Redhook ESB

Brewed by Redhook Brewery
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Woodinville, Washington USA

I’m getting used to bitters and IPAs. Hops in the aroma and all over the taste. Fairly strong citrus notes which gave this beer some extra character. Fun to drink and easy to find.

12oz bottle. Orange color with a medium head. The aroma has some citric and spicy hops with some weak caramel and tea. The flavor is similar, with some earthy malt sweetness and moderately bitter hops. A little too carbonated and thin; totally not the feel I want in an esb. Just not malty enough or hoppy enough to be interesting, but the flavors are alright, and when it warms and breathes a bit you get a pretty non-offensive and sessionable beer.

orange colored with little head. hoppy taste but that much bitterness in the palate.

Pours clear copper with a soapy light tan head. The aroma has smooth caramel malt, some fruitiness and light spicy hops. Medium crisp body with sharp carbonation. The flavor starts with tinny fruit, woody / spicy hops and light caramel malt. The finish is peppery and has cotton candy-like sweetness. Fair at best.

Amber, crisp, refreshing, Mild, Light, Slightly fruity, had it on tap at a ball game. Best thing I could get my hands on. Went welll with the greasy food.

Bottle. Pours a dark gold. Smell of beer is all I can say. Decent ESB, but not spectacular. Drinkable stuff. Like but not great.

Red Hook ESB is a decent beer. If you like bud light at twice the cost, then this is your beer. I was not impressed with the ESB as I am with the Red Hook IPA.

Some beers get credit for getting there first. In this case, Redhook ESB practically reintroduced a ’premium Bitter’ to my country when most of us had no idea what kind of beer that was. Are there better examples? Yes. Still, not a bad way to get to the country to try a delicious beer.