Beer: Redhook - Winter Hook #30

REDHOOK - WINTER HOOK #30 (Woodinville, WA) - 3.75/5 (good)

Redhook Brewery, based near Seattle, Washington, is, needless to say, a mainstay and innovator in the craft beer world. Having been around since 1981, Redhook has created many beers that have undoubtably inspired countless brewmasters to start their own breweries. In short Redhook is an institution in the craft beer world.

This year’s Winter Hook is Redhook’s 30th year producing this cold weather seasonal beer, and every year’s recipe has been different to some degree. In celebration of its “dirty thirty”, Redhook brewmaster Nick Crandall has revisited some of the best recipes of the past 3 decades and combined some of the ingredients. The result? A nicely warming brew that’s well-balanced for the cold months. Here’s the breakdown:

Appearance: Dark caramel-ruby, with a full-size head of light khaki bubbles. Lace is spoke-like, thick but not too frilly.

Aroma: Dark fruit, yeast, some citrus hops, some spice. Nice potpourri.

Taste: Spice and fruit up front of the palate, mild and easy. Finishes with a hoppy tone, bitter with some spice and heat. A complex and enjoyable winter warmer here, perfectly suited to cold weather.

Redhook dot com

Beer is Life!

It's time again for more beer reviews. Expect even more in the coming weeks, as this site becomes better balanced amongst the arts...film, sound, and flavor! 

Remember to keep it indie, keep it local, and keep it artful! Beer is food, and food is life, so wouldn't beer be life? Goatsden thinks so. 

Here are a few more recent reviews. Try them yourself and see if you agree, and let us know! Until next time, prost!

SIXPOINT - RESIN (Brooklyn, NY) - 4.0

Amber with hints of ruby upon pouring from the can, with a huge head of foam and gorgeous lace. Nose is sweet grapefruit, as is the taste. It's a sticky mouthfeel, being gloriously hopped, but with an underlying backbone of big malts as well, lurking beneath the palate-shocking hops. Definitely one for the hardcore hop-heads here. Solid, and a good experience, for sure.

RIVERTOWN - BLUEBERRY LAGER (Lockland, OH) - 1.0

This cloudy, pale yellow light lager pours with a nice head, but no lace to note.

The aroma is definitely blueberry, but more in line with a Nehi soda than fresh. Taste is very light, and not at all complex. There's a sure blueberry-like character, but it's a weird and funky sweet that clashes with the lager grains. Maybe I'm swayed by the bottle stating prominently that there's "artificial flavor added", but this just seems wrong. The finish is despicable and chemical-like. Awful.

WIDMER BROTHERS - ROTATOR SPICED IPA (Portland, OR) - 4.0

Very light but cloudy yellow in complexion, with a full head and detailed lace. Impressive. The nose is positively delectable, being intensely fruity with a deep citrus hops ester vibe. Flavor is tough up front, with a bitter pine/grapefruit hops bite. I get a light hint of tea and spice towards the finish. Unique and quite enjoyable!

REDHOOK PILSNER (Woodinville, WA)- 3.0

A fairly typical pilsner here, pouring yellowish with a white head and big, loopy lace. The aroma is lagery and grainy - definitely heavy on the malts. Tastewise, it's rather sweet, but not overly so, with a tinge of hoppiness at the finish. Solid, if forgettable.

As Fear once said, "More beer"...

So it's already beer o'clock around Goatsden International Headquarters. This installment, there are some fine craft brews to enjoy. Remember the ratings scale? Of course you do. Higher is better. If in doubt, check previous installments (search "beer" on this site). Keep it craft, keep it indie, and keep it delicious! Cheers and prost!

WINTERHOOK (Portsmouth, NH) - 4

This seasonal winter warmer pours a gold-amber with a mountain of small-bubbled foam. Nose is caramel-biscuity, with hints of spice (clove?).
Taste is strong, very bread-like with a little hint of fruit and a slightly bitter, alcohol finish. Definitely a solid beer, with a complex flavor profile, and an easy to drink treat for a bone-chilling evening!

BOULEVARD WHEAT BEER (Kansas City, MO) - 3

I'm not too familiar with Boulevard's brew offerings, but this faintly yellow and cloudy wheat beer begins blessed with a large, creamy head of foam. There's substantial lacing involved here, and a lively nose of citrus, and indeed there is a definite heavy orange zest finish to the taste. Boulevard Wheat is smooth-drinking, light-bodied, and a solid choice, although it doesn't present itself as too distinctive nor memorable.

GOOSE ISLAND - SOFIE (Chicago, IL) - 5

A "Belgian style ale" could encompass many tastes, so the printed description here leaves some mystery as to what lurks within this attractive and ornate bottle. Well, Sofie pours a kinda ugly cloudy yellow, with few bubbles and no lace. Not a strong opening, but the game's not over. Aroma is warm and spicy, with an unquestionable orange citrus overtone, with hints of pepper and clove. Surprisingly, the taste is quite mellow, with a huge sweet orange burst, followed by a slow-burn spiciness at the finish. This is then followed by another hint of warmed citrus. Delicious and exquisite!

GREAT DIVIDE BELGICA (Denver, CO) - 3

Great Divide has been noted for some outstanding beers (Yeti, anyone?), but this isn't necessarily one of them. Belgica pours a beautiful, hazy gold, with plentiful suds and minor lacing. Next comes a fantastic aroma of spice, citrus, and floral/grapefruit hops. But Belgica loses a point with the taste. It's malty and sweet, but the wonderful hops presence (so promised with the nose) seems toned-down and scaled-back, somehow. It's bold and citrusy, with a peppery alcohol followthrough (this one's a strong 7.2% ABV), but not one I'd pursue further.