Re Hockley Dark review

[Belgian]

Well-deserved comments for Hockley Valley Brewery.

Keep up the nice work you guys.

[Jon Walker]

One of the more naive beer reviews in recent memory. Who is this guy? He's as qualified to write beer reviews as I am to do commentary for Olympic figure skating. Sad to see a regular beer article written by someone who has clearly never heard of the term "session ale" and draws the appauling conclusion that the proximity of a brewery equates to beer that is better than anything from overseas...freshness, perhaps but quality...wrong.

A beer review written by, and for, Molbatt drinkers.

[JerCraigs]

One of the more naive beer reviews in recent memory. Who is this guy? He's as qualified to write beer reviews as I am to do commentary for Olympic figure skating. Sad to see a regular beer article written by someone who has clearly never heard of the term "session ale" and draws the appauling conclusion that the proximity of a brewery equates to beer that is better than anything from overseas...freshness, perhaps but quality...wrong.

A beer review written by, and for, Molbatt drinkers.

Sounds more like someone who has had one too many clear bottled, sat on the shelf too long beers from overseas actually.

While I agree that his columns are not about to win Pulitzers any time soon, but as has been discussed here before he is writing for a mainstream audience. In the regard he's not doing that badly. Could he do better? yes, but at least the column exists and is touting something other than Molbattman.

[Jon Walker]

Valid points...I just wish he took the time to learn about beer and then pass some of that learning on to the reader.

[Belgian]

Is Hockley Dark that bad, I didn't really read his whole review just thought it was good exposure and yes, freshness certainly qualifies a delicate brown ale to some extent.

[Jon Walker]

I never said it was bad, only that the review was weak.

IMHO the beer is fine. Not exceptional but for a mild session ale in the British style it's not bad. I prefer Perry's session ale but that's much less available.

[old faithful]

Jon, I don't know Mr. Filson but the review sounded like it was written to appeal to a very generalist audience, one that (unfortunately all too truly) suspects "dark beer" of any kind, thinks it is "heavy", from the "bottom of the vat", etc. I think Jon Filson was assuming a guise, in other words, in order to convert people who might be turned off by a beer geek approach. I believe he knows way more about beer than you might think.

Gary

[Belgian]

I never said it was bad, only that the review was weak.

IMHO the beer is fine. Not exceptional but for a mild session ale in the British style it's not bad. I prefer Perry's session ale but that's much less available.

Yeah I thought it at least is what it's meant to be, at the mild end of the Brown Ale spectrum. I would like to try Dogsbody though, I'm sure anything Perry does has a bit more 'oomph.'

HD's not such a bad 'gateway' craft beer to give friends because it's approachable yet represents a real contrast from Keths and Corona - you can say it is mild but it represents the craft ethic fairly well IMO, and it's a dark beer that will get them over the fear of 'dark beer!' (Don't offer Okocim Porter to those traumatized people.)

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*** edit, Damn, OF read my thoughts before I could complete my post!

That's an excellent point Gary, if I may infer it - Beer Geeks may come off as strongly opinionated and a 'Clever' approach to people may be more effective.

[JWalter]

For what it's worth, I really like Hockley Valley Dark, and I also *HAVE* had many bad experiences with buying British Ales in clear bottles, so to get something that is brewed in the same style, by an Ontario Craft Brewer, is fresh and tasty and good value is fantastic news, I want to have some of this in the house all the time... There's something about being able to pour a full pint glass at home, especially when watching a football match... Like the FA Cup this weekend

[Steve Spong]

Of course, but if Newcastle come up against somebody a bit more challenging than Cheltenham and play they way they did, then I don't think that the Hockley Dark will be hoisted in triumph. Although my beloved Manchester United hardly performed miracles against Burton.

But back to the Hockley Dark - I try to keep an eye on Mr. Filson's reviews and while I do think that he's perhaps being overly simplistic, he's not writing to the exceedingly small minority of Bar Towelers, but rather to the majority of Molbatt consumers. However, I sometimes feel that his writeups tend to be a little... I don't know, pleading?... to try and get people to put down the Blue Light and try something different. I think that the sort of apologist tone for what is different perhaps defeats the beer before somebody has even taken the chance to try it. I don't think that Jon Filson is completely naive either, as he has made numerous references to unavailable beers such as the Arrogant Bastard, but what would the point be in singing the praises of a beer than the vast majority can't get or would make the effort to obtain?[/i]

[Belgian]

So in a nutshell Mr. Filson apparently knows beer but he could be more assertive and unapologetic, like Tony Aspler is about wine for example. Mr. Aspler certainly sounds knowledgable and yet in a way that impresses with confidence rather than elitist wine snobbery, so to speak.

[old faithful]

Just to take a side road for a moment, I enjoy Tony Aspler's writing. He writes in a knowledgable way but still addresses the concerns of his audience who are mainly (I would think) generalist and price-conscious. I also like Michael Vaughan's writing because of his similar expertise and the fact that he writes with a calm, reassuring tone. I don't drink much wine but I like reading about it.

Gary