El Dorado Brewing Company - TrailBlazer Stout

El Dorado's latest release, TrailBlazer Stout, is brewed with a complex combination of two row pale, caramel, black patent, and roasted barley malts. True to style, Jim uses only cluster hops at the beginning of the 90 minute boil so that the smooth roasted notes are not masked by an aggressive hop profile. El Dorado uses an in-house proprietary yeast strain.

Immediately note a very pleasant, dark roasted character in this stout's nose. Look for great head retention in this medium-bodied, clear, jet black colored beer. TrailBlazer begins with some sweetness up front which quickly turns to an aggressive, but smooth roasted body which lingers pleasantly in the finish. Overall, a very flavorful, well roasted stout with enough sweetness to provide a balanced profile. Perfect after a meal!

Tucked away on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range on the edge of the El Dorado National Forest, The El Dorado Brewing Co. produces internationally recognized microbrews. The name El Dorado originated from a 15th century myth held by Spanish Conquistadors. They believed that a man existed in a city of gold that would cover his body in gold dust before diving into a lake to remove it. He was known as "The Golden One", or El Dorado. The name was adopted for the region in Northern California by the 49'rs during the 19th century gold rush. The brewery uses a 7 barrel brewhouse and has a current production of just 60 barrels per month. A former contractor, owner/brewmaster Jim Boyer adopted the name to signify his ongoing quest to produce premium quality, stellar microbrews. With only two employees, El Dorado is truly a microbrewery in the purest sense of the word.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (916) 620-4253.