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The Oxfordshire-based brewer, which counts Hooky Best Bitter and Old Hooky among its cask beers and operates about 30 pubs, will release the limited-edition cask beer in conjunction with east London Five Points.
Points of Brew is a 3.8% ABV light copper ale and is said to be a “modern interpretation of a traditional English ale: soft, layered, balanced and highly drinkable”.
The UK hops used are Challenger, Admiral and UK Cascade while malts are Maris Otter, Premium English Caramalt and Vienna.
Great adventure
The brewers have described the aroma as being “toasted biscuit, toffee notes, earthy spice, orange marmalade and soft grapefruit zest” while they claim the flavour is “a smooth balance of light nutty sweetness with herbal spice and hedgerow citrus”.
Five Points co-founder and director Greg Hobbs jokingly described the ale as “not quite Five go mad in Hook Norton but a great adventure and fantastic experience” while Hook Norton head of production Andy Thomas said: “It was such a great experience to brew with Five Points and share knowledge, experience and maybe one or two pints.”
Points of Brew will be available from both breweries’ taprooms, Hook Norton Brewery pubs and selected free houses in early July.
Quintessential British hop
And Hook Norton is not stopping at a collaboration as it reintroduces its Haymaker cask ale as a seasonal option.
Haymaker 5% ABV strong premium pale ale is claimed to be “packed full of the quintessential British hop – Goldings – [which] delivers a smooth ale with a delicate and light fruit taste” and is dark bronze coloured with a fruit and hoppy aroma while tasting rich, sweet and fruity.
From Thursday 2 July, from 6pm, the brewery will be launching the beer with free samples across multiple Hooky pubs while the centrepiece of the celebrations will take place at the Butchers Arms, Balscote, north Oxfordshire, where North Oxfordshire CAMRA will also present the pub with a Pub of the Year Award.
