Ithaca Cascazilla

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Ithaca, New York USA

Pours a dark red clear with bubbles cascading leaving a thick tan head. The aroma is strong floural hops, honey, grapefruit, grassy earthy notes. The taste is very smooth, the perfect combination of malty red ale hopped up to give it that nice bite. This is a fantastic combo featuring honey, low carbonation, citrus, toffee, and makes it session quality.

Bottle. Clear garnet/copper color with a medium foamy off-white head. Beautiful aromatic hop nose-- grapefruit, spruce, teas, flowers. Flavor of tea, resin and citrus hops on a clean malt base, with a notes of sassafras or bubblegum on the finish. Reminds me a bit of the Magic Hat HIPA in that respect. The flavors lead me to expect some astringency, but none is really present. Medium to full body with moderate carbonation. I think I’ve tried this at brewtopia two years ago and was impressed. Nice work here too.

12 ounce bottle from my SS Winter 06. Pour a dark cherry read with a nice white whipped topping head. The head clings nicely to the sides of my shaker glass. Rich hoppy citrus and pine aroma with some medium/dark crystal malts. Flavor leaves a bit to be desired. Leaves a strip of leafy hop bitterness, but its is pretty restrained. I would’t bill this as an IPA. Nice pale ale though.

Clear orange coloured beer topped by a white cover that mostly lasts. Efficiently extracted malt base with a good crystal backbone offers a competent juicy, fruity base for the hops to thrive on. Full-on cascade reminds of a shaper St-Ambroise with dominant citrus fruits and resinous flavors. Enough malt to stand up to the hops, so this remains a solid American IPA, besides the ridiculously childish label. Light-bodied, aromatic, highly drinkable and juicy.

Any first impressions?
-A veil of foam sails atop the fiery orange copper.
-Biscuity caramel malts ground the resinous, citrusy C-hops for a telling aroma.
-Fruity caramel and wooden resins combine for a juicy IPA flavor profile, aided by citrusy oranges.
-The playful body takes advantage of the fluffy carbonation and forms a nourishing and drinkable combination.

What if you dig deeper?
-Considering the juvenile nature of the beer’s name and label, I would have expected brash hoppiness, but this is a well-balanced surprise.
-The leafy, wooden hop bitterness is well-leveled.
-There is nothing frightening in this American IPA; this is simply a well-crafted, tasty rendition of the hoppy liquid.

Bottles.

Bright copper appearance ; small white head; fair amount of lacing. Interesting aroma; citrusy and piney at first, but as it set, hints of dill and rye surfaced. Hoppy, spicy, bitter taste with a strong alcohol presence. Dry, medium bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel. Sharp, quick finish.

Tasty, and a nice IPA/red ale hybrid. Excellent balance and easy drinking. Recommended.

Reddish amber body, large tan head, great lacing ... a beautiful beer. Nose of sweet malts and PNW hops. Taste of sweet malts, toffee, pine and citrus, with a long bitter finish. Definitely an American IPA, not a red. Enjoyable, though neither intense or complex as my favorite American IPAs.