Ithaca Excelsior! Old Habit

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Barley Wine
Ithaca, New York USA

Pours a dark red with a thin head. The nose was sweet, spicy rye, warm alcohol, some bourbon, a little subdued. Bourbon flavor, warm, spicy rye, lightly waxy hop flavor. The mouthfeel was thin with no carbonation. Finished warm.

Carolina Crew Gathering Greenville, NC. Thanks to Ryan for this impressive sample. Copper pour with a big toffee & malt aroma. Dark fruit and hops up front with spicy dry finish.

Tasted at the Carolina Crew gathering, Greenville - thanks to Ryan for sharing! Another impressive beer from Ithaca, a brewery that’s really rising in my estimation. It’s certainly a strong barleywine at its base, a lovely brown/amber pour, a strong malty aroma, with some hops and heat initially coming on strong - and some dark fruits and even a hint of port emerging late. But yes, the rye malts do come through and do give this beer some added complexity and distinctiveness. A nice one.

dark, ruddy brown..extremely murky, almost like prune juice..aroma of light sugar, raison, fig, and toasted caramel...flavor of prune, raison, caramelized sugars, rye bread, pine, and light yeast...floral finish..interesting

Amber red color with a beige head leaving some lacing. Smell of floral hops, cherries, vanilla, and maybe some rye, though I don’t know if that’s just because I know they used rye. In the taste I get cherries, caramel, floral hops, toffe, and oak. Body is somewhat light and has light carbonation. A decent beer. Thanks to iowaherkeye for sharing.

bottle: pours a good brown colour witha very thin tan head. aroma is very grainy can smell the rye, some good caramel malts adn touches of dark fruits some of the bright aromas of the wood and wiskey. flavour is a good rye peppery taste, good caramel flavour. fantastic beer.

old habit bottle number 1033 rye malty good big aromas ruddy brown color citrusy hops sweet and sour aftertaste woody bourbon flavors

Deep amber pour with a thin off white head. Aroma is vanilla and caramel. Flavor is Vanilla, oak, rye, caramel, toffee, and some bitter hops. Finishes slightly syrupy with a touch of alcohol. Nice.