Ithaca Excelsior! Ten

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

Bottle from beerbill. Clear copper red with a huge tan head. Big malty pit fruit aromas, apples, raisons with some booze. Smooth medium body. Huge malt bomb flavors of pit fruits, sharp caramel black tea leaf cinnamon molasses; everything but the sink. Warming booziness to finish.

Rich and heavy. Nice body and nice head from the pour. Aroma is big of fruit and caramel sweetness. Taste is strong and sweet with a bunch of hops. A little pine juicyness and some citrus balance. Ages nicely too. A bottle with a year on it has almost no lingering bitterness and is nice and sweet and the alcohol is not as hot as wehen fresh.

Awesome aroma of malts, caramel, toffee, fruits, with a steady component of citrus and floral hops. An attractive amber, almost brown color, white head. The malts and hops both compete to dominate the nose, reminiscent of the best IIPA’s. The flavor is even better, caramel, toffee, dark fruits, and a citrus tang. The finish moves into a nice, not overpowering, citrus hop bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden. Medium mouthfeel. Excellently crafted beer.

Pours with an amber body topped by a thin soapy head with some lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty with a hint of bitter hoppiness and notes of grass. medium to full bodied and warming.

Sampled via 750 ml bottle and shared by deliriumfest during Stub & Herbs March Tasting in Minneapolis, MN. Pours a hazy caramel amber brew with a thin creamy beige head that has some nice retention and spotty lacing. Aroma of citrus and fruity hops, with some caramel, toffee and a touch of mint. Taste is medium bodied, some carbonation with flavors of caramel malt, bitter citrus hops, a mild spice and a touch of pine. Finish is semi-dry with a citrus aftertaste that slowly disappears.

Bottle: Poured a cloudy amber color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of citrus hops and deep caramel and toffee malt backbone. Taste is also dominated by some deep caramel malt backbone with their sweetness well balance by citrusy and bitter hops. Full body with limited filtration and great carbonation while no alcohol is apparent. Not as complex as I had expected but still very well done and very enjoyable.

On tap Coles.. tail end of a cask festival evening! Orange brown body with a nice white head. Aroma: Hoppy, citrus, malt and honey. Flavour Hot (I wrote ’hot’ on my rating??) citrus. honey, cinnamon, malt and fruit with alcohol coming in on the finish. Nice

Another bottle from NY drank in San Fran thanks to my buddy. Dark brown pour with a huge white head and very nice filigreed lacing. Nice hop aroma, both floral and citrus heavy. Alcohol is fairly well masked with just a bit nipping at you towards the end of your sip. Well balanced between a caramel malt sweetness and a pine/citrus hop bite. I desperately want to try more Ithaca brews!