Beer Me! — Humboldt Brewing — Arcata, California, United States

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Humboldt Brewing

(United Craft Brewers)

Arcata, California, United States
Bar/Tasting Room

856 Tenth Street
Arcata CA 95521
Telephone: +1 707-826-2739
Brewer: Larry Lesterude, Dave Pimsner, Jon Hill
[Contact] [Map] [Update]

Notes

Updated: January 21, 2008

Visited: August 15, 1992

Opened: 1987

Annual Production: 35,000 bbl

Outstanding beers on tap, used to be inconsistent in the bottle, but that has improved greatly in the past couple of years. Just a few miles north of Lost Coast...a fine way to spend a weekend. See my notes in A Beer Odyssey for more details. (BTW, I finally found my August 25, 1992 tasting notes - meager though they are - on March 20, 1998.)

Beer List

Gold Nectar

American-Style Pale Ale
- Date: March 15, 1997 (#2042)
  
  Package: draught
  
  Place: Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI
  
  Score: 14½ points
  
  Overall Impression
  Golden, low carbonation, OK head. Spicy-hoppy aroma. Very spicy, some bitterness, OK body.
- Date: December 31, 1996 (#1909)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI
  
  Score: 15 points
  
  Overall Impression
  Amber-golden, big white head, low carbonation. Fresh spicy hop aroma, with some diacetyl. Smooth, nicely bitter, quite a lot of diacetyl, especially in finish. Lots of hop flavor. Bitter and Butter.

Gold Rush

American-Style Pale Ale

4.50% abv.

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2467)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
OK, fruity light ale.

Hemp Ale

Specialty Beer

Date: February 28, 1998 (#2425)

Package: draught

Place: Celebrator Beer News 10th Anniversary, Berkeley CA

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression
Brown, flat, enormous head. Perfumey. Good body, chocolatey, nutty, some hop flavor late!

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2466)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
Pretty good! Light..sweet, ginger obvious.

Date: February 28, 1998 (#2426)

Package: draught

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Amber, low carbonation, thick head. Spicy, earthy aroma. Real good body, bitter and hoppy with a real good balance.

Date: April 29, 1996 (#1406)

Package: bottled

Place: Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
Red-amber hazy, fairly low carbonation, pretty good head. Fresh hop aroma. Good body, good balance. Some kind of vegetable flavor...alfalfa sprouts! DMS? Surprising in this style. Even so, not a bad beer.

Date: April 4, 1995 (#844)

Package: draught

Place: Buffalo Bill's Brewery, Hayward CA

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression
Red. Fizzy. Big head. A little perfumey. Malty. Spicy. Red.

Date: November 26, 1994 (#611)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression
Amber clear. Low carbonation. Fruity...citrus aroma. Malty, quick bitterness. Pretty flat. Served pretty cold here...this should be a "cellar-temp" beer.

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2468)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
Good amber, well-hopped.

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2469)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
Better than Red Nectar, less hops, more malt flavor.

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2470)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
Pretty burnt, maybe too much for a porter. Pretty tasty, though...

Date: August 15, 1992 (#2471)

Package: real ale

Place: at the brewery

Overall Impression
Not as burnt as the Porter, smoother.

Date: September 11, 1997 (#2236)

Package: bottled

Place: Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
Dark yellow opaque, thick white head. Fresh hop aroma. Good body, spicy wheat flavor. Some bitterness in finish.

Date: September 4, 1997 (#2170)

Package: draught

Place: The HopYard, Pleasanton CA

Score: 13 points

Overall Impression
Yellow-hazy, OK head. Musty smell, maybe spicy. Coriander, wheat flavors. Thick, sweet, not cloying.