Redhook Treblehook

Brewed by Redhook Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Woodinville, Washington USA

650 ml bottle. Pours a translucent orange-brown color with a medium beige head that receded to an 1/8 inch and holds. The aroma was very faint with sweet barley malts and a bit of booze. The taste was much better than the aroma with complex subtle nuances of caramel, oranges, leather, toasted malts, spicy hops and some dust. The palate was full and smooth with overactive carbonation. The finish was medium in duration with some lingering sweet spicy grains. Overall: A very recommendable barley wine, not a great one, but who knows it may age well.

22oz bottle $7.49. Orange-red color, short head, looks like your standard American barleywine. Smells like orange marmalade on bread, coffee cake, grand marnier...it tastes alcoholic and delicious at the same time. It was a little medicinal at first but as it warmed it became more of a boozy citrus flavor. Overall, ehhhh... Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 12-19-2009 05:26:04

Very nice caramel malt aroma to start this off, with a hint of hop lurking behind it. Pours a clear reddish-amber, with about half a finger of white craggy head. Nice full flavor, more of the American Barleywine versus the British style, with a nice hop bite hidden within. Alcohol is not noticeable, which is quite amazing for the 10% ABV. For the price, this is quite tasty, and shows that Redhook is at least still trying to go back to their roots.

Bomber from Beverages & More! Fairway. Pours a clear red with a medium sized yellow-brown head. Aroma is quite fruity with big hops. Flavor brings again huge fruitiness and big hops. One of the hoppiest Barleywines I personally have had. Medium viscosity, slightly sticky, warm finish. A very respectable showing in all categories. Overall, very good.

Bottles from 2007:   Fiery amber, fairly clear, thin to moderate off-white head, a little sudsy, falls somewhat quickly, a few rings of lacing.   Pale caramel aroma, citrusy, orange peel thats been candied I suppose.   Very subtle hop presense.   A little bright on the tongue, fiery, backed up with some biting citrus peel like bitterness.   Has a sweet component, but is softer than the nose suggested.   Malts are there, but are actually a bit on the thin side.   Not alcoholic, to a degree, but certainly warming.   Finish has an aerosol sort of tinge to it.   Fusel alcohol perhaps.   Body and mouthfeel are moderate, and for a 9.8% Barley Wine its not as big as one would expect.   Not saying its thin, just not as chewy as you’d think.   Lingering fusels, albeit somewhat minor.   A little jab of citrusy sweetness exists as well.   I’m pretty happy to be able to try this offering from Redhook, considering they grew up in my town.   I just wished it were a little less hot, and certainly more meaty with regards to malts.   Then I think you’d really have something.   Otherwise, not bad, but could use a little bit of time to settle down but not too much as I think it would fall off quickly.   Glad I have many others to share with local fans.   Thanks brewandbbq for the bottles!

THOUGHTS: Nothing special, but way better than I expected from Red Hook. Hid alcohol fairly well at first, but it started to take over a little as the beer warmed. Halfway through the alcohol started burning my eyes, even. Needs more aging. It became cloying rather quickly. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, dark orangey red with an average to large, off-white head that mostly diminished, but left excellent lacing. The aroma was moderate to heavy caramel and molasses; moderate piney hops; apple, cherry, that barley wine smell and too much alcohol. The initial flavor was sweet and lightly bitter; while the finish was extremely sweet for a second and then rather bitter with a long duration. There was caramel molt, brown sugar, alcohol, barley wine taste, pine hops, cherry, raisin, apple, and molasses. It was well balanced. The medium to full body was syrupy with lightly soft yet tingly carbonation with a lightly metallic and alcoholic finish.

Date: November 04, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Hop City, Atlanta
Appearance: hazy amber, fine beige head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet and fruity aroma, light earthyness
Flavor: dry and earthy flavor, plenty of bitterness, touch of fruity caramel sweetness, long bitter finish
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

Pours copper to light amber with off-white head that is significant, but dissipates within minutes to a thin rimjob, though much Belgian lace is left behind as the pint goes empty. Nose is light with some pine and mixed fruit. Palate is far more to the sweet side of things with caramel, honey, and hops come in afterwards in a lame attempt to balance it out (but don’t quite do so much). One of the maltier and less hop focused barleywines I’ve had in awhile..