Eel River Triple Exultation

Hot damn! This beer captivated me at the Portland Holiday Ale Fest, and is now one of my favorite all-time winter warmers. Thick, complex flavors portray chocolate, cherries, and a dash of sweet liquorish. Abysmally brown-amber with a hardiness that is masked by thoughtful ingredients. A bustling frothy head above a not-quite syrup-like body. At almost 10% ABW, you’d never know it until its too late. Take your time and share with a friend.

650 ml. Dark brown with copper-red highlights and a small, lasting head. Earthy-spiced caramel, metallic molasses, raisins, dried cereal grain and slight alcohol in the aroma. Initial flavors of molasses and spicy chocolate slowly evolve through many other tastes and finish strong with bitter, grassy, lemon herb hops. Slight alcohol on the finish is nice; not too strong. Palate is smooth, large, sticky, and slightly dry on the finish. Basically seems like a big-hopped American Barleywine (akin to Bigfoot, which I also love) but this one might use some European flavor hops, so it’s an Old Ale?

Bomber poured a clear dark reddish brown with a small lasting amber head. Aromas of tobacco, chocolate, toffee and hints of brown sugar and spice. Palate was medium bodied and dry. Flavors of bakers cocoa, tobacco and hints of carmel and toffee with a lingering dry bitter finish.

Fantastic looking ale, the colour is so neat. Its dark,smoky brown with a hint of purple through it, its hard to describe, but beautiful, lovelly medium sized tan head.. Aromas of dark maltiness, prunes, figs, demerara sugar, dark 70% chocolate. Taste is thick and bitter smooth malts, toffee, ,extra strong black coffee, pipe tobacco , ashy and a hint of marzipan, all finished off by noticable ,yet pleasing alcohol. Great palate on this one, I relished the feel of every sip. Over all a very nice ale. Good one ,Eel River!

Bottle from Capone’s. Burnt umber pour with 2-fingers of khaki head. Aroma is hoppy, with Munichy dark scotchy malt, peppercorns, mango, canteloupe, and tangerine. Tastes hoppy, with a lot of dark malt presence, plus some warming plum/prune/merlot flavors, and even a slight bourbony flavor late. Very well hidden alcohol, with a complex, hoppy, fruity palate that is rather hefty without being cloying. Another great beer from CA. I wouldn’t say I’m triply exulted, but I’m definitely doubly exulted after this one.