Red Hook ESB Rich Amber Ale
Written: May 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hand crafted, natural beer, aromatic; full flavor.
Cons: Can be expensive - $8 - $9 for a six pack.
The Bottom Line: If you like ales that mix the bitter with the sweet, this is one you have got to try.
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| 4-1-1's Full Review: Belk's ESB |
This is a 20-year old brewery, founded in 1981, by Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker. The brewery is based in the Ballard area of Seattle, and Red Hook ESB is (Extra Special Bitter) is its flagship product. Brewing operations were expanded when an East Coast facility was constructed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
This is a handcrafted, unpasteurized, 100% barley malt, top-fermented ale that pours with an orange-copper color, a medium-sized and creamy head, and low-to-moderate levels of carbonation. This is a 5.4 - 5.6+% alcohol by volume ale.
This ale is said to be designed to resemble the Extra Special Bitters found in British pubs. This is a full-bodied beer that features an orange blossom aroma, and a caramel/toasted malt flavor. Finish is slightly sweet with some hops bitterness and orange-rind flavor in the end.
Red Hook ESB is brewed using a blend of two-row Klages and Caramel 60° barley malts. Two different hop varieties are also used: Willamette and Tettnangs.
Klages barley: A 2-row spring barley. Used to produce a base malt when brewed in conjunction with other specialty barley strains.
Caramel 60° barley: This is a 6-row, dark barley that is also used is Sam Adams' Cream Stout. This is a fully modified kilned malt that is used to add caramel flavor, sweetness, and amber color to beer.
Willamette hops: "Willamette is the triploid daughter of Fuggle released as a new U.S. aroma variety in 1976 from the U.S.D.A. breeding program in Oregon. The variety is characterized by low alpha, mild aroma similar to Fuggle and medium cone yields. The variety is more difficult to grow than most varieties, however, it is grown in all major U.S. growing areas and British Columbia, Canada." (Ref: John I. Haas, Inc. & Haas Hop Products, Inc., full-service suppliers of high-quality hop products.)
Tettnangs hops: The U.S. grown variety of this hops. This hops adds a aromatic character and spicy flavor to the beer.
Bitterness Units: 29.0 IBU
(A typical American lager beer has an IBU rating between 12 and 15 IBU's. The higher the IBU rating, the more bitter the beer.)
This is a beer I enjoy before a meal -- with appetizers like one of those "Bloomin' Onions" they serve at the Outback Steakhouse. I think that it would be a fine ale to serve with grilled shark or swordfish as well.
This is a high quality American Ale that I really enjoy. If I see it on special sale (like this weekend, only $7 for a six-pack at Ralph's supermarket), I will buy it. This ESB is available in wide distribution, and is a special ale that I confidently recommend to others for its fresh taste and full body.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1090
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