Redhook Winterhook

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

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

Sampled in January ’07. Got a case of this for Christmas 2006. Brown color and aroma of hops. Strong flavor. Not bad but nothing extraordinary. I got through the entire case in about two months.

Very rich and bold. Nice roasty malt base that comes in a little thin. Light hoppy essence with a slight spice kick. Dry and enjoyable. I liked this as a cold summer drink - not as a winter-warmer as its not heavy and complex.

Bottle from the Portsmouth, NH brewery. Pours a deep amber color with a small off-white head. Aroma is malt, caramel, and a bit of a malt characteristic. Taste is the same, though a tad weak for a winter seasonal.

Amber color. Nice aroma of caramel and good hop. Malty, round, with caramel taste and good hopping.

UPDATED: OCT 15, 2007 While the micro brew offerings for deep winter drinking tend to be clones of each other, and poor ones at that, the Winterhook is one of the least comformist out there. The soil brown-burgundy body is deep and warming to the cockles of the heart, and the head is thin and off white, like new fallen snow at night. The aroma makes a noted departure from the standard formulaic chocolate malts, exhibiting a refreshing grape smell alongside inexpensive milk chocolate and even some maraschino cherries. It is a dessert smell, and one that gets me hungry for an old fashioned sundae. Hops and wet cement factor into the aroma as well, but the hops is marginal and the cement adds a touch of wet freshness that I rather enjoy in a darker beer of this caliber. The flavor is much less engaging. A weak, diluted maltiness wrests control over the tongue, sending me sulking back to the same stereotyped perception of cheap (read affordable) winter time micros. Then again I catch some roasted chestnut flavors, as well as dark honey, but they’re mere avatars of what they could be. Far be it from me to instruct a brewer, but I’d love a lot less weak malt character and a lot more unique tastes like these. The Winterhook takes a few steps from the cookie cutter winter beers I got in my sampler pack, but only a few. If it comes to buying a lot of beer to keep warm with a tight budget, then this is my recommendation. Hopefully the weather, and the financial strains, won’t be so bad as to warrant that, though.

Appearance: Pours a clear, bright brown body with a moderate, off-white head. Smell: The unfortunate aroma is formed by an offensive mixture of berries, soured citrus fruits, and dirty metal. Taste: Bland, plain-tasting malt flavor with a slight nuttiness to it. The small amount of hops present provide a bit of grassiness. Finishes sour and with the taste of stewed greens. Mouthfeel: Lackluster medium-thin body, with moderate carbonation and an exceedingly watery palate. Drinkability: Something to keep in mind: there are many far better winter beers. This one’s a total washout.

Robe cuivrée aux reflets rouges surmontée d’une mousse blanche qui s’estompe. Arômes légers de céréales. Saveurs légères de caramel. Texture crémeuse.

color is a lovely bronze with a short cream colored head. aroma is slightly sweet with some faint dried fruit. maybe a little nutty. flavor is rich and earthy with the same slight nuttiness. nice bristly carbonation with an oily mouthfeel.