided by the high alcohol content. But there’s a strong hop bitterness, too, something that sets this beer apart from the pack. Generally, beers of this style stress the dark and sweet mal flavors, but Thomas Hooker’s Imperial Porter is heavy on a slightly harsh, lingering bitterness as well. I like the way it balances the beer here.
This is not a brew to be missed, and it should benefit from laying down over time (my bottle is already about six months old). The hop flavors should mellow a bit and the malt and yeast complexities should become more pronounced.
I continue to be impressed with this brewery, and the more of their beer I sample, the more I begin to think them one
of the country’s first-tier brewing operations. Every beer I’ve tasted from recently has been a dynamite, bold and over the top, knick your socks off treat. And Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is no exception to that rule.
Brewed in the style of Baltic Porters, this beer is actually a lager. The most common styles of porter that follow the English vein are ales, and thus top fermented. The robust and assertive Baltic Porter style is a forerunner of Imperial Stout, and the beers were probably influenced by the stout and porter trade flowing through the region to the courts of the Czars of Russia.
Trout Brook says this about their beer:
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is a full-bodied, dark lager. This brew's roots are in the strong porters of 19th Century England, which ultimately evolved into the stronger stouts of today.
Our Imperial Porter derives its tremendous complexity from the use of 8 different malts. We blend these to achieve a balance of sweet, caramel, and coffee flavors. A judicious use of dark roasted malts adds another level of intriguing notes to the mix. Generously hopped with German and American hops our Imperial Porter comes to life as it is allowed to warm to the ideal drinking temperature of 58-60 degrees.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter is a special seasonal brew that is sold in attractive swing top bottles holding a full liter of this magnificent brew. At about $8.99, this isn’t a bad deal for so much beer of such high quality. This is a high-strength beer, however, so with so much of it to enjoy why not share your bottle with a friend or two?
The beer won Kudos at the 10th Great International Beer Competition in Providence, Rhode Island, where it received a third place medal in the Imperial Porter-Strong Beer category. All that I can say is that if this beer came in third, I would surely love to taste the second and first place entries.
Thomas Hooker Imperial Porter pours to a dark black color, though not
completely opaque in color, since a bit of light will pass through if held
directly up to a light source. A light but creamy head formation floats atop
the liquid, and a thin film of Brussels lace hugs the sides of my glass as
the beer descends in the glass. The nose reveals hints of chocolate, fruit and raisin. I can’t resist immediately sipping, and when I do I’m treated to a rich, luxuriant mouthfeel that isn’t quite as full as, say, an imperial stout, but is quite hardy nonetheless. Immediately I get complex notes of rich dark chocolate followed by complex fruity notes of raisin and prune. Coffee, molasses, caramel, and sweet malt are all present too.
In the finish, the dark chocolate notes reassert themselves, accompanied by a warming sensation provided by the high alcohol content. But there’s a strong hop bitterness, too, something that sets this beer apart from the pack. Generally, beers of this style stress the dark and sweet mal flavors, but Thomas Hooker’s Imperial Porter is heavy on a slightly harsh, lingering bitterness as well. I like the way it balances the beer here.
This is not a brew to be missed, and it should benefit from laying down over time (my bottle is already about six months old). The hop flavors should mellow a bit and the malt and yeast complexities should become more pronounced.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
