Ellicottville Brewing Company - Foggy

This unfiltered hazy IPA certainly presents as we would expect, with a super dense-looking deep orange hue capped by a giant head of off-white foam that retains well before lacing our glasses and dropping to a persistent ring. On the nose, we picked up big and juicy tropical fruits upfront, along with touches of citrus, stone fruits, melon, wisps of berry, some floral overtones, a dash of pine... it’s as multifaceted as we’d expect from a Mosaic and Simcoe hop duo. This array of flavors bursts forth on the palate amidst a smooth and rather slick mouthfeel that boasts some heft from its unfiltered nature. Look for bold, pithy citrus notes tending toward grapefruit, along with mango-like tropical notes, touches of berry and honeydew, and a solid pine-like herbal character that accentuates the hop bitterness which, despite the 103 IBUs that EBC gave us in their specs for this beer, comes through at a moderate level, as we expect for hazy-style IPAs, which tend to favor juicy flavor over crushing bitterness. For pairing options, we’re thinking fresh Mexican dishes like fish or grilled chicken tacos with mango salsa, or a mildly spicy ceviche. Cheers!

Ellicottville Brewing Company was started by Allen and Walter Yahn and Peter Kreinheder out of a desire to open a family business. The inspiration struck while on a ski trip to Vail, CO, where craft brewing got an early foothold. There was the realization that Ellicottville, sometimes referred to as the “Aspen of the East,” would be the perfect location for a craft brewery and grill. Their instincts were proven right, and over 20 years later EBC is a thriving craft brewery with a devoted following in Ellicottville and throughout western New York.

The original brewpub location in Ellicottville was expanded in 2013 and now boasts a German-style beer garden along with a restaurant and brewhouse. Additionally, EBC has three other locations in western New York state: EBC West in Fredonia, near Lake Erie; their Bemus Point location, which opened in 2016 along the shores of Chautauqua Lake; and a location in Little Valley which opened in summer of 2018, featuring an outdoor concert venue, a beer garden for the summertime, and winter activities perfect for snowmobilers riding the Pat McGee Trail.

For more information about the brewery, their various locations, and scheduled tours, check them out at ellicottvillebrewing.com.