Wychwood Brewery: Hobgoblin Dark English Ale

So I was cruising through Binny's, an alcohol emporium, when a new beer caught my eye. The picture of an ugly little mythical creature caught my eye. As I poked around I noticed that creature was Hobgoblin and that this was a selling point for the fellas at Wychwood Brewery. they describe this beer as being Hobgoblinish because it has a character very similar to one. "Very likeable...once you get to know him..." There's no better way to get to know a beer than by buying a six-pack so I certainly did.

This is a very interesting beer. Seeing as it's a Dark English Ale it was very dark and bitter. However the mixture of malts in there was very interesting. It was dark and bitter but with an interesting combination of sweet malts. There was a slight chocolate taste and toffee taste as well. Probably the malts they used.

I would not even begin to describe this beer as refreshing. It was not smooth, the uniqueness of the taste makes you think whether you really like it or not. It was very dry. It smells delicious, sweet and malty, but the taste doesn't quite match the smell. I will say though, with all the different kinds of flavors they have in a Hobgoblin beer, they do a good job of mixing them and not having one be too overwhelming.

By that 6th beer I was past the questioning of what is this and getting pretty used to taste and starting to like it some. The guys at Wychwood Brewery had it right. Very likeable...once you get to know him...

Onesy Brew: I think this fits into this category because the uniqueness of the taste is so gosh darn special and complex that it must truly be enjoyed slowly. i also could see this at a Bingo event. At 5.2% ABV it's nothing to write home to mother about but a couple of these would leave you bewildered and out of place...probably feeling like a Hobgoblin of sorts. I would say In-Laws/ Girlfriend and Boyfriend's Parents but because of the unique and odd style I wouldn't want to risk serving an unpopular beer. Onesy is the way to go.