Redhook Winterhook

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

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

Bready, slightly floral nose with a hint of sweaty leather. Toasty malt, bready, fairly dry. A little earthy. Crisply bitter floral and herbal finish. While plenty drinkable, there are much better seasonal six packs at this price point.

Winter Hook #27, tastes watered down and lacking body. Good to wash down some dry turkey at Thanksgiving but that’s it.

This beer was nice and to the point it was hoppy but had some real good flavors that really popped

Winterhook release # 27 Bottled 10/21/11 Opened 11/23/11 First and foremost: rad bottle. Packaging can be a non-factor or a cloying gimmick but this bottle feels good in the hand and, quite frankly, is the only reason I initially inspected it on the shelf. The beer pours a ruddy copper, a hair darker than expected from an English Strong but attractive and within the seasonal palate. Emptied slowly into a pint glass at refrigerator temperature Winterhook produces one finger of moderately tight foam which dissipates within two minutes leaving weak lacing. Aroma leaves something to be desired. Munich malt punches through early with developing hints of toasted rye and hay barn. In fact, this beer is strongly reminiscent of a damn cold barn. Not at all a bad thing but I’m stretching for spice or floral aromatics and coming up empty. Winterhook’s taste is spot-on as expected. Bready, nutty, earth tones abound. Fall into some grass at the edge of your driveway in March while munching whole wheat toast and you’ll come up with the same flavors. While cold, dirty grass and un-appointed toast may seem less than appealing there is nothing wrong with the taste of this beer. A mild bitterness is palpable and pleasing. Red Hook claims 45 IBU’s for this release and while that might be a touch generous I’ll buy it. The beer carries a decent weight in your mouth. Not watery but towards the lighter side. Easy to drink but of substance. Not much changes as you work your way through the pint. A resinous, quick finish invites continued quaffing. All done and told a fine, if not remarkable beer. Ideal for stashing in the garage for clearing the driveway or paying your skyrocketing utility bills.

from the bottle. Left nothing to be desired, sure, but unremarkable. Pours a brown body with small grey head. Aroma of caramel, some toast. Medium bodied. Lightly bittered caramel malts, roast. Not bad.

Red Hook’s winter offering pours very nicely from a very uniquely-shaped bottle. It may sound a little wierd or shallow, but I can’t stop looking at the cool shape of it. It’s obviously different from the one that is pictured here. The beer sports an amber color with a pillow-like and soft tan head. The head leaves some beautiful cascading lace. The aroma doesn’t really offer a whole lot of a preview, though. I get only a trace of toasted malt and bread, with a very slight hint of a citrusy hoppiness. The body is a little light, but clean and drinkable. The flavors fall a little short, as well. I don’t get a whole lot up front. Most of the substance is in the finish and aftertaste. I found some toasted bread and malt, along with a semi-spicy and citrusy hop flavor. There also seems to be an ever-so-slight caramel hint, as well. More of the hoppiness shows up in the aftertaste. This is a decent beer, but not one that I would expect to be showcased as a winter seasonal offering.

Pours dark, with an unimpressive head and aroma. Very balanced in that nothing particularly stands out here. This is sort of a basic beer, nothing I would ever buy again.

Pours a dark amber body with a thin white head. Sweet then dry like some cherry cough medicine, which I just can’t get past.