Ithaca Excelsior! Brute

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Sour Ale
Ithaca, New York USA

another one from sparky27 shared with the crew on 11/27/2009. batch e!018. hazy, almost murky lemonade colored with just a white ring for a head. the carbonation was pretty aggressive and faded quickly. it smells intensely lemony.... along with a bunch of mineral-y brett, must, wet leather and some oaky wine characteristics. initially, the palate is so dry and tart it actually pulls in the cheeks. as i go on, i find a nice balance of sweetness which allows more funkiness to emerge. flavors of instant lemonade, mineral/brett, hay, yeast and wood are noted before a mildly pith-like bitterness. it feels light on the tongue which makes it all that much more drinkable... acidic, quenching and spritzy. it reminds me a lot of the ddg i just had... only sweeter and more balanced. 8/4/8/4/17/4.2

Saison style golden ale way into the sour side. Bottle pours a fluffy white head over a cloudy lemon yellow body. Aroma gets stronger as the glass warms: white wine barrel, horse sweat, wet wool, lemons, and wildflowers. Great mouth action from the melding natural carbinators. Flavors of honey, budding hops, citrus, grannysmith apples, chardonnay, and fresh baked bread. Yum!

Bottle cap and cork from Belmont Party. Poured a clear yellow color with a large frothy white head that mostly lasted with fair lacing. Moderate to heavy sour citrus and yeast aroma. Medium to full body with a sticky texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy sour flavor with a medium to heavy sour & sweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is a standout beer for style.

Pours a very hazy dark golden yellow with a ruddy ripe banana hues and a one and a half frothy white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind. Earthy bretty funk aroma with some barnyard horseblankety character. Dry brett and earthy oaky funk complimented by some crisp golden fruit notes, especially apple. Slightly dry with some nice earthy bretty funk which becomes mellowed out by a smooth lactic creaminess and subtle bready yeast character. Prominent light crisp fruit notes, especially apple and pear along with some banana. Nice dry champagne effervescence complimenting the tart dry funky wild yeast. Dry finish. This beer is sweeter and not as sour/tart as I expected. I was told that this was the most recent batch so maybe it needs a while for the brett to develop. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it and recommend it to both sour fans and those looking to delve into the style

750ml bottle, batch E!018, with thanks to j12601. Pours a cloudy bright yellow with a nice bright white head. Aroma is a nice nose full of bretty funk, oak, sharp tart citrus and peel, and minor notes of floral and lemon. Flavor is a nice balance of tart and funk, with more citrus, lemon, floral, must, and oak. Lively carbonation gives this an interesting champagne like mouthfeel while still allowing the flavor to shine through. Nice stuff, thanks again Jay!

Bottle courtesy of Tampabrew. Pours a hazy yellow to golden color with one finger white head. Aroma is sour with notes of light overripe fruit, vinegar, some hints of honey and fruit. Flavor is about the same with some added barnyard funk, light floral esters, hints of citrus, a touch of caramel. Medium body with a tart finish.

On tap at Capones. Pours a semi-clear/slightly hazy blond. Not much head. Smell is of under-ripe grapes. Taste is sour but not overly so. The champagne yeast really is the taste of this beer. Slightly funky, but only slightly so. I liked this beer a lot. It’s way too easy to drink, especially for a sour. I could easily have downed a 750 of this with no problem. It’s very similar to Ithaca’s White Gold, except with brett thrown in for some sourness. I highly recommend; can’t wait to try in the bottle!

Thanks to whoever from the STL crew share this fantastic gem. Pours hazy yellow with a big snow white head. The aroma has light funk, powder, chamomile and a touch of nectar fruit. Medium / light crisp bright body with some prickly carbonation. The flavor starts with citric acid, sharp spiciness, sweet / tart, clean funkiness and light barnyard traits. The finish is more acidic and biting with a bit of sharp nectar fruits. Great beer that I wish I could have a few more bottles of - delicious.