Triple Exultation - Eel River Brewing Co.

YieldToNothing

New York

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

bomber into a tulip
pours a copper brown with a creamy beige head of about two inches.
smells of caramel and toffee. kinda of like a subdued quad. smell definitely does not overwhelm, but is pleasant nontheless.
bitter kick in the aftertaste with hints of vanilla.
this is not a style that i'm all too familiar with, but this is a very enjoyable beer. abv is well hidden.
glad i tried t. would definitely drink again but not sure i'd seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:35:46 | More by YieldToNothing

claspada

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle cellared for 2 years. Pours a slightly hazy, light mahogany with little to no head, with some spotty lacing as I swirled.

Aromas begin quite dark fruit forward with lots of raisins, currants, dates and a predominant dark cherry sugary sweetness. As it warms you get more of the caramel and brown sugar maltiness. A little too sweet and sugary; the alcohol becomes more prevalent as is warms as well.

The taste begins with waves of dark caramel maltiness with raisin juice quickly followed by lesser brown sugar and toffee notes. You get the fruitiness more in the flavor as it warms with dark cherry, currant and more and more rum raisins. Alcohol flavors become a tad too prevalent towards the end.

Mouthfeel is medium to thick, with adequate carbonation. Alcohol presence/bite makes this difficult to truly enjoy to its full capacity but helps to dry out the palate.

Overall this was a very good beer although it is still not a mind blower in the old ale spectrum. The flavors are a bit too alcohol heavy, preventing complete enjoyment/savoring. The flavor profile is good but lacks the true greatness of say Kuhnhenn 4D.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:58:17 | More by claspada

PhillyStyle

Georgia

3.46/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer was dark brown in color, hazy that produced a nice white head. The aroma was of dark fruits, alcohol and maybe brown sugar for that hint of sweetness. The beer was pretty malty sweet with that hint of dark fruit and alcohol, but the taste was certainly big. As others have noted the beer felt more like a Barleywine, very heavy. Overall, I got to say that I am not into the darker beers with the dark fruit flavors, but the beer was good and I enjoyed it, but doubt I would drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 02:15:38 | More by PhillyStyle

DRyan

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured in a Ranger Creek Tulip.
Not sure how old this bottle is, I got it from a friend a couple of months ago and he had it for a couple of months, so probably 6 mo. old at minimum, but I can't seem to find any marking on it that shows its age.

A: Pours a very dark copperish-purple that is pretty clear, with a light tan head that dissipates quickly but leaves lots of lacing.
S: Malt, sugar, dark fruits, toffee, vanilla.
T: Very classic "old ale" flavor, bordering on barleywine. Has some malty backbone and a decent hop presence, but not overly done. There is a strong aftertaste; I think this would go well with a plate of extra sharp cheddar or other strong cheese.
M: Smooth and a bit velverty, but not too thick. Def not in the stout range of mouth-feel, but a lot thicker than your average IPA or Pilsner.
D: Pretty easily drinkable for a near 10% beer, it hides its alcohol well. Drinking this makes me wonder why organic beer can be so good and so many organic foods can be so bland.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:50:55 | More by DRyan

Fux

France

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark orange / brick in color, the head, off-white in color, is huge and creamy, it lasts quite long.
S: The nose is quite heavy, reminding a bit of a barleywine, but rich, with caramel malts, chocolate, a bit boozy, some dark fruits behind.
T: Taste is fruiter than expected from the nose, still with an impressive malty backbone, but more fruity (citruses, red fruits, and some dark fruits on the finish). It does however not lack of complexity.
M: Mouthfeel is quite creamy, a bit light but it's a very refreshing beer for the style, pretty much drinkable.
O: A nice beer, it is interesting how the palate differs from the nose, offering something refreshing and easily drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:13:16 | More by Fux

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark, brick red color with a white head. The aroma is fairly sweet. I get some molasses notes as well as some dark fruit. There is also some sherry, alcohol and caramel malt thrown in. The flavor is full of alcohol and brown sugar, with a little bit of dark fruit (mainly cherries, grapes, dates and raisins). There is also a strong, sweet malt backbone as well as a little bit of resinous pine. A big, flavorful and alcoholic American Barleywine that is fairly easy to drink, but I wish it came in a 12 ounce bottle. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 03:03:20 | More by Mora2000

RickS95

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Looks like a rich man's beer with it's dark brown, hazy appearance. Zero clarity, looks full of richness. Head is thin and white, and doesn't last long but it's got a nice look to it.

VERY malty with some ripe, rich, dark fruits to it. Has a slight leathery smell to it. Some alcohol is the last scent out of the glass.

Tastes like a barleywine, minus the extreme bitterness. Very malty with dark fruits like in the nose. The alcohol is more pronounced.

Sweetness up front before the heat takes over, but the sweetness never goes away, it just lessens a bit. It's never cloying, just malty during the whole trip. Full bodied, it almost feels heavy in the glass and in your mouth. Dry, almost dirty feel in the finish.

It's a strong manly beer, there's just not getting away from it. For the most part, it's an easy sipper (definitely something you sip), it's just very strong and aggressive. It never crosses the line, but it stands defiantly on the line. I've got about 19 more ounces to go from the bomber I bought and I'll surely be sleeping well tonight.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:21:53 | More by RickS95

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a medium brown with tan head that sticks around for longer than I was expecting. Mega caramel & molasses character to the nose and taste. Really sticky sweet. Not particularly a fan of the stickiness, but it comes with the flavor (more or less). Other old ales I've tried - most notably Curmudgeon - have been a little lighter in color and texture. I prefer the style that way. It was nice to try in any case. The old ale is kind of underappreciated.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 17:50:43 | More by TheRealBigC

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 1/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium orange brown amber with a two finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of bready and caramel malt, earthy with some nuttiness. Flavor is understated nutty, caramel malt up front with a big hit of alcohol and hops. Interesting spicy wood flavor middle and hop finish. Nice job. The alcohol is a little hot, but the flavor progression is good and malty. A nice old ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:11:55 | More by LiquidAmber

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.73/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Eel River Triple Exultation has a medium, beige head and a somewhat hazy, peach color, with some streaming bubbles and decent lacing. The aroma is of strong, sweet, overripe peaches, stinging malts, and syrup. Taste is of caramel, milk chocolate, peaches, bitterness, sugar, light molasses, and monkey bread. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, and Triple Exultation finishes semi-dry and heavy. Overall, this is most excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 14:49:55 | More by RonaldTheriot

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.85/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ooo this beer is good.

Bought in a 22 oz bottle from Stevie's Discount Liquor in Oklahoma City. On sale for $6.99 and worth every penny.

Pours a rich dark slightly orangish brown with a MASSIVE tan head that lingers forever and ever.

Aroma is heavenly. Lots and lots of malty richness. Flavor is a mouthfull. Lots of rich and sweet malt but also a fair amount of hops in the background. The hops are a good counter-point to keep this beer from becoming cloying. I am reminded of caramel, with a tinge of chocolate, red wine and maybe a good port. Raisins and some dark wheat bread. Lots of toastiness too. Sweet but not too much so.

Mouthfeel is nice and full and a little bit oily.

Overall, an amazing beer. I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 20:31:06 | More by jmbranum

jera1350

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2010:

Amber colored. Massive dense head of oatmeal colored foam that has excellent retention and lacing. Gobs of thick lace cling to nearly the entire glass.

Grainy, fruity and grassy hop nose. Moderate amount of sweetness.

Very barleywine like, but without as much malty sweetness. Grass and solidly bitter from the hops, fruity caramel, earthy. More strong bitterness at the end to go along with some alcohol.

Close to a full body with a bitter drying out of the palate at the end.

Nothing to really keep me interested here. A decent beer, but nothing stands out and really makes me want to drink more of it. The look is outstanding, but the overall beer lacks real character.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:05:31 | More by jera1350

DocJitsu

California

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice, deep amber color with a two finger light tan head. The head retains relatively well. Sticky foam laces the glass as the head attenuates. Butterscotch cream up front. The mouthfeel accentuates the finish, which is a little to bitter for this style. The alcohol warmth that appears at the end further exacerbates the unappealing finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 00:47:05 | More by DocJitsu

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.33/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Triple Exultation, bottle bought at New Beer in Manhattan for $3.95. I assume this is old/aged.

Appearance: One finger of very carbonated head that lasts and leaves significant lacing. Classic Old Ale looks- a dark hazy auburn with impressive appeal.

Smell: Peat whiskey, wood, raising, wet basement. Toffee, Toblerone, cheap-but-delicious chocolate. I dig it. It's all you expect from an Old Ale, and reminds me of Smutty Really Old '08 (also bought at New Beer).

Taste: Complex and beautiful, with chocolate, vanilla, burnt sugar, coconut shavings and lotsa caramel. Dusty-dry finish, booze kick.

Mouthfeel: Full flavor, medium body and carbonation, great balance. Not too dry, not too sweet. I can drink this without water and that is saying something!

Overall: I've had this before and was not impressed. A little age has served this brew so very well. Drinks quite beautifully, considering the strength. Superb taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 02:42:43 | More by DoubleSimcoe

flagmantho

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: deep, rich amber hue with a large amount of haze and two thick fingers of rich, creamy tan foam. Retention is good. For some reason I find this a very pleasing-looking beer.

Smell: rich malty aroma with an alcohol tinge. Not bad, but not particularly complex.

Taste: big malty flavor with a suitably thick dankness. A musty dustiness includes big dark fruit flavors like raisins and plums, along with a bit of dried tobacco. The alcohol bite is pretty unrelenting, though. Bitterness is relatively strong toward the end, but hop flavors are not really present. Overall, a good tasting and complex old ale.

Mouthfeel: big body with a decent level of carbonation. Creaminess is pretty nice, though not over-the-top.

Overall: quite a tasty brew. There's a pretty big alcohol bite along with the strong bitterness toward the end, so it's not hugely drinkable, per se. Still, a good sipper on this, a cold snowy day.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 23:00:06 | More by flagmantho

DarthKostrizer

California

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aged about 1 year

Look: Pours a dark brown with caramel highlights with a 1/2 inch head and great retention leaving behind some spotty lacing

Smell: Dark fruits on the nose and it's potent. Raisin and figs are bright and crisp with some light date and toffee notes in the background

Taste: Again very dark fruit forward with raisin being the front runner. Backed up by some plum and dates mid palate and finishing with some caramalized sugars

Mouthfeel: Medium body and mildly carbonated

Overall: I personally think this is a great Old Ale. Great depths of flavor. Just delicious

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 04:27:07 | More by DarthKostrizer

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very much a high alcohol barleywine reminiscient of Bigfoot under the old ale title. This is a bit hoppier than your standard old ale. Dark ruby body with a thicket of khaki tan head, this thing pours pretty viscous for the color. Aroma has big earthy piney notes with big ripened fruits, plums, raisins, and tart apples. Malt sweetness is layered between caramelized sugars and toasted malts, with interwoven layers of big ripened fruit...more raisin, plums. You could definitely lay this big bruiser down and not worry about it's aging potential, you know this thing is going to get better. Mouthfeel is full bodied a bit tamer with hop bitterness than your average Bigfoot release, finishes balanced between hops and big malts. Moderate carbonation carries things extremely well, doesn't become cloying or harsh despite the big malt/hop action going on, highly excited to try this beer...much better than any other organic offering I've come across.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 02:39:09 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2010 vintage

A: Poured a deep mahogany with medium carbonation leaving a small white cap, few bubbles and no lacing

S: Earthy notes, like soil, grass and dirt with sone grains and caramel but light nose

T: Earthy notes, a raisin and prube thrown in for good measure, faded hops grainy with a light caramel stickiness and bittering on the end

M: Medium bodied, a bit thin, booze is masked pretty well

O: Average

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 03:40:42 | More by barleywinefiend

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 20 oz giant Duvel tulip. Pours a lovely bright reddish / orange, with a 3 inch off white head, that settles slowly, into a layer of bubbles. Bountiful lace, nice. Smell is carmel, toffee, brown sugar, bread, dark fruit raisins/figs, and some alcohol. Taste is all of those flavors, dominated by Carmel, brown sugar, and dark fruits. Body is on the larger side, nice carbonation, not too dry, and drinkability is pretty good for its sturdy abv. This isn't my favorite style, being a hop head, but I think this is a nice old ale. Thanks mom for the early Christmas present.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 23:55:39 | More by SawDog505

ksimons

New York

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a red amber with a small amount of white lace around the top

S-a large mix of roasted malt and floral hops, spices, cherries, and some booze

T-the taste starts out pretty malt heavy but by the end is mostly bitter. The taste is a nice mix of malt, cherries, spices, caramel, and hops. It is a little on the hot side.

M-medium body, moderate to high carbonation, maybe a little too much carbonation for the style

Overall it isn't a bad beer, and it might improve with time. I liked it well enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 23:45:42 | More by ksimons

ItsHammerTime

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a wine glass. Cloudy, brown-to-auburn with an inch of persistent tan head. Appears unfiltered - I see no markings on the bottle to suggest bottle conditioning, but I gather that that is the case.

The aroma is malty and candy-like; caramel, toffee, butterscotch, perhaps a bit of dried fruit. Bitter dark chocolate on the back end that nicely cuts the sweetness. I'm really intrigued!

The sweetness of the aroma carries over to the first sips, but is tempered by the alcoholic warmth - almost rummy. It then immediately dries to a very bitter, boozy finish. No noticeable hop flavors to speak of, in spite of the powerful bitterness at the end. Certainly not trying to hide its 9.7%, but still very enjoyable.

Nicely carbonated, not syrupy or cloying. Medium bodied.

Overall a nice, drinkable Old Ale. At first I thought it would be too sweet for my liking, but the sweetness drops off so quick that it really was no problem. Still a bit hot; I think another year cellaring would much improve the flavor of this beer. I've never had much opinion either way on organic ingredients, but this beer prides itself on being certified organic, so if anyone is looking for that in a beer, this is a decent choice.

The upside: A very drinkable, powerful Old Ale
The downside: Not much in the finesse side. Huge sweetness, huge bitterness, huge alcohol, not much attempt to blend them together. "[They] would use a bulldozer to find a china cup" - Raiders of the Lost Ark

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 19:33:13 | More by ItsHammerTime

capeannbass36

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- 22 ounce bomber poured into a Duvel tulip.
Pours and somewhat clear brown orange with a huge tan/beige head that faded away after 5 minutes. Medium lacing throughout.

S- More or less smells like barleywine. Sweet malt, caramel...but with a tad more bitter hops than I prefer.

T- Difficult to describe. Semi-sweet, immediate change to bitter with an odd, creamy aftertaste in between.

M- Light to medium carbonation. feels smooth and creamy, but there is something here I just don't get??

O- I want to like it, but can't rate it any higher. Have had way better barleywine...and certainly have had worse.
I'm gonna say this rates just slightly below "middle of the road". Potent. Does pack a punch. Guess that I have no idea regarding "Old Ale".

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 20:36:17 | More by capeannbass36

beerman33

California

2.5/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a Hangar 24 2nd Anniv tulip.
A - maple and slightly unfiltered
S - bit weak, bread, apple
T - malt followed by dried fruit. The hop bitterness comes through to attemt to round out the beer but seems to fail. I normally like a booze feel, but this is too overwhelming for me for the style.
M - consistency but really just overwhelmed by booze so it loses me
D - Just did not do it for me. I am not looking for a sessionable beer when drinking Old Ale, but you should want to finish the glass. Not this time.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 23:12:08 | More by beerman33

beertunes

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a clean, semi-hazy orangeish amber with just a thin cap of off-white head that immediately became just a ring with no retention or lacing.

The aroma was malty sweet with a hint of hops. On the tongue the beer was sweet and sticky with a noticeable alcohol burn. The body was fairly typical, full and smooth. Drinkability was OK, the alcohol was a bit hot, that might ease with some time.

Overall, a decent, in not special, example of the style. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 06:43:07 | More by beertunes

yesferro

Mississippi

4.53/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at a Backwoods illegel brew tasting, somewhere in MS, bomber.

As for appearance, nothing special there, amber color, tiny bit of head, having it out a sampler glass didn't help me judge there.
Smelled beautiful, like candy, and butter, and more sweet candy!
The taste didn't disappoint, liquid butterscotch with a hint of alcohol in the end, as I sipped on it a bit longer I got more hops in the aftertaste too but overal it's malty sweet goodness.
Bit fizzy for my liking but not over the top.

This is a style I usually shy away from, but if I ever see this on a shelf, I'll by another one!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 14:17:33 | More by yesferro