Red Hook Brewing is a microbrewery in Seattle, Washington that has been around for a while. I spotted this beer, their ESB, Extra Special Bitter, listed on Untappd as a Strong Bitter, in my local beer and wine store, Vintage Sellers. I have sampled several other Red Hook beers with mixed results, some I liked, some not so much. This is Red Hook's flagship beer which has been brewed by them since the mid-1980s.

Red Hook Brewing - ESB

Stats

• Brewery: Red Hook Brewing Company - Seattle, Washington
• Alcohol Content: 5.8% by volume
• IBUs: 28
• Company Description: Redhook’s flagship beer got its start as a winter seasonal recipe in the mid 80’s. In the early years, Extra Special Bitter earned a reputation as ‘banana beer’ and has been brewed continuously since 1987. ESB’s caramel malt sweetness and subtle spice and fruit hop flavors, quickly defined the style, becoming Seattle’s definitive craft beer and inspiring a new wave of craft beers across the country.

Presentation
This beer came in an old style dark brown bottle, at 12 oz, in a semi-stubby shape. It has a 2/3 wrap around label on the main body with Red Hook's classic label style with red, yellow and green graphics. One side of the label has some words about the beer, talking about the English tradition of a bitter which isn't bitter at all.

The Beer

• Aroma: It had a sweet aroma with floral spiciness.
• Appearance: It was a copper colored beer with a thick off-white foam head.
• Taste/Mouthfeel: It had moderately high carbonation with a sweetness to it, not bitter at all. Caramel and toffee with some breadiness and banana taste.
• Drinkability: A very drinkable beer, sweet and smooth.

Rating and Final Thoughts

I gave this beer a solid 4.00 on Untappd, where friends rated it an average of 3.50 and overall with 61k ratings, 3.42. I was an above average rater, I really liked this beer, didn't expect it to be so sweet and tasty when i bought it, so that was a pleasant surprise. A long standing NW US beer which has been around a long time, so you know it is good.

4.00/5

This is going into #beersaturday Week 51's contest, so head on over and give me a boast there to increase my chances of winning there. Here is a bonus photo, Beer N BBQ from this past weekend.