Old Hooky

This British golden brown ale has a great aroma when smelled. But there is not so great taste or aftertaste. Head goes away quite soon too. This has been my problem with all these British Ales, that I have tasted: Maybe too much some bitter taste, that lands on your tongue and stays there. And that slightly disturbing bitterness in throat too. I'm not a fan of British Ales (nor actual Bitters, except some of them, but that's another story for another review), but I still like this, as I like almost every other beer. It just is not spectacular or even wonderful, just ok.

What could then be said about British beer culture, if this beer is worth reviewing? Actually my blog has a mission: Every beer is better than any other drink, so every beer deserves to be reviewed (and drank too, of course). It goes so far, that I got to prove it by reviewing every label that I get my hands into. It's easy now, as I just started, but it will get tougher, when I have gone through all the groceries in town and finally bought (and reviewed) every beer in our beloved alcohol monopoly Alko.

But the question was about British beer culture (or English, as I think of the nations in Britain as their separate country names) and I must admit, that my main influence in it has been Neil Hardwick, who is English-born, but 1969 moved to Finland after university studies and is a Finnish theatre and TV director/writer. Neil is known for his humorous stuff (I like most of his Nyhjää Tyhjästä -impro-comedy as well as his quite dark drama-series Pakanamaan kartta), but he also did a tv-series of beer traveling (and culture) in Europe, which I remember watching very closely, when I was a young adult getting to know beer. I actually made a paper in my later studies about beer culture and used some Hardwick's stuff as an inspiration. He truly made an impact on me, not just in his way to admire beers, but also showing in his series the art of beer making.

So, I am in great debt to mr. Hardwick, that I got to know European beer culture better and have a passion about it - though I have not , as I told in my blog introduction, traveled in Europe that much. Maybe some day I go on a trip after footseps of mr. Hardwick and pay my respects to those beer brewing people, that make life a bit more pleasant (for me at least). Until then I enjoy my beers mainly from bottles and cans in my home, in the middle of the forests in Finland, in little town called Kajaani.

*** OK