Redhook Winterhook - Redhook Ale Brewery

maccroz

Cambodia

4.3/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A dark, rich amber brew. Not syrupy thick, but very complex. This is a great winter beverage. A lot of winter seasonal brews go crazy either trying to craft a drink that is as thick as porriage or as spiced as nutmeg. This is a happy medium: a darker than normal beer which is slightly more complex than you'd expect in a lager.

Very unique piney-new-englandish taste (which is probably hard to picture not being from new england, but it's the best way to describe it)

Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 03:28:23 | More by maccroz

NEhophead

Massachusetts

2.93/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz brown bottle.

Creamy off white head that fades to a few pools of bubbles after a moment. Ringed and condensed lacing with surprisingly good/almost exceptional strength. Clear, light mahogany in color.

Moderate caramel sweetness with some darker fruit tones: cherry, plum, raisin. Also some darker floral hops in there with a touch of clove. Mild aromas but not unpleasant.

The sweet aromas soon turn to a burnt clove flavor upon impact on the tastebuds. A slightly bread-like malt character combatted by an unbalanced and unpleasant hop bitterness. Watery and lacking in true flavor. A highly astringent and almost pine cone flavored aftertaste.

Medium bodied yet thin and watery on the palate besides the clove-like graininess.

Bottom line...this is not a pleasant tasting beer. I'm still belching that pine cone flavor almost an hour after finishing the pint. My advice if you really want to try this one is not to make the mistake at buying a whole 6pk. My quest continues in finding a decent Redhook product.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2004 19:16:14 | More by NEhophead

Pegasus

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy amber-brown color with a fairly large and thick tan head, which retains impressively well, sheets of fine carbonation, and an abundance of broken lace.

Aroma: Spicy herbal hops dominate the aroma, there is also caramel malt, dark fruits, as well as some faint winter spices.

Taste: Begins with a moment of caramel sweetness, which soon gives way to roasted malt flavors and a very strong pine resin hop presence. Finishes dry with a lingering medicinal bitterness and a fairly strong and warming alcohol note.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and fairly full, with a late sting of carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: The earlier incarnation of this beer was one of the first microbrews I ever tried, and so was a touchstone for my progession as a fine beer enthusiast. Probably not as good as I considered it was at the time, but I could have chosen a much worse beer, and perhaps not embarked upon this voyage of beer discovery.

Presentation is a twelve ounce brown glass longneck with a twist-off cap. The label art is quite picturesque.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2004 04:05:58 | More by Pegasus

pgroove

New York

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Perhaps the best mass-market winter brew out there (better than the sierra celebration, IMHO). Some tasty stuff although I know some peeps who weren't wowed with the flavors. It's a nice chestnutty brown and has an intense taste bordering on a mild porter. Def worth a pickup (the dude at Von's only charged me 2.50 for a sixer today--maybe its on sale).

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2004 04:41:16 | More by pgroove

alexgash

Connecticut

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

Dark copper brown body with a sticky, light-tan head.
Smells of rich sugary toffee malt. Big spicy, sprucey hops are there too. Not bad, although there are also some faint metallic notes.
Toffee cookie dough malt flavors start it off. Hops come in midway to balance the light sweetness. The hops are bitter, piney, and kind of citrusy. Chewy, medium-big body. Some residual sweetness trespasses in an otherwise resiny, bitter finish. A surprisingly decent strong ale-ish beer. I was prepared to find this thing mediocre (like other Redhook beers I’ve had in the past).

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2004 21:51:36 | More by alexgash

moulefrite

Massachusetts

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

Chestnut in color with very little head and sparce lace. Hoppy on the nose with some sweet chocolate malt in the background. In the mouth the sweet, toasty malt attack is followed quickly by hop bitter. the texture is creamy. The beer finishes with some fruity notes, pronounced alcohol, and another blast of chocolate malt. a decent winter quaff.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2004 00:14:51 | More by moulefrite

mntlover

Tennessee

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber or is it brown what ever, small tannish head doesn't last long but laces well. Caramel malts, sweet some fruit coming thru with a touch of light floral hops in the background. Taste is malt goddness lightly spicey with a slight hop finish. Overall light for a winter warmer but it is drinkable. Mouthfeel light side of medium again little light for a warmer but it is just a Redhook after all. I would say drinkability is decent so far the only Redhook brew I have bought more then one six pack of.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2004 04:53:40 | More by mntlover

Globetrotter

Virginia

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

Standard brown 12 oz. bottle with a blue and white label featuring old man winter blowing up a gust of cold wind. No label information whatsoever. - no, wait, there's a bottled on date: 9/29/04.

Pours a clear pale brown under a one finger off white head that settles slowly, leaving some very good lace. The nose is strong with spice - cinnamon and nutmeg to my mind. The mouth is very prickly and light. Edgy spice taste here, without much malt. A strong bitter hops finish follows, with the spice returning in the aftertaste. Interesting and enjoyable, albeit a tad watery. An off beat brew, but I like it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2004 04:07:41 | More by Globetrotter

Brian700

Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

This beer pours a dark brown with a little red tint. The head is tan and stands about 1/4" and fizzles out fairly fast. There is a mild smell of hops and malt. Maybe a little spice. The taste isn't very impressive. Pretty weak at first taste and then as it hits the back of the palate you pick up on some hop bitterness and a little sweetness. This isn't a very complex beer. The mouthfeel is poor. I don't think this beer has the right amount of carbonation for its classification. It seems to lack enough carbonation. I think this beer would be a little better if they made it a little heavier with a little more alcohol. I really wouldn't recommend it. I would rather poor myself a bells best brown anyday.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2004 21:27:56 | More by Brian700

trancefishy

Colorado

2.55/5  rDev -29%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

dark ruby beer with only a few little bubbles on the edges, wanting to be at least a small head. aroma is of sharp malts. taste is flat, a rush of bitterness with a similar finish, and a mildly sweet aftertaste. rather one dimensional. mouthfeel is a bit flat and thin. there is just a bit of that "english ale" taste wanting to get out, but it's far in the background, along with a smidge of dark cherry.
i'd recommend grabbing something better.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2004 03:55:28 | More by trancefishy

beertaster13

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pretty standard winter warmer. Pours a dark brown with red streaks. The smell is heavy on caramel malts and apple, hints of spice streak through. The taste is of a toffee malt and apple crust. Bread like taste with spices creep into the end, a full bodied beer than is great for those chilly nights.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2004 10:51:16 | More by beertaster13

RootedFool

California

4.1/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a 12 pack on sale at the local Safeway.

Pours deep amber with copper highlights around the edges. A very light brown head spews toward the lip of the glass, dense and pillowy and takes its time descending. Dollups of lace hold to the glass like cool whip around a fat child's lips during Thanksgiving dinner.

Smell:

A thin waft of raisins cooked down in caramel, with a middle and finish of straight-up brown sugar and a hint of lemon zest.

Taste:

A dry bitterness along the center of my palate, overflowing into an even drier bitterness -- blackened toast comes to mind, but pleasantly -- and succulent candied fruits peak through the middle, closing on a slight twist of alcohol in my throat and gut, and a raspy twang of bitterness over a bed of fading malt sweetness that reminds me of flat Pepsi.

Mouthfeel is somewhere between creamy and "whipped," a nice palate-coating density. Doesn't quite stick to the ribs, but this is a good thing.

Not bad for my first winter seasonal of the year.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2004 01:52:49 | More by RootedFool

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

1.9/5  rDev -47.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Bottled, lame is a word that springs to mind. Very dissapointing for a supposed winter ale. Light choc, caramel, little hops noticable, grainy and thin, no bitterness, cola like texture. NOt really a fan of redhook at all, very bland for a winter beer, where is all the flavour????

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2004 10:16:22 | More by rastaman

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Headless dark tea like colored pint pour with a thin ring lace with no carbonation notes showing.

At best, cola notes.

Woody bland dry straw flavors. Standard beer like malts are present.

Last swigs: On tap at the Drafting Room so I decided to celebrate the start of July with a Winter. This is a confused beer looking to distinguish what it is. Mostly it is a watered down porter. Less than average. Pass.

Beer is good. Happy weak beering.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2004 03:01:05 | More by blitheringidiot

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

No information anywhere on the bottle as to what I am about to imbibe. Winter ale. Mahogany body with a sticky lace atop. Sweet, malty caramel apple aroma. Smells very much like some barleywines I've had. Kind of thin on flavor. Subtle fruitiness to back the substantial toasted malt character. Tingly on the tongue. Not huge on flavor, so I don't know that I'd want to drink a lot of these, but it goes down fairly smooth and I certainly could drink a few. I think I'd just go after a winter seasonal that's got some more character.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2004 23:06:05 | More by IrishRedRock

HiroProtagonist

Maryland

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

Winterhook Winter Ale was served from a 12 oz. twistoff bottle. In a pint glass, the beer was a rich dark reddish copper hue, and was topped by a small but fine tan head. The nose was of moderately roasted malts accented with a subtle citrusy hop bouquet. The taste was fairly light in the roasty malt department for the style. There were some tasty flavors however, in the form of grapefruit and lemony citrus accents, and an aggressively hopped finish. I did pick up some alcohol in the aftertaste, which tainted any potential lingering pleasantries. I still would have liked more of that sharp or roasty maltiness up front. The body was decent for the style, and since this was not a huge beer, it was pretty drinkable. Overall, not a bad winter brew, but needs tweaking.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2004 05:40:14 | More by HiroProtagonist

WetCoaster

California

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Aside from the weirdly hideous "printed the night before at Kinkos" labeling, I’m impressed. The beer pours a deep, rich, clear ruby/mahogany. The head is a quarter-inch of rocky amber that lasts for a decent stretch before leaving a thick rim along the glass wall. Nice lacing as well. A seriously good-looking brew.

Smell: Malt right off the bat, with a certain underlying spiciness. Whether it’s hops or some adjunct, I’m not entirely sure. Still, not that assertive. Not bad, but not what I’d expect from a “special” brew.

Taste: The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but the heavy malt and mild carbonation give it a nice smoothness. The taste is terrific—for a pale ale. It starts off rich and malty, more sweet than smoky. The hops bite hard at the end, with an astringent finish. Again, a great pale ale, but not quite the weight or intensity of flavor you might want in a holiday beer.

Drinkability: Very. This is a very tasty brew, nice flavor without a ton of body or a huge ABV. I could drink more than a few of these.

If you frequent this site, you know that Redhook is pretty much synonymous with mediocrity. This brew, however, is solid. I liked it a lot. Not the best seasonal, per se, but a really tasty ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2004 06:33:15 | More by WetCoaster

zacharius

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Beer pours a light brown with copper tint. Nice tight head sits on top, lasts through the glass. Smell is of hops and a bit of malt in there as well. Taste is decent esters predominate with hints of roasted malts, hops are in balance. The aftertaste of this brew is where it shines with an endless floral taste of willamette hops. Mouthfeel is average and it has decent carbonation, some alcohol but nothing to write home about, could be thicker. Drinkability is very good, you could drink many of these beers. Not quite what I would expect from a winter ale but a good beer nonetheless. Nothing here to offend anyone but nothing to make you crap your pants with enjoyment either.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2004 23:12:26 | More by zacharius

Wildman

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured a dark copper color and formed a nice, off white bubbly head that left trace lace as it subside. A small amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, hops and some caramel. A flavor of malt, caramel with some hops present. The body is fairly thin for this style and the finish is a touch on the bitter side. Just not terribly impressed with this one, which is about par for this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2004 22:47:54 | More by Wildman

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Tall thin 12 ounce bottle. Labeled like the picture in the BA Database. The Bottled On Date finishes in ….08 03 the previous numerals are worn and not that discernable. Twist off cap was destroyed by my Samuel Smiths Bottle Opener.

Appearance: A clear but dark looking copper color body underneath a light tan colored head that is creamy looking, smooth and has a good longevity. Thick lacing eventually thins as the beer is downed, but the lacing looks good. Backlit it has a deep ruby hints. Solid conditioning. It looks great in my McEwan’s Scotch Ale Glass Goblet.

Nose: Biscuit and oatmeal with some sweet malts. Has a nice hop nose that rises at the back end with some feint pine oils. A baked bread nose builds as the temperature rises.

Taste: Malts start the beer, with some bitterness in the middle. The finish has an oatmeal cereal feel with a light sourness to it. As you drink through this it has a simple feel that is good but can be a little one-dimensional.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy at first with a spiky carbonation aided by a porridge like feel in the back end. Bitterness cuts the oatmeal porridge in the latter third. Finishes dry and acidic.

Drinkability: Easily dispatched and a nice drinking beer but a little too one-dimensional and a tad thin at times.

Overall: Thanks to BigHuge for the chance to finish off this Winter Ale before the Spring breaks through. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2004 07:39:50 | More by TheLongBeachBum

edchicma

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad brew, but not ghreat either. Appearance was nice with decent head and lacing. Nice dark cramel color. Smell was mainly grape-like, but nor unpleasant. Taste was unspectacular, grape flavor came through. No major sweetness or bitterness. Light hop presence on the finish. Easy enough on the mouth and palate, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2004 00:54:47 | More by edchicma

trekbiker3000

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The appearance was a very nice reddish brown color; clear, with a moderate head.

I did not notice much of an aroma, maybe a little hops.

There is a definite hop bitterness to this beer but not as bitter as an IPA. The flavor is a spicy earthy taste that is interesting. I'm not sure about it, but I went back for another one.

The mouthfeel is good, not overly carbonated. My overall impression is that it is a decent representation of a winter ale, something you could drink while watching football.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2004 02:02:52 | More by trekbiker3000

kbub6f

New York

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

This clear, deep red/brown beer has a small, grayish-tan, fine, doughy head. Spots and arcs on the glass. Big pine hops in the nose, and almost a menthol note. Sweetish. The beer starts hoppy with some pepper. It turns a little watery, but there's some decent dark caramel (especially at temperature). Major pepper in the finish with lots of hops and some nice grains. This is a nice, hoppy brown.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2004 00:56:10 | More by kbub6f

aaronh

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Clear deep red-copper with a cream colored head that quickly fades to a thin film of foam. Aroma exhibits a touch of caramel and little else. Just a bit on the boring side of good beer. Taste has a decent amount of roastiness and a touch of coffee, both pretty unexpected. Funky lingering spicy bitterness on the finish pervades the aftertaste. Strong earthiness comes out after a few sips. Mouthfeel is a bit thin as well. Drinkability is OK, but one is more than enough for me. I don't much care for this beer. I think the blackhook may have been a better choice, as I was debating between the two. I believe I chose poorly in this instance. Damn impulse purchases! Well, at least I only bought one.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2004 01:23:51 | More by aaronh

SheepNutz

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap poured into a Winterhook pint glass. It pours a deep brownish-red with one finger of head. There is a large amount of lacing left on the glass. The smell is fairly malty, a little sweet, with just a note of hops. The smell is a little weak on this one. The taste is fairly malty at first, with bits of pepper and nutmeg present. The finish is very hoppy. Almost no aftertaste is left behind. The mouthfeel is just a little light, but the drinkability is fairly nice. I could down a few of these on this cold winters night.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2004 02:54:32 | More by SheepNutz