Eel River Triple Exultation

Brewed by Eel River Brewing Company
Style: Old Ale
Fortuna, California USA

22oz. bomber. Clear red/copper color with a medium sized creamy beige head that left sticky lacing. Mildly sweet aroma of dark dried fruits, molasses and a bit of toffee. Flavor starts off slightly sweet, with dried fruits and caramel before turning somewhat bitter and hot from a strong alcohol presence and a touch of hops on the finish. As it warms, the alcohol becomes more prevalent and the flavors become more muddled. Some diacetyl coming out as well. Not sure if it is just too young, or is supposed to taste like this? Had trouble finishing my glass, never mind the whole bottle.

Spring 07 bomber. Pours a tremendous deep red - almost opaque, but clear - with a nice stand of light tan head. Aroma is syrupy sweet, with lots of burnt sugar, molasses, and pit fruits. Flavor is pretty hot, but when you get past the alcohol burn, there is a rich malt profile with abundant fruity esters, as well as relatively high hop bitterness. Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation and plenty of warming. This would be real nice if it weren’t still so hot. Nevertheless, a pretty enjoyable sipper here. Maybe some more time in the cellar would quell the heat.

Blah. I can’t believe how how this scored. This was awful. Aroma was weak but could pick up some caramel malt. Pour was near perfect. A delicious looking mutli colored murky brown with a huge pillowy 2 finger tan head. Taste was not too good. Very sweet and sugary. Dark fruits, roasted malt, Sprite, caramel in the front and a bitter hop bite that is overpowered by the bite of the extremely heavy carbonation. I love carbonation, but these bubbles hurt.

Bottle Pours out a light mahogany topped with a sand head. Aroma of sweet malt. Tast of brown sugar a little hops. A nice bitter end.

1/2/08 Tap @ The Billy Goat Tavern in Mt. Shasta, CA. Pours dark amber with a half finger tan head. Nose is fruity, sweet. Taste is sweet bold, and interesting with a touch of honey.

Nicely balanced. Not too thin, not too thick, and not too sweet, but yet sweet and rich. Very well balanced. Yummy and I’ve have many times again.

2/09/2008: Eel River Triple Exultation Old Ale pours a dark orangy-brown color and has very mild and soft carbonation and a very thin veil on top. The malty aroma includes caramel, toffee, candy sugar, fruits (cherries, peaches?, and prunes), subtle hints of dark chocolate, some hop residue, and sweet alcohol. The flavor seems less compex. It is a bit sweet, but the toffee and toasty caramel maltiness in the front is quickly replaced by hop flavor (earthy, herbal, pine, floral, tea - a little bit of everything!), a moderate level of bitterness. and a touch of alcohol burn. Actually, the interplay between the sweet malt and bitter hops is quite good as each sip seems to present one in front of the other slightly and in different order. This beer has a medium-full body that coats the mouth well, is smooth and enjoyable on the palate, and offers a light stickiness on the lips. Overall this is a well-balanced and well-crafted old ale that stays just South of the the barleywine territory.

1 pint, 6 fl. oz. bottle (9.7% alcohol by volume) via trade with 5000. Thanks Andre! Rating #80 for this beer...

Bottle: Hazy mahogany amber, lots of head and lacing. Nose of earthy hops and bright caramel, light alcohol. Flavor is balanced, nice fig and tons of sweet malt. Yeast and oxidation in the tail.