Bottle 666. Perhaps the single best Barley Wine I’ve ever tried. Whiskey, malt and rye on this dark brown beer. Faint light brown head. Incredibly smooth body that isn’t cloyingly sweet like so many in the style. Strong rye body with whiskey hints and enough malt sweetness to remind me that it’s indeed a barley wine. Absolutely amazing.

Bottle from jah noth, #697. Thanks, man. Pours deep brown with 2-finger khaki head. Aroma is very complex, with heavy hops, tropical fruit, rye and pumpernickel breads, slight vanilla and whiskey. Well rounded and just lovely nose on this. The flavor is very hoppy, with a solid dose of dark maltiness, dark fruit, hints of berries, and slight whiskey. Very rich and complex palate, with neither the rye nor the whiskey being overdone at all. It all blended together seamlessly, making this one a true beer for the ages, and another winner from the Ithaca Excelsior series. Try this one with Szechuan Seafood for a true treat.

Rated while drinking: 100th! Bottle #700. Pours a ruby-tinged cider color with apparently no head, except near the edge of the glass. Looks almost like blood if held right near the light. Quite aromatic. Vanilla, oak, sourdough bread, with something sweet that points towards cherries. Flavor is tight, pulled together, yet touches on many different notes. Beginning touches on cherries and other dessert fruits, almost like an ice wine. Middle runs into more oak and wooden aspects. Tastes like a old dusty tome. The end rides into dark chocolate and espresso. Aftertaste is mainly vanilla with more touches of oak. Mouth feel is ridiculously smooth up and down, but begins carbonated and ends a bit dry. Alcohol is barely noticeable, but definitely enhances the palate. A sipper. I thought all the other Excelsiors were good, but this one definitely blew them all out of the water. I was a bit hesitant about this because of the rye malts, but I should try to acquire another bottle of this and let it sit for a couple more months. I bet the flavors would be even more pulled together and robust. A very nice beer for a 100th rating. Ithaca continues to impress and impress.

Pours a very dark brown that when held to light shows a dark, but perfectly clear ruby. Nose is extremely clean. But not in a bland or boring kind of way. If this were a porter or a stout, I’d say this has a lot of malt qualities. Carries a pretty thick and robust character. Flavor is extremely hearty. Just a mass of robust qualities. It is hard to judge this one as I have not had any rye beers to this point, but it seems extremely well made. Feel has a great carbonation to it and a thick enough liquid feel. This one is extremely drinkable. Even though this is my first sample at this particular style, I feel as though I can firmly say that this is an excellent example of the style and overall a beautiful beer in general. If you see it....don’t hesitate. If you did...you’d be robbing yourself of an experience. Beautiful. One of my most amazing experiences with beer in very recent memory. If Ithaca doesn’t make this a regular in their lineup, I say they are moronic idiots.

Bottle 724. Very dark opaque brown/ruby color. Looks black with lights dimmed. Nice light brown head and lace that eventually diminishes. Nose of ripe and just about ripe cherries, vanilla, hint of whiskey, earth, spicy hops, alcohol and others. Medium-full body, off the chart creaminess, big rye malt flavor, backround fruit, hint of chocolate, and some...roast? Barrell/oak then comes out along with the hops, perfect amount of bittereness. Bit of whiskey in the end. Warming and complex. This is a big excellent beer. Seek it.