A local restaurant is hosting an Oysters and Ale night that will feature ales from the Eel River Brewery.
How do their APA and IPA rate?
Any standouts?
Oh god yes. I love this brewery. Most of their beers are certified organic. Their organic IPA is has a really clean hop profile. I don’t know if it’s the water they use or the organic products or a combination of both, but their beers are great… However, if you ever get a chance their triple exulation and raven’s eye are incredible. Those beers are hard to come by here in Southern California, but if you ever get a chance to try them, do it.
The brewery is located in Humbolt, and the the brewpub is 10 minutes north in a town called Fortuna.
I tried the IPA. Shockingly unhoppy.
Triple Exultation? No comment. Just not my style/preference.
Of course everyone has their own preference in taste. But the reason why I like the beers that Eel River Brewing company produces is because they’re well crafted examples of some of the most popular beer styles, and are certified organic. There are not may craft breweries that produce organic beer, and the selection of organic beers that Eel River produces happen do very well at craft beer competitions such as the GABF.
http://eelriverbrewing.com/
EEL RIVER organic IPA, is definitely not screaming out with hop flavors. If you were looking for a Greenflash, Blind Pig, Racer 5, Ale Smith IPA then yes EEL River does not exactly stand up to those powerful hop bursting late hop, dry hop addition flavors. However, EEL River organic IPA does pack a well clean balanced bitter/hoppy profile, and is more comparable to the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, El Toro IPA or even Lagunitas IPA. It’s a good ol’ clean well balanced hoppy tasting IPA.
http://eelriverbrewing.com/organic-india-pale-ale.html
It’s understandable if you don’t care for the Old Ale style, however the EEL River Tripple Exultation is a very well crafted good example of that style; not to mention this beer has done very well at the GABF and numerous other competitions. I do think, however, for a more palatable mellower smoothness this beer can benefit form aging.
http://eelriverbrewing.com/triple-ex.html