Ellicottville Brewing Company - Salted Caramel Coldspresso

This new seasonal release from Ellicottville is a rather darker take on their Coldspresso blonde ale, offering a nice dose of caramel malt in support of Nicaraguan coffee beans. Pouring a dark and ruddy amber color topped with a beige head, we picked up that big, fresh, roasty coffee character right away in the aroma, underpinned by a sturdy foundation of caramelized malts. The coffee is certainly the star in the flavor, too, with medium roast coffee character atop deep down caramel malt that expands across the palate to provide a robust backbone with a dash of sweetness which adds flavor without steering into cloying territory. A saline minerality is apparent, too, adding further intrigue as it conjures impressions of salted caramels drizzled with chocolate. Hop bitterness is quite low, allowing space for the roasty coffee notes to offer their lightly bitter counterpoint to the caramel character. For pairing options, naturally we’d look to desserts like coffee ice cream, coffee cake, and tiramisu, but roasted and barbecued meats will provide satisfying savory companions, as well. 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.