Elliott Bay IPA
Elliott Bay Brewing Co.

Their menu claims Elliott Bay jams 140 IBU into their eponymous IPA. Everything I've learned about brewing suggests that this is neither possible nor desirable. Adding more hops doesn't equate with a corresponding increase in iso- alpha acids and most experts agree that the human tongue can't perceive more than about 80 IBU.

Be that as it may, this is a very bitter beer, though the hops would seem to be squandered in the range of imperceptible bittering and don't contribute much flavor. And EB's regular serving of this ale is utterly devoid of hop aroma. The peculiar absence of hop flavor causes me to think of this as a more English-style IPA with bittering and yeast qualities hinting at pale ale or ESB designs. The aroma is meaty. The clear amber body comes adorned with a fine film of velvety suds and trails tight-gripping lace.

Overall, EB's IPA is a hearty ale with profuse bittering and a slight breath of pencil shaving in the finish. But the dry hopped version may be your better bet for forward hop flavor.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a two finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of pale malt, citrus hops, grapefruit, over-ripe orange, hints of mixed fruit. Flavor is pale malt, citrus hops, grapefruit, lemon, orange and a touch of light stone fruit and dankness. Citrus rind bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, nice mouth feel. After trying the fresh hop ale the other night, I expected a biscuity malt, but this is a crisp, clean malt. There is a moderate haziness, but little of the fruitiness of a hazy IPA. The profile is strongly citrus with hints of dank and fruit. Finishing bitterness is fine, once again leaning to a citrus profile. Not too complex, but flavorful and has a nice, creamy mouth feel. The pour at the end of the can provided more haziness and a bit more herbal hop flavor. I'll get this again.

I had this beer on-tap in a nonic pint glass at the Lake City brewery. Like most of their flagship beers, this is brewed with organic ingredients.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a dash of haze and a thin layer of ivory foam.

Smell: rather sweet with some citrus character and a toasty maltiness. Not too bad.

Taste: earthy with a light citrusy element and kind of a dry graininess. Kind of west coast in execution, or a particularly bitter pale ale.

Mouthfeel: medium body with an ok carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: kind of an old-school IPA. Not the worst thing out there but it doesn't blow me out of the water.

 

 

 

 

Tried at brewery 11 Sep 2009.

Clear golden orange color. Nice sweet citrus and pineapple aroma. Moderate resiny hoppiness start to finish. Medium body. Sticky mouthfeel. Good citric finish. Hops are lingering. Alcohol warming in the fiinish.

A likes it.

Sampled on tap at the Barking Dog in Seattle.

A - Almost amber with good clarity and moderate off white head. Lots of lacing.

S - A good mix of floral / fruity hops and toasted malt. Very well balanced.

T - Clean and crisp with a nice, long citrusy bitterness. Very smooth.

M - Moderate consistency and carbonation.

D - So easy to drink. Not as complex as many west coast IPAs but I could enjoy this one over and over again.

Poured orangish, yellow, light frothy head that faded away. Light hoppiness, not as hoppy as I like but good enough to keep me happy. Something about Elliott Bays beers..I cant place it..maybe just me but a metallic taste or something. I find it in almost all beers. Wont give a bda rating because its probably my taster.

Sampled @ Elliot Bay, West Seattle, April 2007
The aroma has a nice hoppy nose to it that is focused on citrus fruits (made up of orange, ruby red grapefruit, bergamot and tangelo). The beer is a brilliantly clear, darkened copper color. The taste has a nice balanced hop attack to it with lots of herbaceous pine notes that adds astringency, a solid bitting bitterness and a nice citrus hop character. Each of these three hop notes run throughout the flavor profile. The beer has a nice, lingeringly bitter finish as well as a medium body, which helps contribute to a palate fullness. The balance hop focus is what really defines this brew; this is clearly a very well constructed IPA.

Pours a orange and yellow color with a white froth head, lacing is spotty but will show signs on the glass. The smell is of grain pine hops, not a pleasant smell, barley is detected and wheat. The taste was weird, the hops were there but just didn't mix well with the grain, very wheaty IPA. A subtle hint of citrus hop is detected but very foresty, the sweetness is lacking definition, all of the textures don't come together right. Light bodied for an IPA, it is drinkable but the pale ale is much better from Elliot Bay.