Certified Organic I.P.A. - Eel River Brewing Co.

Beerney

California

3.38/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A little soapy smell if you breathe in deeply. I'll give it a big "not bad", which is a good review from me. very light for an IPA. It's lighter in body and maltiness than Sierra Nevada, if that gives you a point of reference. I wouldn't go out of my way to try it again, but would it drink it offered.

If this beer were a woman, it would look great on paper. Nice liitle body. You'd have no problem taking her around you friends. but she's not very interesting, and you're asking the waitress what else in on tap.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 06:02:08 | More by Beerney

Jellopants356

Montana

3.65/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Light honey color, clear. Minimal cream head. Ew... smells kinda funky. Smells like alcohol (lots) and some citrus. Tastes of... maybe soap and hops? Citrus perhaps. Well, the mouthfeel is nice an bubbly at least. Not impressed. I knew organic was a mistake. Well, overall, about 3 of 5. That's being generous. Wouldn't recommend it. At least it was only $2.50.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:12:40 | More by Jellopants356

scootpolute

Washington

2.8/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Hmmm...not exactly what I was expecting from the smell & appearance...Funky soapy flavor, which could be crazy hops?! Then, mellows out to a smooth and creamy with a relatively weak-body. The initial taste is a strange soap/hop mix on the palate! Some spicy, leaf and grass flavours pull-thru, then are followed by an alcohol presence and spiciness. The malt in this beer is faintly present but gets lost in hops/soaps weirdness. Beer finishes with residual hop spice and faint malt sweetness, with the last touch of weird soapy flavor.

Notes: I'm not sure about this beer? I've sure had better. 7.2% abv.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 23:23:36 | More by scootpolute

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

brutally underrated here on BA. it pours redish and clear with a nice two inch off white head. the nose is aromatic hops to the max, sticky and red and west coast in origin. they are sappy and rich, beautiful. the flavor is about the same, a little too sweet before the bitter, which is a minus, but there is also some neat red malts going on, which give a nice depth. some pine and some fruit, dense. the mouthfeel is thicker, maybe too much so, but the carbonation is good and the flavor stays in my mouth forever. its not the best ipa ever, but there is a lot to like here, and i think the masses have been too harsh with this one. it is organic and strong and pretty solid any way you slice it. ill drink it again gladly...

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 06:23:06 | More by StonedTrippin

Mora2000

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours an orange-amber color with a white head. The aroma has some perfume-like hop notes, as well as some light orange citrus. The flavor is a nice mix of orange citrus and biscuit malt, with a hint of bitterness. There is also a little grapefruit in the flavor. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 02:55:53 | More by Mora2000

BucannonXC5

California

3.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12-oz. bottle into a pint glass at my house on Aug. 24, 2012 (picked it up in a six-pack for $9.49 at Kiel’s in San Diego on Aug. 24, 2012). Poured a dark caramel with caramel laced white head. Thick, white foam on the sides, good retention on the top.

Really liked the smell. Got citrus hops (lemon, orange, peach) and floral hops up front. Then got some caramel malts.

Tasted a raw version of the smell. Citrus hops (orange/tangerine) and more of a caramel malt backbone. A bit grainy and heavy. Something slightly off.

Medium body. Creamy texture. Above average carbonation. Long, bitter finish. Gets old after a bit.

Not a bad beer, it had its moments. The look and smell had me hooked, but something was off with the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 07:24:19 | More by BucannonXC5

LiquidPoem

3.15/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle gifted from AKtap.

Light head and golden color. Can smell the alcohol when poured.
Taste is really sweet with some caramel notes. Turns flat pretty quickly and not much going on. There are some decent hop notes but I find this beer to be pretty average and too sweet for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:29:38 | More by LiquidPoem

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on tap at the Eel River brewery

A - Clear copper amber with 2 finger white head with good retention and good lacing.

S - Very faint aroma of pine and grassy hop, pretty wimpy.

T - The aroma is telling as this is a pretty weak and water IPA. Low on the hops and just a bit of malt and lacking complexity. I know this is organic but that is no excuse for lacking a bold flavor in an IPA. This is the chance for the home grown hops to shine.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth, watery.

O - I would never get this again, though I appreciate the effort to go organic.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2012 16:26:28 | More by williamjbauer

DrFayhee

3.55/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear orange-golden color with medium head and minimal lacing.

S: Sweet malts and some citrusy pine notes.

T: Kind of a toasted malt quality to the hop flavor. The maltiness in the finish is kind of more reminiscent of an English-style pale ale than a west coast IPA.

M: Medium-bodied and clean.

O: A little bit too malty and stale for my tastes but not an unsatisfying beer. Not that all IPAs need to be hop-bombs but there's something that just isn't bright enough about this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:53:01 | More by DrFayhee

arizcards

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received early in March as a gift for helping out a friend.

Beer poured copper with a an off white head that dissapated quickly.

Nose is floral and citrus hops, very nice with the initial pour.

Taste is well balanced, malt base and citrus tinged hops blend pretty well together. Bread and a citrusy residue left behind.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated.

Overall this is a pretty good representation of the English ipa style. Would not mind having this one again!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:51:56 | More by arizcards

schoolboy

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a good but maybe not great IPA. I would not refuse one ever (but maybe if I were sessioning a bunch). It's a little hoppier than a straight IPA and a bit darker, definitely capturing the English side of things.

Although it generally works, the smell, taste and aftertaste all have a bit of an off metallic character. This is not one I will seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 20:10:50 | More by schoolboy

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy, dark amber with an orangish hue and a half of an inch of soft, off white, foamy head that has great retention. The nose has intense aromas of robust,sweet, barley malt that gives notes of bread and birthday cake. The taste is not what I expected after that nose. There are very, very faint malty notes that are bready and sweet, but they show up in the finish. The flavor opens up with some faint citrus and an odd bitterness that I find hard to explain. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, a bit dry, smooth, and well carbonated.

This was an odd IPA. It smelled amazing. I was all in. But then after a few swallows I was confused. The flavor to me is backwards. The hops come first with a malty finish that's underwhelming. I think I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 21:50:22 | More by tdm168

peacebone116

California

3.18/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to my wife's cousin, Annie, for picking us up a sixer of this beer from the brewery. Poured from a 12-oz bottle into a small Allagash tulip.

A: Very hazy orange body with little head that recedes quickly to leave small wisps floating in the center of the glass.

N: Citrus and pine balanced by a nice malt.

T/M: Crisp citrus and earthy pine dominate the flavor profile, backed by a nice biscuit-like sweetness. There is not much in the way of bitterness in the finish, but rather a lingering citric sweetness.

Overall, this is a bit of an underwhelming beer. I am not sure I would classify this as an English style IPA because of the immense citrus, but it is definitely not a strong AIPA. Honestly, this is just a bit one-dimensional. This beer is refreshing, but really just weighs in at average for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 02:08:36 | More by peacebone116

kchannel9

California

3.18/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Old Review (1.5): I do not care for this beer, I'm having a hard time finishing it...it's pretty bad...I tried hard to like it....but...it's watery, not bitter, not malty. Aka bad, in terms of an IPA. Why oh why didn't I just grab a Maximus? About to pour this out and switch to the illest.

Update: Had this beer again the other night, it was much better and I actually liked it this time. Also, it's being organic makes me happy.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 13:53:05 | More by kchannel9

jvillefan

California

2.68/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: A golden yellow with virtually no head.

S: Very boost with a lot of malt. Considering that it is an IPA it is odd there is no hop in the one dimensional aroma.

T: Not good. If you are going to call something an IPA consider using hops. There is no bitterness at all. This beer tastes like a bland amber ale. There is a little caramel and a lot of alcohol.

O: Avoid this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 21:20:52 | More by jvillefan

WoodBrew

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Trying the IPA from Eel River and it probably should be renamed Imperial Malt Ale...cuz that's all I really smell and taste. The beer poured a clear copper color with thin white head. The smell is mostly malt not alot of hops. The taste is malty. The mouthfeel is medium body and low carbonation. Overall it is not a great IPA....seems more like an amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 06:04:27 | More by WoodBrew

GrizzlyBrew

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - rich amber color, nice off-white head settles to a foamy, creamy-looking 1/4", body is brilliantly clear

S - caramel malts dominate the nose with toffee notes, there's also a minerally yeast smell coming through. Not much for hops, although there is a muted hop aroma keeping the beer from smelling overly sweet

T - Surprisingly dry despite the very nice caramel character of the malt, sell done. As I hoped, there is a generous amount of bittering to match the dry palate without overpowering it.

M - It may be a little overcarbonated, but just slightly. The body is fairly thin but is fleshed out by the bitterness. I can't help but think if the carbonation was slightly lower, it would be almost perfect.

O - I think this is a pretty darn good EIPA - dry caramel malt character, minerally yeastiness, firm bitterness and a medium body that means I can enjoy several in a session.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 00:21:04 | More by GrizzlyBrew

dankster

Colorado

2.38/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A- orange golden color with white head about two fingers

S- Veggie and Hops together. not sure how else to decribe this one. not citrus or pine picked up

T- Bland for a IPA imo. some hops bit more dull fruit noted. citrus not happining for me

M- water and hops. bitter water. not much feel here.

O- Not impressed with this at all. first beer i had from eel river so i need to try others but this one is a big miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 21:51:22 | More by dankster

metter98

New York

3.68/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy orange amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation with small particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a half finger high beige head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: The nose has aromas of biscuit and caramel from the malts and orange from the hops.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has some hints of malty sweetness and vanilla in the initial taste and a very light amount of bitterness towards the finish, which also has some hints of alcohol.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and goes down quite smoothly.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 14:03:12 | More by metter98

sjverla

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nose: Very sweet and fruity. It smells like an old IPA, which it probably is. There are hints of earth and pepper, but the nose is predominantly jam-like.

Appearance: Hazy copper with a quickly dispersing head. It does lace alright, though.

Taste: Strange, but good. It's very dynamic. The bitterness hasn't faded too much. Very floral - almost seems to taste like pollen. A mild, waxy sweetness, like honey comb, balances the very green bitterness.

Overall: I expected this beer to be disappointing. The sale rack is an iffy place to shop, and the first impressions weren't great. I was surprised. Nice bite, good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 01:34:41 | More by sjverla

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Eel River Organic IPA

Pours a rich copper color with a chill haze and a nice soapy froth. Semi sweet nose, mildly fruity with some malt poking through. In the flavor, caramel, fruity hops (berry/mango/citrus) and a light roasted character. Bitterness is adequate for the style. Medium to full bodied brew, modest carbonation and a smooth overall feel. Overall, I thought this was a very fruity IPA which was alittle unusual but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 05:13:38 | More by Stinkypuss

abgba121

Connecticut

1.08/5  rDev -67.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

pours a cloudy amber, decent head and retention

smells extremely sweet, but also stale or somewhat rotten. I almost don't know how to describe it.

The taste is equally as bad, sweet, thick and syrupy, no hop presence. I had to dump the glass after a few sips, it is near undrinkable

the mouthfeel is a very thick brew with a little carbonation

Overall a terrible beer, I will not try anything else by this brewery most likely

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 04:06:33 | More by abgba121

KickbacksSteve

Florida

1.73/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured from 12 ounce bottle into a generic tulip. Purchased from total wine in charlotte last week (no bottle date) Copper/gold on color, small head with no retention to speak of. Aroma is a very off-putting rendition of rotting vegetables. For the first time in recent memory, i don't want to taste a beer. I really don't. But I shall. Taste is also really bad, kinda like liquid socks. The after taste is also poor. This beer doesnt taste like an English IPA or any other type of IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 03:07:02 | More by KickbacksSteve

smakawhat

Maryland

2.17/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A very light tan head of large size and fairly uniform is made off the pour, with foamy bubbles, but also falls at a good pace. Body color is a cloudy orange amber, but very hazy, not much more to say about it. Looks ok.

Smell is weak, non existent, even a hint of cheese sort of like a mild soft stinky cheese. Something sort of vegetable like almost too. Nothing like an IPA at all. The first time I stuck my nose in this a giant WTF?! went racing through my head.

Wow, I didn't think an IPA could taste this awful. Sour. Light bodied, this is like bad homebrew or something. No hint of hop presence or even malt grain. Really there is nothing going on here but a sense of weak soda pop, and chalkyness. Strange lingering novocaine on the tongue as well after the pour.

If there was ever an idea of watered down flavorless IPA this has got to be it. Gives organic beer a bad name. Real bad. How and the heck can you release something this horrible tasting is beyond me.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 23:33:40 | More by smakawhat

spongemonkey

California

3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ok here is the deal with Eel River brews. The ONLY way to enjoy their beer is on tap. Several years ago I was the assistant brewer, and there are a lot of good things to say about the brewery in general. It is kept scrupulously clean, the ingredients are of extremely high quality, and the organic standards are militantly enforced. However the bottling line is pretty damn outdated and presents a lot of opportunities to create a stale, oxidized, almost undrinkable product. Try two bottles of the same beer from different bottling runs, I can just about guarantee they won't taste the same. Yes, this place makes beer toooo heavy on the malt flavor, and the IPA is wildly underhopped. The Acai Berry brew is an abomination that makes baby Jesus cry. But the Hef available only at the brewery and only seasonally is truly epic, and the imperial stout demands respect. The quality of the beers decreases rapidly with distance from the Eel River, and the smaller the bottle the worse the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 04:47:35 | More by spongemonkey