Ithaca Gorges Smoked Porter (NY)

Ithaca Beer Company's winter seasonal takes its name from its town's punny motto Ithaca is Gorges. There are t-shirts attesting to this, but I'm guessing all those college students prefer the ones claiming Ithaca is Gangsta.

The porter is basically a straightforward, medium-bodied, dark, dry brew at around 6% ABV, but with a light layer of smoke added. I'm still a bit put off by heavy smoke, so this is perfect for me. Gorges doesn't taste of ash and doesn't cross over into stout territory. It's just a really nice cold-weather sessions beer, possibly my favorite from this brewer.

Ithaca TEN (NY)

I've tried two beers from Ithaca's Excelsior series: IPAbbey and White Gold. Ithaca TEN is brewed in celebration of their tenth anniversary. It is:

an Imperial American Extra Strong and Special Double Red Ale. Our anniversary beer, TEN, is brewed with too many malts to list and an excess of American hops, including several additions during fermentation. Enjoy the russet color, aggressively hoppy aroma and flavor, rich body and fiery finish.

This is a kitchen-sinker all the way. It pours a slightly cloudy reddish-brown with a fabulous off-white head. It emits an aroma of Northwest IPA-style grapefruit and/or pine (ratebeer has this listed as an Imperial IPA, Beer Advocate as an American Strong Ale). The taste has the same elements, but they aren't all that's there. At times, it comes across with almost caramel sweetness. There are also a lemony notes and some peppery spiciness. The overall effect isn't really all that bitter. But it is big, serving almost as a juiced up version of Cascazilla.

Big beer fans should give this a try if you can find it. Others may find it an example of American brewing excess. At nearly $10 for 750 ml, it's pricey, but it's a sipper, and you can split a bottle 2-3 ways.

Ithaca Cascazilla (NY)

Since I've already reviewed a number of Ithaca beers, I figured I'd tackle Cascazilla. Formerly a fall seasonal, but has been upgraded to year-round status. The label claims this is a "monstrously hoppy red ale." Beer Advocate lists it as a amber/red ale, ratebeer as an IPA. I think the former is more accurate.

It pours clear, somehwere between copper and amber, but its head doesn't last. The body is perhaps a bit too light with moderate carbonation. There's definitely a sweetness to it that distinguishes it from IPAs or pale ales: a bit of caramel and maybe cherries (or maybe it's just the redness that makes me think that). There's also an element of grapefruit hoppiness --nothing monstrous -- and a dry finish. I've had this before, and recall it being a little more potent. My bottle says best before September, so maybe it faded a bit. I am not really complaining, though, as I like the balance. Also, I'd never guess this is 6.5% ABV.

I'd probably recommend Cascazilla as the first beer to try from this brewery.

Ithaca Excelsior! IPAbbey (NY)

This is the second of four Excelsior! beers I've tried. The bottle is numbered 755 -- I grabbed this particular one because it was the week Bonds tied Aaron's record. Ithaca's informative brewer's blog says "basically, IPAbbey is one hoppy-ass beer fermented with a Trappist yeast rather than the more traditional American or English strains."

It pours somehwere between orange and amber with an off-white head that sticks around for a while. The aroma is sweet and citrusy. I like the body of this: creamy and lighlty carbonated (the brewer says this will be "tweaked" in future batches, but I kind of like the lower level). Other reviews I've read say this is more IPA than Belgian Abbey, and I think they're right. Still, It doesn't taste "hoppy-assed" to me, or at least it doesn't taste bitter. There's a noticeable sweet/fruity element to it, and it doesn't have quite so much of that grapefruit aftertaste. It's nicely balanced, and the aftertaste is long and dry. As far as the alcohol is concerned (9%), it's not really noticeable until you've hogged the whole bottle yourself. This really is more of a sipper.

Ultimately, this is a very good beer, better than White Gold IMO, and worth buying even at the $8-9 price.

Ithaca Excelsior! White Gold (NY)

Having just tried an Ithaca 12-pack, I figured I'd dip into their Excelsior! premium series. This is described as a Strong Pale Wheat Ale. You can read the brewer's notes here. "Excelsior" is the motto of New York State, perhaps inspired by Longfellow:

There in the twilight cold and gray,
Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay,
And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice fell, like a falling star, Excelsior!

More to the point, from the bottle:

Enjoy the glowing opaque appearance, aromas of spice and herbs, zesty mouthfeel, and dry finish.

All of this is true. The beer pours a hazy yellow out of the 750 ml wine bottle (but with cap, not cork). The word "citrusy" should probably been included above. Taste-wise, this beer hit all parts of my mouth: a bit of lemon or orange, some spices, and a dry finish. The body is medium with a fair amount of fizz to it. I couldn't really feel the full 8% ABV while drinking, but it hit me afterward. I bought this thinking it would be suitable for summer, but hot weather + high alcohol = nap time for me.

This is a good beer, but probably not worth the $8-9 for the utilitarian consumer. I suspect people would say I bought the wrong Excelsior. I also have the Belgian IPA from the series sitting in my cellar; the other two are a coffee doppelbock and a rye barleywine. Whether this is a complete success or not, I am glad Ithaca is producing high-end brews, and admire them admire for taking chances with styles.

Ithaca Flower Power IPA (NY)

This is the last of the four for me to try from my Ithaca summer pack. The website claims this was part of their winter variety pack as well. I'd think that most American breweries would have an IPA year-round given the popularity of the style, but maybe it's over-crowded.

This IPA pours a nice clear goldenrod color with a decent head. I think my neighbors could smell the citrus. I was surprised to see the brewer talks about this as having floral (well, look at the name) and herbal hops, although they do mention fruitiness. To me, the taste is predominantly of grapefruit, somewhere in the neighborhood of the pale ales from Smuttynose and Ellicottville. Flower Power is a lot higher ABV (7% vs. 5% for Smuttynose, 5.5% for EBC), which isn't really noticeable. Of course, it's an IPA, not an APA. In addition to the citrus, Flower Power in fact does have a bit of a floral taste, and generally has more going on than does the Ellicottville.

I think this is the best beer from the summer pack, although I might drink Partly Sunny instead depending on my mood. Would I buy this 12-pack again? No, but being a beer rater and admittedly a bit of a lightweight drinker, I don't have time for much re-purchasing. I'd like to recommend buying some of these Ithacas individually, but I think only the Apricot Wheat is available outside the variety pack. That's the weak link to me (but it's their best seller).

Ithaca Pils (NY)

Ithaca introduced its pilsener in March of this year, and as far as I can tell it's only available on tap and in the summer 12-pack. Here's the brewer's blog post from February 2nd. "It’s a German-style Pils, brewed strictly with ingredients from Germany."

I think every pilsener rating at either ratebeer or Beer Advocate includes the words "this isn't my favorite style." I won't even bother to say that. The Ithaca certainly looks like a proper pilsener: straw colored and clear with bubbles ascending. The texture is sort of that fine grain sandpaper, with all the small bubbles scraping your throat on the way down. I mean that as a compliment. I might have liked to taste a bit more here. It's moderately hoppy and sort of grassy (mulchy?) and has a hint of grapefruit juice in its finish. Give this a try if you're a pilsener fan or thirsty Cornell grad student.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat (NY)

This is the second bottle from my Ithaca Summer Variety Pack. The website description uses the words "light," "easy drinking" and "fun," so it's pretty clear what they're aiming for. It pours clear and straw-colored with little foam. As promised, it smells and tastes like apricot. I don't find it to be soda pop sweet, which is the problem I've had with other fruit beers. Instead, it just doesn't have enough going on. I'd like to have tasted something more than apricot; after the sweetness passes, there isn't much there. I don't think this is a bad beer -- it is easy-drinking -- but I prefer Partly Sunny.

Ithaca Partly Sunny (NY)

I bought a summer variety 12-pack from Ithaca Beer Company ($12.85) containing three bottles each of this, Flower Power IPA, Pilsener and Apricot Wheat. I believe the last of these is the only year-round offering among them. If you must try one brew from Ithaca, it should be Cascazilla Red, but we'll see how this goes.

This is described as a "classic Belgian Wit," which might be a bit flattering. It pours a partly cloudy (heh) yellow with a head that doesn't last. I like that it's not too fizzy. The taste is somewhat fruity, but really not all that sweet. It's kind of malty. According to the website, Partly Sunny is "spiced with coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, ginger, nutmeg, mace." I couldn't quite identify all that, but I'll admit to being the type of beer drinker who probably wouldn't. This finish seemed a little off as well, as though it belonged to a different beer. Still, all things considered, this is a pretty good summer ale. But it's up to one of the other three beers to dazzle me.