Ithaca Excelsior! Kaffinator Double Espresso Bock

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Doppelbock
Ithaca, New York USA

bottle #769 from 6/2007 by way of alldaydrinker.

pours on the brown side of ruby brown with a small agitated beige head which quickly fades. it does manage to deposit some spotty lacing before it goes. smells like a really nice porter... spent wet coffee grounds, toasty grains, molasses, brown sugar, scalded cream and lots o maltiness. it*s barely sweet on the palate and the coffee taste is much more tame than the aroma... flavors of amped up malt powder, chocolate, graham crackers and light ashiness with a dry slightly sour finish. nice mellow coffee bean aftertaste... mmm. medium body with an airy texture and super creamy lush mouth feel.

terribly delicious but very uncomplicated. i could probably drink another one right now if i had it, though! 7/4/7/4/16/3.8

Draft. Pours a brown body with a tan head. Nice roasty coffee, caramel, chocolate, then burnt malt, a lager notes and a hint of vanilla. Good brew.

<b>In short: </b>A coffee infused doublebock. A clash of styles more than a bright idea. Quite drinkable nonetheless.
<b>How: </b>Bottle 750ml, 6+ months old.
<b>The look: </b>Extremely dark ruby body (almost black) topped by a small beige head
<b>In long: </b>Nose of black coffee and molasses. Taste is burnt black malts, roasted coffee beans, black coffee, molasses, black liquorice candies and hints of vanilla. Moderately roasted, moderately sweet, very soft carbonation. The coffee flavour is present but certainly not overwhelming and that’s a good thing. Individual flavours by themselves are ok but there’s something about a bock and coffee that just doesn’t mesh well as with stout and coffee. Coffee is to stouts what mustard is to hamburgers, and coffee is to bocks what mustard is to pancakes.

bottle from Premier Gourmet, nose is coffee, sweet malts kinda smokey, and a bit of hops. flavor carries through little creamier then i expected but enjoyable.

25 oz bottle, bottled 6/2007. Pours a clear dark brown body with a small fizzy beige head that ran to a thin ring. Really nice interplay between the clean malts and the intense coffee in the nose. Sweet yet roasty smelling, nutty, toasty, chocolate, wonderful. The nose is better than the taste though. The espresso is hidden up front by the toasty nutty malt and does emerge nicely on the finish, but it’s below my expectations. I don’t really get a whole lot of Doppelbock character. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, has a nice smooth clean finish with nice moderately soft fizzy carbonation. Nice lingering finish. Overall, pretty solid, I thought that if nothing else it was very drinkable. I could probably put down another 750 of this.

Pours deep brown/black with a fine tan head. Aroma is dry with coffee and mild malty qualities. Flavor is stale coffee with an excellent sweet backing. The mouthfeel really pulls it together. Good beer!

Bottle: Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Aroma, coffee, chocolate, fruits. Flavor, espresso, chocolate, caramel, some dark fruits, dry roasted notes on the finish.

Courtesy ChzMan. Dark beown/black. Tan head. A ton of roasty malt and fresh coffee, lightly bready. Full body, just smoother than balanced. Solid.