Ithaca Excelsior! White Gold

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

Bottle shared with Mds, Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, and Gregclow, courtesy of one of you guys (c’mon, get your ratings in so I can tell who brought it, I never remember it!). mild sour, lemon, yeast aroma, not great. Lots of sediment, lemon, no head. taste - strong wheat, yeast, alcohol. Too strong, not enjoyable not at all. A failure.

750ml. Cloudy yellow color. Yeasty, biscuity, citrusy. nice spicy aroma. Pretty good

Bottle. Murky yellow body with a smallish white creamy head. Grainy, orangey-lemon notes, some alcohol, and biscuit. Biscuity and tart flavour right up front. Finishes a bit bourbony with alcoholic notes. Very palatable and the sharp tart bitterness is really up my alley.

The big bottle series from Ithaca seems to be step in the right direction and considerably more interesting than their everyday offerings. This one starts off great. Wonderful slam of yeast, orange, hops, lemon. Wonderful appearance, cloudy orange body, huge frothy white head. Lovely. Wonderful Belgian appearance. Then it gets confused. Is it a Belgian spiced orange wheat? Right yeast, but definitely wrong hops. Velvet smooth, even dead in the mouth. Where did the carbonation that produced that wonderful head disappear to? Maybe to the glasses of the other raters? Definitely a nice summer beer, but as it warms the flavor gets herby and even a little funky. Interesting try. // Rerating after letting it age ... taste is different and more complex. I swear that there is Brett in this that just woke up ... Typical hazy orange with huge wheat beer white head ... vanishes fast, leaving moderate lacing. Nose of citrus, lemon bite, clovey spice, and Belgian yeast. Great nose. great appearance. Taste is surprisingly complex, sweet malts, sweet lemon, moderate spice, good hop notes and bitterness, with yeast and bread as well. Each sip goes through a cycle of sweetness, lemon, hops, bitterness, and yeast. Is there a touch of Brett in this? There is some funk in the finish that keeps surprising me but, on balance, I’m coming to like it.

Bottle (Apr 07 release). Head is initially average sized, frothy, white, mostly lasting. Body is hazy medium yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), lightly hoppy (herbs, flowers, grapefruit), lightly to moderately yeasty (cobwebs, basement, dough), with light notes of pepper and metal, hint of soap. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. Kinda tastes like Westmalle yeast. It’s pretty decent overall...seems a little vague, as if it is unsure about which direction it wants to go. Kinda hoppy, kinda yeasty, kinda dry, kinda sweet, but timid in most aspects. It’s a good effort; with some smoothing out of the rough edges and a little more focus, this could be hot stuff.

750. Thanks, GoldTwins! Pours cloudy toffee amber with a thick, sudsy platinum blonde head that leaves decent rings of lace. Definite wheat sour nose. Bits of spice there as well. Lightly fizzy attack, medium body. The saaz come through, but not til the finish--before that, you get sour wheat, soggy bread, light spice. Kind of all over the map.

750 ml bottle. Hazy light yellow in color with a little white head. Citrusy yeasty aroma. Orange peel, honey and coriander notes. Spicy yeasty fruity flavor. Orange peach and clove notes. Finish is yeasty. Medium bodied. Very drinkable. Nice beer.

Thanks to TomDecapolis for breaking this open. Bottle # 1803... Appears a hazy, light yellow with a small, white head that quickly fades out. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of fresh wheat, straw, and yeast, along with some citrus and herbs. Taste echoes the aromas with an herbal, spiced citrus flavor coming through. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, yesty, citrusy, with a dry finish.