Redhook Winterhook - Redhook Ale Brewery

pandashaver

New York

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A dark brown body, translucent. White very foamy head that left excellent lacing down the glass and kept some head throughout.

S - Very citrusy/lime smell initially, with also some grassy notes. Can smell the malt sweetness but also the hops. Spices were hard to decipher and not overwhelming at all.

T - The hop presence was a nice surprise. Some spices, though subdued. Sweetness to balance, and a good bitterness in the aftertaste.

M - Medium bodied, though a bit watered down as expected from this brewing company. Sticky from the sweet malts.

D - A liked it, but did not love it. Usually would have only one, unless I stayed at the same bar and didn't have any other options. I don't drink winter brews regularly this time of year, so I'm not the best judge of this.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2009 13:44:50 | More by pandashaver

madtappers

Washington

4.8/5  rDev +33.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This has got to be one of the best winter seasonals on the market, that no one cares about.

This beer pours an amber color not to light and not to dark.

Great taste not to hoppy not to malty, which adds to the drinkablity of this beer.

Unlike many other winter beers this does not have that heavy alchol after taste.

This ale is great for the novice or the snob, and makes a great beer to take to grandma's house for Christmas dinner for all to enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2008 17:13:52 | More by madtappers

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Portsmouth Brewery Chataqua Public House on 11/1/08.

Pours a deep, clear amber with a 1/2 finger of creamy off-white head. Solid covering of retention leaves a soft cascade of lacing behind. The aroma is fresh, floral hops with a bit of spice to it and some underlying malt sweetness.

The taste is a slightly tangy mix of citrus and caramel malts with a nice floral tasting hop bitterness that wraps everything up nicely. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied with a crisp carbonation up front that spreads out into a more creamier feel.

This is probably one of my favorites from Redhook with some nice chewy sweetness but it's the freshness of the hops here that really did it for me with this pint. Tasty and pretty easy drinking for the size.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2008 18:02:26 | More by Kegatron

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Nice red copper color. The head was only a finger width and the head loves to cling to the side of the glass in chunky white foam.

S- This smells sweet, and a bit more on the hoppy side of a winter warmer. Must be a West Coast classic for sure. Sweet caramel and honey with some great spice mixed in. Great smelling Winter Warmer.

T- There is a nice hop taste for sure, and it is always there to play nice. But there is a real nice caramel malt profile that is the star. This is a nice well rounded and balanced American West Coast take on a winter warmer. Nice well rounded beer.

M- This feels good in the mouth, very nice feel.

D- Yes this is very drinkable, I'm glad I got this fresh as well. Its a nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2008 01:13:34 | More by Wetpaperbag

aerozeppl

New York

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep amber color with 2 fingers of white head.

S: Nice smell with a lot of malt and spiciness.

T: Malt was up front followed by some hops. Nice balance to it.

M: Thin for the style. Felt good though.

D: Very drinkable for the style. Got this because everything else on tap was bleh. If in the same situation recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2008 01:28:26 | More by aerozeppl

erwin08

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a transparent red/brown with minimal head and lacing.

S: smells malty with hints of carmel and fruit

T: this is a winter? much lighter than i expected. malty/carmel taste to it with very slighty hoppiness.

M: again much thinner, smoother, and lighter than i expected from a winter.

D: very drinkable. doesn't pack the punch of most winter beers. not what i had expected, but by no means a bad beer.

OVERALL: A tasty beer from Redhook. Not your typical winter, but still a very drinkable beer with a winter twist. Worth a taste.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2008 04:07:02 | More by erwin08

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep chocolaty opaque brown; tan head has fine bubbles and persists some. Aroma is rich and creamy and fairly malty with strong hints of spice and coffee. Flavor is mainly malty and has a roast coffee overtone and hints of spice and hops. Very smooth, perfect for the winter holidays.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2007 23:38:56 | More by Cyberkedi

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clean copper/ orange-ish color, with a white head. In the aroma, a sweet, sugary fruitiness. In the taste, malty, and a very sugary corriander taste. A big body, with a small bite in the mouthfeel, and a dry sugary, orange-ish aftertaste. Kind of candy like, and a nice body.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2007 16:47:31 | More by OWSLEY069

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Playwright in Hamden, Conn.

A: Poured a very clean-looking amber-brown with a fluffy head of dense off-white foam. Not too dark for what's supposed to be a winter warmer.

S: Smells of faint, musty pine needle hops and sweet caramel malts. A little spicy zest on the nose.

T: Tastes remarkably hoppy for a winter warmer; yum! The finish is nice, cinnamon spice and sweet caramel malt, with a little toasted corn husk flavor. Strange balance for a winter warmer, but I liked it.

M: Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and the rich, spicy finish will satisfy.

D: I had a couple of these, and probably could have had more. The ABV over 6% and the sweet malt/bitter hop balance with spices added is a great drinking combo.

I really hope to find a 6-pack off the Winterhook soon, or at least get three in a mixed twelve. It's a good winter warmer, though those who don't want something so hoppy may be turned off. A nice winter warmer for hopheads, though.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2007 05:36:50 | More by Gambrinus1184

YonderWanderer

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a copper color with little head to it.

S: A bit of caramel malt and some piney hops, but not much to the nose with this one.

T: The taste is similar to the nose. A nice balance to the malt and hops, but neither really come to the forefront. Blends nicely, but I would like a bit more of both in this.

M: A little thinner than I would have liked. It was okay, but could be better.

D: This is a decent winter ale. There are much better ones out there though. I had it on cask at the brewery, so that was cool, but I wouldn't otherwise go out of my way for it.

Serving type: cask

11-26-2007 13:59:34 | More by YonderWanderer

dnichols

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was poured a pitcher in a plastic container that we then poured into a 12 ounce frosted mug.

A: The beer poured a clear amber body with a 1 1/2 finger white head made up of sticky dense medium sized bubbles. The head had decent retention and supported a thin even curtain that marched down the side of the glass.

S: The initial aroma is dominated by lightly roasted sweet malts, floral hops and a bubblegum like odor that gives the impression of a sweet candy.

T: The taste is dominated by floral piny and grassy hops that also generate light white spice flavors. The hops are complemented by sweet malts with white bread yeasts and light brown sugars.

M: It was light bodied, thin and dry with balanced carbonation and a distinctly sour back side flavor.

D: It was a decent brew with a moderate ABV but a bit more bite and piny flavors than I typically enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2007 21:23:21 | More by dnichols

supercolter

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Not a bad beer, i think that Redhook has kind of gotten into a rut however, and that is that alot of their beers have very similar characteristics.
This beer had a very similar smell of banana and sweet malt that their Blonde has, and furthermore the mouthfeel is very similar. Obviously they are different colors with the winter warmer being much darker, but kinda wierd.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2007 01:27:18 | More by supercolter

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Houlihan's restaurant in Maple Grove, MN. They were out of the Sam seasonal so this would have to do. Like most of the Redhook brews, this beer is unoffensive and taste watered down, even at 6.1%. There's some lightly roasted caramel and not much else. I don't know what's "winter warmer" about this, reminds me of a basic amber.

UPDATE: Bottle from Liberty St. Tavern.
The current bottled version has a nice, seemingly dry-hopped bite to it, but on the other hand there's also an unpleasant metallic taste. I'd still call this an improvement.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2007 06:11:51 | More by tempest

Jaynuze

District of Columbia

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I started drinking this at my local watering hole since the other options aren't much better (bud, miller, Mich., and other various macros), however I was really impressed with this season's Winter brew ... especially the nose.
It pours a nice rich amber with a very thin white head. Depending on the cleanliness of the glassware (which is usually 50/50 at my local dive) it usually leaves a nice Belgian lace down the side of the glass.
The nose is a wonderfully sharp citrus that really gets one's senses going. It's a bit of a tease though since the taste and mouthfeel are much less satisfying than the nose would leave one to believe.
It has a smooth taste with little or no spice, which makes me wonder how this is truly considered a winter warmer other than the fact that it comes out at ... you guessed it, wintertime. I would say the best description of its taste is a more full bodied lager.
The mouthfeel is a bit watery (though this could be due to the bar's tap system) and the carbonation is not shooting up the glass as I've seen with other brews.
Though not as complex as other winter styles, this is an "old faithful". If your bar doesn't offer anything too interesting this is always a good call. I like to pair this one up with a nice side of Rye to get me through the cold weather ... it matches nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2006 18:40:21 | More by Jaynuze

Chaz

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a brilliant, golden amber in color into a Libby pint. Billowy off white head subsides after a minute or so, leaving a touch of lace. A consistency of aromatic usage seems to be key here, as the same elements interact through both the aroma and taste profile: roasted malt, biscuity malt, lime-citrusy hops, and yeast. Hop use is very well-done, dynamic even, and I could smell this from a couple of yards off! I half expected a hop-harvest/fresh hop ale (Hoptoberfest with the wrong tap handle?) but sure enough it has the right name afffixed to the keg and tap handle. To be honest I wasn't expecting a yeast character from this after years of go-rounds with the brand, but sure enough there's an ale-yeast character at play here and it seems fitting. Carbonation is spot-on in a bar that must've just had its lines cleaned as well (the rest of the place -which shall remain nameless- needs a lick of paint : ) Body seems thin for the style but mouthfeel is good overall, and allows the hops to all-but dominate this brew. A little bit of tanginess here and a little bit nutty, but this is not as 'warming' as some winter warmers, which makes it quite drinkable.

Before I typed this I found several listings for a Redhook brew by this name, and sure enough there have been changes: the darker and more robust offering I remember enjoying for a handful of years (more akin to their Blackhook porter in heft and mouthfeel) seems to have been retired along with the old stubby bottles, but I enjoy this new recipe just the same. For my money Winterhook is still the best offering from Redhook: too bad it isn't a year round offering!

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2006 01:09:36 | More by Chaz

GardnerAleBrewer

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer has been going downhill every year I've tasted it. Three years ago it was wonderful: a nice, rich, dark IPA is the only way I could describe it. It had a very cascady nose, and a nice, rich, malty body. Every year since then, it has gotten thinner, less hoppy, and less complex. It is still a good beer, but what are they doing to the recipe? Or is it something else? Redhook produces some great beer for the mass market. This is one that they shouldn't be "watering down".

Serving type: growler

10-17-2006 23:07:06 | More by GardnerAleBrewer

xoqx

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Medium amber with ruby hue and a rather yellow head on this Winter warmer from the Woodinville, WA brewery. There is medium-significant lacing, less than in previous years (this is the 2006 Winterhook). Any smell that comes across seemed predominantly yeast-oriented. The taste has a lot of anise and licorice notes, yet is not spicy in the way one would expect a winter warmer to be (spiced or true additive free warmer). It does have a warming feel, but not significantly – not a lot of alcohol coming through in this. Moderately drinkable, but not a very compelling beer – weak for the style.

The beer is listed on BA as 6.11% at the time of reviewing this beer, but it is listed at the forecasters pub as 5.52% abv as of October of 2006. This might account for the many reviews that indicate it's not getting better with each annual brewing.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2006 22:05:25 | More by xoqx

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark, caramel color beer. Not as heavy as imagined. Small, thin head, but it did stay a bit in spots.
Smelled like caramel, roasted malt and almonds. Not very powerful.
Taste had about the same. Nut, roasted malt, caramel. Thinner than a winter ale ought to be, lower alcohol content. Can drink it fairly well.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2006 16:39:12 | More by Mebuzzard

CultureJamMN

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Local Macro watering hole had this on-tap, since it was the only thing that wasn't macro-lager, i figured i would give it a go (ESB was also on tap, had that too)

A darkish amber hue with red around the edges, virtually no head, and minimal lacing.

The smell seemed weak to me, but i did pick up caramel malts, with a note of citrus, and something approaching toast that's just a little overdone (not charred)

Good malts in the first tast, but nothing to write home about. The hops come on later, and actually leave a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste. The citrus notes are there, but the caramel stands out.

This was thin for a winter warmer... mine felt a bit over carbonated as well, though that may own to the bar where i was at.

all in all, if you're drinking warmers, there are better out there. but if you're stuck in macro-land, and this is your craft/micro option, go for it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2006 17:39:07 | More by CultureJamMN

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm surprised this beer hasn't been reviewed. Redhook East is a good brewery, and the pub serves great food. Anyway, this winter seasonal is a nice dark amber color with a fairly thick creamy head. Good lacing. It has a sweet molasses smell to it, and a fruity, cinnamon taste. Good mouthfeel, not too carbonated. A very drinkable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2006 12:52:21 | More by lordofthewiens

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A real dark reddish color with a smallish head with good lacing.The smell is earthy,floral,and hoppy.The taste is a spice,malt and hop filled pleasure.The m/f is well balanced between malt and hops.This is a ggod seasonal beer and I was pleasently surprised.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2005 22:08:47 | More by jmz62565

Backer2004

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a nice pint at the Mellow Mushroom in Charlotte. Must have been on special on Wednesdays because the bill was less than I expected. Typical to the other winter warmers I've tried so far this season. Much more than a hint of cinnamon and spices that sparkled in the mouth (though not anything "extra" for the style). Thin lacing around the glass. Hard to fully judge this one, since I was trying to pay attention at my first Carolina Brewmasters meeting. Not as good as the home brewed Imperial Stout I tried later in the evening.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2005 02:57:48 | More by Backer2004

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer poured a deep red to slightly brown color with a finger of head that fell to coat the beer. The nose was sweet, very sweet caramel with a light touch of hop. Not too bad. The flavor was well balanced between the sweet caramel and sweet grapefruit and piney hops. Where the beer lacked was in the mouthfeel. It was just too thin. Overall a nice easy sipping beer that was good to start a night. I'd have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2004 19:50:39 | More by kmpitz2

oberon

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Brixx Pizza,first time on tap.Poured a lighter brown almost amber color with athis head that left a thin sheet of lace,picked up a bigger than expected hop presence in the aroma some pine along with some roasted malt.Big and hoppy up front on the palate very piney and resiny with a enough of a roasted malt backbone to hold up to the hop attack making for a big,bold,well rounded brew.Very pleasntly suprised with the character of this brew,have had it before and dont remember such a hop profile.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2004 03:54:24 | More by oberon

Truh

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dreamt of cherubim and seraphim with this one on 11/20/2004. 16-oz. pour at Margarita’s in downtown Concord, NH.

Was a bit leery of what the tap lines might be like, but what the hell, when in Rome. Nice ½ inch fluff of plumed head immediately, which actually remained attenuated throughout most of the emptying, and pretty good lacing as well. Dark copper to brown hue with a dulling sheen to the whole affair. Copious malt front to nose with some spices kicking about – cinnamon, maybe some nutmeg, spruce essence perhaps. To taste, welcoming deep malt with a robust, almost scotch ale like overall profile; a touch of chestnuts roasted on an open fire toastiness too. On the whole, a pretty good offering from Redhook when I am used to uninspiring stuff from them, for the most part.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2004 21:42:08 | More by Truh