Redhook Winterhook

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

Bottle. Did I get a skunk? Pours dark brown with some almost-purplish hues. Not a strong aroma but definitely gives a herby, boozy aroma (maybe gin/juniper?). That same bizarre herby mix is very prevalent in the beer, with a metallic twinge. Maybe I just don’t like Winter Ales (this was my first) but I thought it was mostly vile.

Looking at the style listed here I have to wonder how this is an English Strong Ale clocking in at 5.58%. Oh well. Pours clear bronze with a rocky tan head. The aroma is somewhat spicy, woody / cardboard and lightly roasted malt. Medium body with a little bit of fizzy carbonation. Starts medicinal with some clean roasted malt and some woody hops. There is just a hint of sweetness, it is mainly dry. The finish has some spicy / piney hops that give a quick flash adn then it is over - very quick finish. Ok beer.

12 oz bottle from Roths. Pours a clear amber with average size foamy head. Nose is spicey with some cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and toffee and subdued but citrusy hops. I pretty much detect all that in the taste as well as a bit of nuttiness in the finish. Thin body....Not sure how accurate this is for the style, but i do not think it is like a good typical English Strong Ale..maybe an English Weak Ale? Smells real nice though!

Clear, light brown/amber color, smallish off white head with a slight brown tint. Flowery hops dominate aroma, slightly sweet. Not as heavily bodied as I expected, light feel. Rich and hearty don’t fit so much, but clean and dry do. Not as much hops as the aroma would suggest, rather a decent balance of malt/hops, but for the hops and somewhat complex flavor there should be a stronger malt background, it’s just too thin. Not too bad, though.

An amber pour with a light lacing. An aroma that just doesn’t jump out at me it has a light malt and spice showing, but nothing bad. A flavor of light malt and spice. It has an almost sulphur like flavor to me. A bit of a bitter. A nice beer but not really special. I would drink it again.

on tap-pours an offwhite head that laces with clear red color. Aroma is citrus hops, medium malt-somewhat sweet. Taste is citrus hops, medium malt-somewhat sweet, comes across as an APA. OK/mild carbonation.

Copper amber color with a whitish head. Aroma has lots of floral hops in it.... some kind of berry to be exact. I pick up lots of berries..... Im not sure exactly what they are, but I feel certain that they must be blue or black, I dont know why. Those berries are in the taste too along with some malt, a little spice and some toffee and earth. Not nearly as malty as I expected from Redhook, but pretty good non the less. All-in-all, I think Redhook has made better.

Bottled. Pours a coppery amber with a lacy off-white head. The aroma has some toffee and nuts, along with some bread and yeast, and a minor herbal contribution from the hops. The body is medium-light with fine but fizzy carbonation. The taste is sweet with toffee and nuts followed by a dry and lightly earthy/spicy hop finish.