Redhook Winterhook

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

Aroma is sweet and hoppy. Notes of caramel in the nose. Pour is reddish amber with a fizzy white head. Flavors of hops, fruit, mild spice, and malt. A decent ale.

Poured a very nice look amber. Very clear. Off white head with some lasting power. Nice lacing. When I first got a whiff of this I was excited, hint of hops. Taste was a little disapointing. For a winter I was hoping for some strong malt and spiceyness. This is more of an Irish Red with a touch of hop bitterness and aroma. While I like this, quite lot actually, I thought I was getting something different.

Bottle... Poured a nice dark, glowing red tone with a great frothy head that lasted and had nice lacing. Sweet malty aroma, with flavors of floral arrangements, maybe some fruit and malt. It tasted a little watery but certainly makes a decent brew.

Red Hook Winter Hook in a 12 oz brown bottle. Pop the lid for an interesting spicy aroma. Dark brown yellow. Taste is not as spicy as the aroma. Can’t get over the spicy herb vegetable smell, though not unpleasant. Feel is a little viscous and strong lagerish. Not in your face with the alky. The only other English strong ales I’ve had are summit and weyebacher. Not as strong in the flavor area as those two but it don’t make it any less enjoyable. This attribute may even make it better. Some hopp or malt bite on the back of the tongue and it even lingers for a while but it is not like strong strong ale. It manages itself without too much trouble. It does seem to be a little less oppressive than the other strong ales. Finish is a medium bitter that is tolerable.

On tap. Caramel, off white head. Aroma is pineapple, malt, floral. Flavor is pineapple, citrus, floral, malt. On the watery side.

A pretty flavorfull brew for the redhook guys. Pours a light roasted color with not much head, but pretty good lacing. Aroma is sweet with butterscotch and malt. Flavor is a bit different, a spicy hop flavor comes through as the beer warms to drinking temperature, the yeast can be a little too fruity though.

Redhook Winterhook is a hazy light chesnut color. The initial small, frothy parchment colored head fades away quickly and doesn’t really leave a crown and only very scant lacing. The aroma is toasted malt and a subtle hint of chocolate. The flavor is quite good is well balanced between the rich, lightly roasted maltiness and the floral, lightly citrus hop bitterness. The finish is slightly dry and roasty with some more of the hop flavors (weak citrus, floral). Medium body, smooth on the palate. Overall this IS a good beer for a chilly winter day! The interaction of the rich, roasty malts and the light, citrus Cascade hops is very good and very well done... 12 bottle; Bottled 092706.

33 cl bottle, Fargo. Crisp amber colour, frothy head. Subtle hop aroma, a bit thinner taste than expected. Nice sharp bitterness, dry finish. Decent winter offering.