Detailed review by Newfloridian
Newfloridian
North Shields, United Kingdom90%
This is not a review of the tour of the brewery itself but, rather, one of the brewery's better known preparations. I assume that one of the attractions of taking the tour will be the sampling at the end, and therefore I offer my own experience of such an experiment. My ratings here are of the beer!
All of a sudden there has been a flood of ales into my local supermarkets from a (relatively) local brewer from the other side of the Pennines. Added to this curiosity value, I was also quite intrigued by names on the labels (Cragrat, 175 Limited Edition) as well as the subject of this review Cocker Hoop.
Now that Autumn is drawing to its close, one lot of seasonal beers is disappearing and there is a little hiatus before the next set appears. They will, just as surely as the chocolate Christmas tree hangings will be on those shelves within the next week or so. This is time to try one or two of these other brews that have been passed over and ignored in the excitement of tasting the transients
THE BREWERY
Cockermouth? Where the hecks that you ask. Well its in that part of the country that used to be called Cumberland, west of the M6 and the Lake District, just inland from the coastal town of Workington. My trusty Eyewitness Travel Guide to Great Britain (Publisher: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0751300055) describes Cockermouth as an attractive and busy market town, the High Street of which is home to Wordsworth House where the poet was born in 1770.
Jennings Brewery was founded by John Jennings in 1828 in the nearby village of Lorton. The Company moved to its present position in the shadow of Cockermouth Castle in 1874 at the junction of the two rivers Cocker and Derwent. The Brewery also rates a mention in the aforementioned guide for its user friendly brewery tours.
They say of Cocker Hoop: An award-winning golden bitter from an all malt brew, with Styrian Golding hops added at various stages, to give a classic hop flavour and aroma. It is available in local hostelries on tap.
THE BOTTLE
Jennings Brewery uses a bottle of dark brown glass designed to accommodate beers from across the range. The bottle is quite chunky with rather squared shoulders and a slender somewhat bulbous neck. The name Jennings is embossed in the glass in a ring circling the bottle. Above this is the Brewery trademark which looks like a cup or chalice designed like a castle rampart. The bottle is closed with a plain black crown cap.
The bold front label (coloured gold, ochre and white on a black background) declares the contents to be a golden bitter brewed to 4.6% ABV. The rear label describes the origin of the name derived from cock-a-hoop an old custom of removing the cock (or spigot) from the barrel and resting it on the hoop of the cask before commencing a drinking session.
THE DRINK
Its almost (but not quite) cool enough to store the beers in a shady corner of the garage now that the heat had gone from the day time sun. I put the bottle in the fridge for the day prior to pouring. It was at about 10C by the time I came to take off the cap. There was a modest escape of gas. Cocker Hoop poured a golden colour and was slightly turbid in the glass. There was no deposit left in the bottle. It produced a strong sparkle but a thin head which sank back into the ale rapidly.
There was only a vague nose - somewhat stronger from the neck of the bottle than the top of the glass which is slightly sweet, slightly fusty and a hint of Marmite. The first taste is of modest bitterness with an initial tingle on the tip of the tongue. It is quite bland generally with little further bitter development or other side flavours. This is a rather thin bodied beer but smooth in the mouth. The flavours do not last particularly long on the palate after swallowing apart from a slight metallic tang.
I have found another of those take-it-or-leave-it ales. Cocker Hoop is one of those regional beers that promises much. It is pleasant enough during the drinking but leaves little to remember it by once the glass is empty. I drank it alongside my evening meal (we had chicken and chips!). The flavours did not clash and the beer was uncomplaining.
I will certainly audition other ales from this Brewery in due course. I doubt I would entertain a repeat performance of this one. Try it if you must for its curiosity value. There are so many other good brews out there these days I certainly won't put it on my regular shopping list.
AVAILABILITY
Jennings Cocker Hoop Ale: 500ml bottle Morrison Supermarket. £ 1.49
It is also available for order online from the Brewery web site. A case of 12 bottles - £17.80
[POSTSCRIPT: Another famous son of Cockermouth was Fletcher Christian, the man who led the mutiny on 'The Bounty'. He was born about a mile from the town at Eaglesfield in 1764, and attended the same school as Wordsworth. Did my title really come from the sound track of the film?]
Jennings Brewery Tour4
