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Humboldt Brewing

(United Craft Brewers)

(Brewpub)

Last updated: September 1, 2000

856 Tenth Street
Arcata CA 95521

Phone: +1 707-826-2739
Fax: +1 707-826-2045

Opened 1987.
Brewer: Larry Lesterude, Dave Pimsner, Jon Hill.
35,000 bbl annual capacity.

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.)

My Opinion Of The Beers That I've Tried:
14.5 points overall

Gold Nectar
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- 14.5 points - Beer #25-2042, 1997 Kona Brewers Festival, Kailua-Kona HI, March 15, 1997
  Golden, low carbonation, OK head. Spicy-hoppy aroma. Very spicy, some bitterness, OK body.
Gold Nectar (bottled)
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- 15 points - Beer #22-1909, Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI, December 31, 1996
  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 (beer engine)
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- Beer #30-2467, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  4.5%. OK, fruity light ale.
Hemp Ale
Style 4 - Mild / Brown Ale
- 15 points - Beer #30-2425, Celebrator Beer News 10th Anniversary, Berkeley CA, February 28, 1998
  Brown, flat, enormous head. Perfumey. Good body, chocolatey, nutty, some hop flavor late!
Honey and Ginger Ale (beer engine)
Style 23 - Specialty Beer
- Beer #30-2466, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  4.0%. Pretty good! Light..sweet, ginger obvious.
Humboldt Stout (beer engine)
Style 11 - Stout
- Beer #30-2471, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  Not as burnt as the Porter, smoother.
Pale Ale
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- 15.5 points - Beer #30-2426, Celebrator Beer News 10th Anniversary, Berkeley CA, February 28, 1998
  Amber, low carbonation, thick head. Spicy, earthy aroma. Real good body, bitter and hoppy with a real good balance.
Red Nectar (beer engine)
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- Beer #30-2468, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  5.0%. Good amber, well-hopped. I've seen bottles of this at Liquor Barn, etc.
Red Nectar (bottled)
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- 14 points - Beer #18-1406, Kamuela Liquor Store, Kamuela HI, April 29, 1996
  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.
Red Nectar
Style 6 - American-style Pale Ale
- 15.5 points - Beer #12-844, Buffalo Bill's, Hayward CA, April 4, 1995
  Red. Fizzy. Big head. A little perfumey. Malty. Spicy. Red.
- 14.5 points - Beer #9-611, The HopYard, Pleasanton CA, November 26, 1994
  Amber clear. Low carbonation. Fruity...citrus aroma. Malty, quick bitterness. Pretty flat. Served pretty cold here...this should be a "cellar-temp" beer.
Redwood Amber (beer engine)
Style 4 - Mild / Brown Ale
- Beer #30-2469, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  Better than Red Nectar, less hops, more malt flavor.
Storm Cellar Porter (beer engine)
Style 9 - Porter
- Beer #30-2470, at the brewery, August 15, 1992
  5.7%. Pretty burnt, maybe too much for a porter. Pretty tasty, though...
Summer Nectar Wheat Ale (bottled)
Style 2 - Belgian / French Ale
- 14 points - Beer #27-2236, Willow Glen Liquors, San Jose CA, September 11, 1997
  Dark yellow opaque, thick white head. Fresh hop aroma. Good body, spicy wheat flavor. Some bitterness in finish.
Summer Nectar Wheat Ale
Style 2 - Belgian / French Ale
- 13 points - Beer #27-2170, The HopYard, Pleasanton CA, September 4, 1997
  Yellow-hazy, OK head. Musty smell, maybe spicy. Coriander, wheat flavors. Thick, sweet, not cloying.

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