Thomas Hooker Octoberfest Lager | Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

this is a winner.
A successful brewery thats growing and not cutting corners. I reccomend this one highly to anyone while it lasts. This brewer is a rising star. There is a lot of good product coming out of this Connecticut company.
If its available to you,, get some.
(comes in six packs only I believe)

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4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Ruddy nut-brown with a splash of fizzy carbonation. Looked syrupy and viscous as I poured. Small, foamy white head that settled to a small sudsy cap. Sticky, spotty lacing.

Smell: Sweet roasty malt with a hint of hops. Slightly bready, with alcohol noticeable but not imposing.

Taste: This bier leans toward the dry side of Oktoberfest. Well-carbonated, but not overly so. Definite sweet, sticky maltiness, with thick, sweet, dark fruits and a certain vinous quality. Balanced well by the drying hop finish. A certain yeastiness is present in the finish. Very drinkable and quite enjoyable.


Notes: A tasty iteration, and one that folks who tend to steer clear of overly sweet O'fests should enjoy.

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4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh, clean, and crisp - no unpleasant aftertaste at all.
Not a particularly strong smell one way or the other.
On the appearance side, my only negative comment is that the head was a bit thin and fleeting.

Overall though, fantastic lager that is as smooth as it comes. Makes you feel like you're at a pub in Munich!

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3.5/5  rDev -10.5%

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Solid brew, just a bit less rich than some other domestic offerings.

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3.96/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It seems like I continue to come across more Octoberfest brews recently. The Thomas Hooker pours from the bottle a deep brownish red hue with a two finger creamy khaki head sitting magestically atop the brew. Really stands out in the glass. Aromas of caramel covered roasty grains along with biscuity undertones. Fruity, nutty and malty with a dash of spicy, herbal hops in the background. Crisp, laid back and quite nice.

First sip brings a nice fruity, caramelly, toasted grain maltiness upfront with big biscuity flavors throughout. Fairly sweet, as it goes down there's a mellow spicy, herbal hop note that peeks out and makes itself known. I get a touch of roasted nuttiness as well. A big, clean, malty oktoberfest brew with an enjoyable balanced flavor.

Mouthfeel is big, chewy and creamy. This is a full bodied oktoberfest that goes down smooth and is really satisfying. Speedy carbonation pulls it through nicely. This would be a nice fall session brew if it was available to me locally. Yet another lovely brew from Troutbrook. Well worth trying...thanks to UnionMade for the opportunity.

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4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very nice beer, although I think it blurs the line a little between an Octoberfest and a pumpkin beer. Dark amber with red highlights and a medium sized head. Caramel malt aroma. Likewise in the taste, although fairly sweet. A good deal of spice also. Smooth and enjoyable.

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3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

4.21/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep, bright amber color with a fantastic cream colored, frothy head that retains very nicely. Smells biscuity, bready malts, earthy tones. Taste is more bready and biscuity maltiness, earthy, noble hop spice, very pleasing and balanced. Fantastic Marzen. Slightly creamy mouthfeel, crisp. Very drinkable and one of, if not the best, Marzen I have had this year.

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4.32/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz brown bottle. No freshness date and contract brewed & bottled in Saratoga Springs, NY.

A- Billowing foamy head, clear deep pumpkin orange color.

S- Mildly sweet malt character with suggestions of toasted grain and caramel.

T- Heavy waves of sweet toasted malt with a slight caramel backing. The hops are ample enough to balance and leave a kiss of herbal flavor in the semi-sweet finish.

M- Very crisp and smooth with a creamy mouth feel.

D- Hearty enough to show the rest that it has more character, enough flavor to keep on wanting more.

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4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled a 12 ounce bottle, which had no freshness dating. Poured, orangy, medium amber, clear with rising bubbles, lifting a slightly off white head. Left some creamy lacing. Nose was of faint malt. Sturdy & flavorfull O'fest brew. Nice medium body and soft, welcoming mouthfeel. Nicely developed malt base, nutty and spicy notes, finishes with a mild but noticable hop note. Well crafted and tasty, a fine fall brew/sessioner

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4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear, deep copper color with a one-finger tan head that goes down quickly. The smell is predominantly of sweet malts and a little bit of spice. The taste is also of lightly sweet malts and some spices coming on later. This is a nice clean taste with a dry finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp. Drinkability is very good. Overall, this is a tasty and very enjoyable beer that I'm sure I'll return to each fall.

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3.69/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. brown long neck bottle with a crimped-on cap.

Bright medium amber color with a 1"white head dissapating quickly down to a slight coating of foam with a ring around the glass. Moderate carbination with a few tiny strings of bubbles rising to the surface.

Clean aromas very fruity,hints of fresh apples and sweet carmell with a slight burnt note.

Burnt carmell taste,tart,fruity,grassy hop feel. Finishes with some bittersweetness,tatrness,very clean with a good sharp feel.

Medium mouthfeel clean and refreshing. Good drinkability could easily put back a few of these. A nice Octoberfest beer even in Feburary.

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4/5  rDev +2.3%

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Copper colored with a thin beige head that sinks quickly. Inviting aroma of sweet malt, some corn, and some sweet ripe fruits. Smooth mouthfeel leads to flavors of biscuity malt, sweet pear and honey, and a surprising orange peel tingle in the finish. Very drinkable beer, very enjoyable example of the style.

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3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

4.04/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap many a times. Actually one of my favorite home grown marzens. Try this one fresh and you will see why. Nice caramel sweetness through with a touch of herbal hops.

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4/5  rDev +2.3%

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

4.41/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A--Two finger creme colored fizzy head that reduced to skim quickly and didn't lace. But the real story here is the body: picture perfect deep auburn sunset combined with some copper. Really really beautiful and spot on for the style.

S--Decent. I'm picking mostly a candy apple thing, with some toffeeish notes alongside a lighter fruity sweetness. Definitely some Munich malt going on here.

T--Wonderful! Good sock of malt here right up front, as the toffee bark flavors come to the fore early on, followed by a more mellow caramel gloss that also picks up the now juicier apple notes toward the back. Really, really accurate representation of the style, very true to German standard, which I prefer. Balanced hop bitterness keeps the malts from taking over and urges you to gulp some more.

M&D--Mouthfeel is appropriately thin without being watery. Carbonation, again, is moderate. All the aspects of the mouthfeel stay out of the way--they're like a good Major League manager: you don't notice them. Drinkability is excellent, as this is smooth enough to throw back a few without being boring in the flavor profile.

If you're a fan of the style, this has to be the must try list for American versions of the style. Tastes like a standard-bearer to me, alongside the Ramstein Oktoberfest.

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3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thomas Hooker- Octoberfest

A- Deep dark orange with a small filmy head, filmy lacing too.
S- Very buttery caramel toffee malt with a touch of licorice.
T- Very buttery sweet shortbread biscuit malt, Caramel and toffee with licorice and butterscotch.
M- Very buttery, slick and chewy malt.

Overall- The maltiest butteriest beer I might have ever tried.

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3.96/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This pours a clear brownish amber with a large tan foamy head. Holding this up to light shows you how awesome this beer looks. The smell is a malty gem. The most pronounced aroma is a sweet malt with a "bisquity" undertone. The taste is sweet malt,yeast,spices,including cinnamon and nutmeg, nuts and dark fruit. The m/f is light with all flavors mixing well. This is one of the better Octoberfests in the U.S. Give it a try, you won't be let down.

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3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy amber-copperbody with golden and orange highlights. Creamy antique-white head. Great retention and lacing.

Smell: Malty: grainy, bready, and toasty.There's also some yeastiness, a hint of floral hops, and a bit of fruitiness that I believe is due to the darker kilning of the Vienna malts in much the same way that some of the darker crystal malts have an almost raisin-like flavor, but not quite exactly to the same extent.

Taste: As is commonly the case, the flavor follows the aroma with a few additions. Bitterness, for example, cannot be smelled, and yet it's there. It's fairly moderate though, and quite appropriate for the Maerzen style. There's just enough to balance it from start to finish: nothing more, and nothing less. And there are some more hops. It's a slight touch spicy, and beneath that there's a little bit of an herbal thing going on. Not unlike the bitterness, however, the hop flavors are restrained to the point that they don't really stand out anymore than anything else; and in that way this is a really balanced and polished brew.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and gently crisp, as expected. Any more carbonation would bring out the bitterness and cut down the smoothness, and any less carbonation might allow it to become to flabby and malty sweet.

Overall: There's a lot of nice flavor across the entire palate, and it lingers quite pleasantly with a touch of malt and a balancing note of hop spiciness. Remarkably drinkable. Well done. Prost!

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