Hook Norton wins 12 awards in prestigious beer competition

Each year the International Beer Challenge discovers and rewards the finest beers from across the globe.

Four beers from Hook Norton won Gold – Double Stout, Twelve Days, Haymaker and Old Hooky – more than any other entrant.

Two more picked up bronze awards – Hooky Bitter and Hooky Gold – and all six beers won medals for the quality of their bottle design and labelling.

Hook Norton’s Managing Director James Clarke said: “I am delighted with the awards. We are a local brewer, who now has an international reputation for the quality of its beers and the bottles they are sold in. To win so many awards reflects the hard work and commitment of all the staff who work at the brewery.”

The winners:
• Double Stout- received a Gold medal and a Bronze for Design and Packaging
• Twelve Days – received a Gold medal and a Bronze for Design and Packaging
• Haymaker – received a Gold medal and a Bronze for Design and Packaging
• Old Hooky – received a Gold medal and a Bronze for Design and Packaging
• Hooky Bitter – received a Bronze medal and a Silver for Design and Packaging
• Hooky Gold – received a Bronze medal and a Silver for Design and Packaging

Double Stout at 4.8 per cent ABV. Its blend of malts gives it a character all of its own. Black malt enriches the colour and teases the palate with an unmistakable ‘toast’ flavour. Brown malt gives it the dryness.

Haymaker, 5.0 per cent, is a strong pale ale of distinctive taste. Plenty of Goldings hops during the brewing give it a certain something extra – like sunshine dancing on the tongue.

Hook Norton Twelve Days, at 5.5 per cent, is a strong, ruby coloured beer, offering a dominantly malty palate with nutty overtones. The finish is lyrically sweet that speaks for its strength. It is a fine partner to the Cheese Board.

Old Hooky, at 4.6 per cent, is a beautifully balanced beer, fruity by nature, with a well-rounded body and the suggestive echo of Crystal Malt.

Hooky Gold, at 4.1 per cent, is described as a very pale, crisp beer, confidently displaying it’s hop character. It is the first Hook Norton beer to feature American hops. The beer has a fruity aroma and a pleasant, light taste.

Hooky Bitter 3.6 per cent, is a a subtly balanced, golden bitter, hoppy to the nose, malty on the palate – the classic session beer, eminently drinkable.

Information on the International Beer Challenge is available at www.internationalbeerchallenge.com