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

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Humboldt Brewing

(United Craft Brewers)

Arcata, California, United States

(No longer brewing)

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

Notes

Visited: August 15, 1992

Opened: 1987

Annual Production: 35,000 bbl

Contributors: Arash Shahzadi, Diane Crawford, Jeff Nelson, Mike Harper

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.)

Firestone Walker Brewing bought the Humboldt brands, and the beers are brewed in Paso Robles now.

Updated: April 1, 2009

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.