Redhook Winterhook

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

A 12 oz. bottle pours a clear, dark amber body with an average light tan head that left good lacing. The nose features a pleasant, by nondescript fruity aroma barely disguising the malt base. Initial palate is mildly sweet, but quickly yields to hop resins. The midpalate presents a rather plain flavor spectrum, which is reminiscent of orange pekoe tea. The finish is dry and fairly long lasting.

Has a nice fruity hoppy aroma, light resinous quality with orange peel. Caramel and toffee sweetness, a bit malty. Clear light root beer brown, with thin off-white foamy lacing head. Medium bodied beer with heavy carbonation and resultant carbonic burn. Starts with mild caramel toasty sweetness and medium carbonic acidity. Hops come in quite strong with good fruitiness and a big hit of bitter. Not overly harsh, but a bit rough around the edges. After is a bit dry and bitter.

pours a clear ruby brown with minimal head and lacing. fruity aromas when warmer; apricot, strawberry, and maybe banana. taste is very smooth, slightly sweet but lacking anything to give it greatness.

Clear dark amber colour with thin off white head. No distinguishable nose. Mild hop taste with slight dry bitter finish.

Not bad. Had this winter ale on New Years eve. Poured dark brown, could just barely see through the glass. There wasn’t much on the nose. The flavor was malty at first, sweet with a raiseny taste which deminished quickly. It was on the lighter side for a winter brew but it was delicious.

Bottle (12oz). Poured deep clear copper with a small white skim head. Aroma of crushed spruce boughs - it’s almost all spruce resin hops, only the faintest hint of light roast malt; says "winter" to me. Taste is a nice blend of tea/orange peel hops, light malt - juicy faint woody malt, a nice evergreen crispness to it, some caramel and yeast as it warmed. Mouthfeel is astringent and lightly acidic, lightly carbonated - quite nice, not spectacular, but a nice session ale for this time of year.

Wow, I have never not been able to smell anything in a beer. All I get is cold and glass. Looks good and tastes good nonetheless. For a mass produced beer this is not so bad.

On tap at The Esquire in Champaign Illinois. Pours a dark copper in color with a medium sized longer lasting head that is off grey. Nose is mostly malt with a dab of hops. Taste is stronger with the roasted malts here and there. Drinkable and pleasant.