Ithaca Excelsior! IPAbbey

Aroma has some caramel malts and mellow spice with lots of hops and and is a bit earthy. Flavor is bitter, odd, rotten grain and leaves. Should have rated long ago but don’t recall my thoughts. Now this is a mess.

Bottle. Pours a hazy light brown without much of a head, just a few bubbles looking very much like they’d be at home atop a soda instead of a beer. This is interesting. It’s got a good two years on it, but still retains a little bit of citrus hop aroma, kept upright by a big malty backbone. Flavors are a bit like what one would expect from an older IPA or DIPA, much of the hops have fallen out, leaving the beer a little bit empty in the middle. Lots of old malt and caramel. Finishes sweet and almost a touch oxidized. Hopefully Ithaca will do this one again, because I’d have loved to have had this when it was in it’s prime, as I’d guess my rating would be at least a half point higher, as you can tell that this used to be quite good, but has succumbed to the ravages of time a bit.

750ml bottle from phhd, thanks man. Bright, hazy orange pour, not much head though, the carbonation is a bit light. Slight hoppiness with that distinct belgian yeast aroma as well, kind of bready. Very smooth, the hops have faded it seems, but still good. Not bad for a two year old beer.

750, capped and foiled. April 2007. Thanks, RuzyGreenberg! Murky dark amber with a loose, thin tan film. Huge lemon and grapefruit nose, maybe a little bit of yeasty apple there underneath that. Absolutely unbelievable preservation of the hop character of this beer after 2 years or so in the bottle. Creamy medium body with low carb. Rich fruity flavors with a little light balsa wood under that and a fairly mild finish. A beautiful, understated DIPA.

750mL bottle, April 2007, #805. Poured translucent medium orange with a short-lived cap of white head. The aroma picked up sweeter caramel, toasted lighter fruits, and a faint hint of smoke with a warm, aged, tangy impression.. muted hoppage, likely due to age. The flavor had the same caramel with mild bready malts at the core.. spicy black pepper, floral bitterness, and boozy warmth surrounded.. finished with unidentifiable prickly bitterness and tacky maltage. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and lots of bitterness (especially as it warmed up).. balance was OK, but this likely lost some panache due to age.

Bottle from 2007. More malty and wheaty and yeasty than Hoppy due to the age, but nonetheless a nice brew.

Bottle from 2007. Starts off bright red orange at the beginning of the bottle, and becomes a nice cloudy cider color by the end. The aroma has sweet honey, floral hops, and honeydew. The body is a bit thin. Age has left this on the malty side, but nice floral hop notes still come through, as well as honey, caramel, and a touch of spice. Not bad.

(bottle - 750 ml) Copper pour with not much of a head. Very light carbonation and lacing. Aroma is sweet and yeasty with some good Belgian spices but also a light touch of hops. Lots of candied sugars and some pepper as well. Flavor is sweet and lightly bitter at the start that gives way to a malty and earthy middle and a light hoppy finish that blends well with the spice and yeast. Finishes clean, dry, and tart with a very light alcohol presence.