Oak-Aged Liberator Doppelbock
Thomas Hooker Brewing Company

Presentation: 500ml swing top bottle of the 2006 vintage in a Pilsener flute

Opened with a silent hiss, poured a little thick, but with some surge & gurgle. Beautiful deep nose. Initially I'm hit with the sensation of being in the deep woods at night, heavy, damp, near some fallen tree that has started to grow soft with moisture & age. Lush raisin, woody oak that grows louder & sharper with bloom, nicely spiced, though I cannot put my finger on which or what, Treacle & dark brown sugar adds a deep sweetness, just a haunting bouquet. With some bloom & air it grows fruitier, more raisin, some dark cherry with a faint echo of some alcohol. A finger's worth of a latte stained foam fades rather quickly to a transparent sheen and edge ring that laced in isolated splotches. The color of a rhubarb (or port) kissed tea, a most unusual crimsonesque brown. Ruddy umber doesn't do it justice.

Wow. The time in the oak has really added some complexity & interest to what was already a great beer. Thick, syrupy, alive with what feels like a mouthful of warm, juicy raisin, prune, fig - all creating a dense, slightly soured sweetness - just a great mouthfeel. Its reminiscent of a nice port, liqueur or brandy. The oaken quality is surprisingly soft but present, light compared to the wonderfully dense fruit qualities. Its sweet, but not sugary, more of a fruited syrup. I come back to that feeling of being in the pristine forest when its silent, heavy with evening (or dawn), with generations of trees grown & fallen all around me. A delicate & whispered milk chocolate aspect rounds out the initial tonguefeel.

Pouring the remainder of the bottle brings some nice re-vigor to the head and a more earthy, muddy aspect to the nose. I love when a beer evolves & grows rather than fading. The nose is most enjoyable.

It grows thinner on the palate yet sharper, more astringent, the woods are more easily detected, the fruits more rancid, malts more noticeable yet still a dirty dance floor for the others to perform on. The chocolate aspect grows bitter like baking chocolate, but still quiet. It finishes rather even, beautifully bittersweet and even a little sour, going out like a echo that is still clearly audible & understandable, but growing softer & quieter as it departs. There has to be a decent little ABV to this for the (up to know completely hidden save the nose) surprising shockwave that jolts my cranial cavities and the soft warmth left in my teeth overtop a coating, painted chewy mouthfeel that carries some of that oak with it.

That was just awesome. I can't say its better than the non oak-aged version for I feel its really evolved into something new. More port in mouthfeel & taste, it did add a lot of depth to the already beautifully crafted Liberator. This could be very interesting with a poached pear, or some red meat (game even?) & portobellos in a port reduction, or a brie-like cheese and fruit...or all alone as I enjoyed it. I will certainly enjoy this again, and recommend it highly.

On tap @ Hop Devil for their 2yr anniversary

First off, I'd like to say that the regular Doppelbock is one of my favorite pleasures in life. I'd have a hard time helping my own ailing grandmother up the stairs, if it risked spilling my bock.

I was served in a goblet alongside a couple shot samples of some of the other offerings available. Very nice people over there at the HDG. :)

Quiet little dirty half-inch head that managed to float around town for a good couple minutes while I checked out the Yankees wave their white flag on replay. :)

The smell is much like how I remembered it. Deep, sticky, fudgey, marshmellowy, & dense. The wood changed it quite more then I had hoped though. The alcohol seeps through now, on every whiff, & it stays with you for a good moment. The bigger impact though, is on the taste.

The wood infiltrates everything. It tastes like you've just had an ice cream bar, & sucked for too long on the leftover wooden stick. Now you've got this papery texture impacted all on your tongue, & it's not coming off any time soon. The beer carries along more then just oak, it changes the mouth feel considerably(it's no longer a super smooth & creamy delight), all the while stealing from some of the more defined flavors the original beer is known for. The toffee, caramel, & vanilla notes, are all in remission. They have been washed out/sucked dry by the mundaneness this wood has subjugated us to.

Don't mess with a good thing.

On tap on Jan 23rd at Eli Cannon's in middletown, CT for a Thomas Hooker beer tasting.

What better way to celebrate my long awaited, triumphant return to Eli Cannon's in Middletown than to sit down with a few good friends, including mr. sinstaineddemon, and indulge my senses in a newly released Thomas Hooker Oak Aged Liberator Doppelbock during the Feb 23rd Thomas Hooker tasting. (Props to goodbyeohio for posting the Thomas Hooker tasting at Eli's.)

Amid the normal hustle and bustle of Eli's devoted patrons were a few conspicuously dressed Thomas hooker representatives handing out miniature beer samples in tiny novelty beer mugs while an additional team of Thomas Hooker reps quickly transported closely guarded kegs of hooker's liquid gold through the bar to the tap room, obviously doing their best to defeat would be beer thieves such as sinstaineddemon. As the clock approached 7 the atmosphere appeared open and friendly with an air of excitement, the anticipation was nearly palpable. With my order placed and high expectations set, I was quickly presented with an intimidating yet impressive pint of opaque umber beer topped with a decorative ring of latté colored foam encircling small patches of fine, quickly dissipating bubbles.

Stunning aromatics form a pleasant, tight bouquet of sweet, roasted malts, molasses, dates, cedar and hints of unsweetened vanilla.

Powerful and toothsome on the attack, with plump, toasty malt, date and molasses flavors melding into a rich malt-driven mid palate that's neatly married with a long, well-rounded, raw-vanilla infused woody finish. Absolutely amazing.

This full-bodied brew's awe inspiring finesse is unparalleled. Racy, exciting and totally unctuous, it glides over the palette with ease. It has that natural effortless quality that makes going back to the glass for another sip like second nature.

Wow, there have been many good things going on at the Troutbrook brewery lately, this happens to be one amazing feat of brewing. This beer is absolutely brilliant, it handily exceeds all of my high expectations; a huge win for Troutbrook's truly talented staff and all their devoted craft beer fans. I can't wait until they fully unleash this dark colossus of a beer out onto the craft beer scene!

Cheers!

At the Eli Cannon's Tuesday Tasting 1/23/07

oooh i was excited when i saw this on the list for Eli Cannon's...

A - dark of course, the appearance is like that of a regular LIberator, thin tan head that dissipates quickly, and of course too dark for carbonation

S - holy beer, this smells amazing, like regular liberator, that classic dark fruit raisin, date, molasses deal, with a highly noticeable woodiness, which i'm assuming is from the oak aging, man does it smell good, it even adds a slight vanilla note that sure as shit whet my appetite

T - pinch me! am i dead! this is incredible, so rich a flavor and the oakiness is highly discernible and very enhancing, and amazing addition to the Hooker line-up

M&D - so freaking rich and smooth, this beer is incredible, you all thought LIberator was worth a trip/trade this is incredible.

good news for all you non New Englander's, the guy from Thomas Hooker that was at the tasting tonight said they are probably gonna bottle this. dont take that as sacrament, but he said quote "it's already bottled." so it may be a tradeable commodity soon :)