The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew: Cascazilla (Red Ale aged on bourbon soaked oak)
Availability: Cask only (limited)
ABV: 7.3%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom
The Story? On Monday, I received a note that a friend I hadn't seen in two years was going to be celebrating her birthday with a small crew at Ithaca Beer Taproom on Wednesday. Short notice... but, to hit IB on cask night? Twist my arm.
As with any short-run series and experimentation, Ithaca Beer's cask & 5-barrel series have had some real winners (see Black Mamba) and some less-memorable attempts, but they're always worth keeping up on. This weeks' phrase "Cascazilla aged on bourbon soaked oak" immediately caught my attention.
The Beer? For starters, we've got a fresh hop nose. It's dialed back from Cascazilla's usual ferocity, but as is to be expected from the cask and the oak. Now for the taste - nice smooth hops and very drinkable. Bourbon and oak we're an excellent experiment for one of my staple Ithaca brews.
A bit sweet at first, but then Cascazilla's dryness kicks in with noticeably (in perspective) more carbonation than in some of the other cask offerings, though nowhere near usual draft levels. The bourbon is mellow and eludes to vanilla extract, dancing around in the background.
This one really retains the hop beauty of Cascazilla in a subtler frame with mellowing of oak and semi-sweetening effects of the bourbon complexity.
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