Redhook 8-4-1 Expedition Ale

Brewed by Redhook Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Woodinville, Washington USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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The look is clear, golden in color, and has a beige colored head. The smell is caramel, malts, and ok with some hops. The taste is hoppy, bitterness, caramel, and malts.

16th July 2011
Clear red - amber beer. Good pale tan head. Soft and semi dry palate. Smooth malt with a nice vanilla oak that doesn’t dominate. Well balanced by mellow hops - mildly bitter orange. Finishes with creamy malt and mild minerals. Dry. Nicely joined up. If not a tad dry this would have been in the 4s.

Pours a rich orange amber color with a finger of eggshell foam. On the nose there is a lot of sweet caramel, touch of dark fruit and a trace of smoke. The palate is kind of sticky with lots of toffee and brown sugar sweetness.... background notes of fig, dates and even a little raisin. Round barrel notes of vanilla and toasted oak... little touch of bitterness on the finish.

Tasted from bomber bottle into a rocks glass at the Royale gathering, thanks Kier! Cool bottle design and story, lots of cool ingredients/processes listed (honey, cherry-wood smoked malts, oak bourbon barrels, brown sugar...) but overall, the concept was more interesting than the resulting beer. Very faint aroma, but some subtle malt, hops and bourbon, no yeast, no smoke. Flavor was much more bitter than I expected, from hops but some husky burnt grain bitterness as well. Caramelly and a bit cidery. Medium body and carbonation, thin and slick mouthfeel, not as rounded and bready as I would’ve liked. Not bad, but not as good nor complex as presented.

Bomber on sale for $1.99 at Sam’s Quik Shop, probably because it’s two years old. Pours a honey brown, lightly hazy with a small head. Nose shows faded NW hops, generous brown sugar, wild honey, and mild hints of oak--mostly in the form of vanilla. Smells sweet and tastes that way. Hop bitterness still present on the finish. Not super excited about this one.

Ok beer. Cellared for 24 months. The aroma is sweet Malt and light bourbon. Appearance is cloudy thik with quickly disapating head. Taste of malt and caramel with light bourbon finish.

Bottle, 22oz .. . Pours a deep caramel tan .. medium foam .. . caramel, molasses, and bread .. . pretty smooth, the abv is pretty tame .. . tasty for a redhook product .. . . I’ll tell you what’s ridiculous! The Kaiser! Somebody should put him on a roll!

22 ounce bottle
Something that has just been sitting around I finally decided to give this a shot just to clear some space. It met my expectations but was not much better. i don’t have much experience with Redhook and don’t plan on doing much to change that soon.

Aroma / Appearance - The rosy white head was soft in contrast to the dense rusty body the color of old beat up bronze. In fact it almost looks like a bottle of cherry extract was poured into the glass. The nose of honey, freshly split wood, and a residual tartness give it some life. Even so it felt pedestrian and plain.

Flavor / Palate - Cool sun tea left to sit on the porch, lemon wedges, and slightly burnt toast with a dash of honey create a light flavor on the tongue. Thick enough to be filling the mouthfeel coats every corner of the palate. The last touch was a warm alcoholic glow which shocks the palate after it begins to settle. Overall it isn’t great but it gets the job done.

22 oz bomber curtesy of my brother for Christmas. Nice strong beer. Sweet malt flavors, with slightly bitter hops taste. Level of alcohol is noticable.