What's On Tap? (Ithaca: Feb 26th, 2015)

After a week out of state, we're back with What' On Tap? in Ithaca.

Ithaca Beer Taproom is hosting a local cider appreciation event this week. Thursday, Feb 26th from 5-9PM they'll have ciders from Bellwether (Liberty Spy), 1911 (Original Cider ran through a Randall and a purely hopped cider), and a cask of hopped cider from South Hill Cidery.

• Java Power (Coffee IPA)
• Milkstache (Nitro Milk Stout)
• Superstout (Nitro Coffe Stout)
• Anniversary 17! -  (Wheat, DIPA w Brettanomyces)
• Erryday IPA (session IPA)
• Golden Secret -  (Golden Belgian Strong)
• Cranbretty - (100% Brett. fruit beer)
• Embrr (Rye Porter)

Bandwagon Brew Pub 

• NYS Traditional Pilsner
• Cry Dunkel (Bavarian Wheat)
• I P EH? (American IPA)
• Rauchbier
• Sully Irish Stout
• Sesch Ale (Kolsch)
• TB-2 Pale Ale
• Azedo (Sour Mash Pale)
• British Invasion
• Tuesday Night Circus (3xIPA)
• Too Have's Hole (Brown Porter)
• 1911 Cider
• Ommegang Hop House
• Abandon Golden Strong
• Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
• Catskill Brewing Floodwatch IPA
• Catskill Brewing Ball Lightning Pilsner
• Smuttynose Brewing Durty Mudd Season
• Bell's Special Double Cream Stout

Ithaca Coffee Company:
Triphammer:

• 21st Amendment Back in Black
• He'Brew Funky Jewbelation
• Saranac Prism White Ale
• Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
• Stone Matt's Burning Rosids
• Ithaca Excelsior! 17
• Bacchus Cyclhops IPA
• 21st Amendment Blah Blah Blah
• Saranac Chocolate Orange Porter
• Southern Tier Where The Helles Summer
• City Stream Innocence IPA
• Bellwether Original Hard Cider

Gateway:

• City Steam Naughty Nurse
• Ithaca Java Power
• Shiner White Wing
• Ithaca Daydreamer
• Ithaca SuperStout
• North Coast Brother Thelonious
• Ithaca Rustic Harvest
• Southern Tier Nitro IPA
• Ithaca Excelsior! White Gold
• Southern Tier Where The Helles Summer

Northstar: 

• Anderson Valley The Kimmie The Yink (Gose)
• Bell's Best Brown
• Boulder Beer Dragon Hosen (Imperial Marzen)
• Brasserie Kronenbourg - Kronenboug (Euro Pale Ale)
• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
• Ithaca Embrr
• Dogfish Head 60 Minute
• Dogfish Head Theobroma (Ancient Ale)

Ithaca Ale House

• Founders Black Rye
• Troegs Nugget Nectar 
• Harpoon UFO White
• Stella Artois
• Saranac Tramonay Rouge
• Wachusetts Blueberry Ale
• Bell's Hopslam
• Bell's Two Hearted
• Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter
• Pilsner Urquell
• Goose Island Ten Hills Pale
• Horseheads Rye P.A.
• Bacchus Oatmeal Stout
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
• Ithaca Embrr
• Guinness
• Ithaca Super Stout 
• Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Stone Double Bastard
• Ithaca White Gold

Hopshire Farm & Brewery: 

• Beehave
• Fiddlers Grain (Irish red)
• Barley Stone (Irish stout)
• Shire Ale
• Sympathy (Belgian strong golden)
• Near Varna 
• Hop Onyx 

Finger Lakes Beverage Center

• Great Lakes Christmas 
• Southern Tier 2Xmas
• Jacks Abby Kiwi Rising
• Lake Placid Black Tie Porter
• Saranac Clouded Dream
• Abandon Belgian
• Horseheads Black IPA
• Sam Adams Imperial Stout
• Wagner Valley Hop Tropic IPA
• Upstate XPA IPA
• Angry Orchard Crisp Hard Cider
• W E Salle Birch Beer Soda 

(If you would like your bar or brewery featured in these weekly posts, contact bubbablogs (at) gmail.com)

What's On Tap? (Ithaca: Feb 12th, 2015)

Thanks for joining us for this week's "What's On Tap?".

Ithaca Beer Taproom have pared up with Gimme Coffee for two marvels - Java Power & Super Stout. The former is a coffee IPA that uses lightly roasted Tanzanian coffee beans from Gimme! and the later is a coffee oatmeal stout that uses Sumatra beans, also from Gimme!

This week's cask is Flower Power dry hopped with experimental hop 04190.

Bandwagon Brew Pub will launch Azedo - a 4.6% sour mash pale ale,, dry-hopped with Cascade & CTZ; TB2 - a 6.0% American Pale, and their 3.8% Sesch kolsch-fermented session ale - all brewed with NYS malt.

• Hidden Rabbit Hefeweizen
• Ezra Red Ale
• Cellar Dweller (West Coast IPA)
• Robust Brown Ale
• Sully Irish Stout
• NYS Traditional Pilsner
• Winter Brown Lager
• Thank Hank Porter
• Sauer Weisse
• Chai-Chili Porter
• 600 Waves Session IPA
• Wine Barreled Red Ale
• Udder Delight Milk Stout
• Shiny Penny Copper Lager
• Russian Imperial Stout
• Catskill Brewing Floodwatch IPA
• Catskill Brewing Ball Lightning Pilsner
• Ninkasi Believer Imperial Red

Ithaca Coffee Company:
Triphammer:

• Anderson Valley Spring Hornin'
• North Coast Brother Thelonious
• Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose
• Great Lakes Nosferatu
• Southern Tier Tripel Cafe
• Ithaca Flower Power
• Ithaca Embrr
• Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA
• City Steam Naughty Nurse
• Bell's Smitten Golden Rye
• 3 Heads Buffalo Soul Jah
• 1911 Hard Cider

Gateway:

• City Steam Innocence IPA
• Southern Tier Helles Lager
• Abandon Session Saison
• Abandon Spiced Dubbel
• Ommegang Hop House
• Ommegang Spiced Saison
• Ithaca Green Trail
• Ommegang Gnomegang
• Ithaca Embrr
• Bellweather Original Hard Cider

Northstar: 

• Anderson Valley The Kimmie The Yink (Gose)
• Bacchus Cyclhops IPA
• Bacchus Oatmeal Stout
• Bandwagon Chai-Chili Porter
• 1911 Hard Cider
• Bell's Best Brown
• Boulder Beer Dragon Hosen (Imperial Marzen)
• Brasserie Kronenbourg - Kronenboug (Euro Pale Ale)
• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
• Ithaca Embrr
• North Coast Old Rasputin
• Bandwagon Sauer Weisse
• 3 Heads Buffalo Soul Jah

Ithaca Ale House

• Sierra Nevada Nooner Pils 
• Ithaca Super Stout (New)
• St. Laurence Maple Porter
• Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra (18%)
• Harpoon UFO White
• Southern Tier - Tier De Garde
• Harpoon Winter Warmer
• Sam Adams Boston Lager
• Stella Artois
• Wachusetts Blueberry Ale
• Bell's Two Hearted
• Pilsner Urquell
• Horseheads Rye P.A.
• Bacchus Oatmeal Stout
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
• Guinness
• Ithaca Embrr
• Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Stone Double Bastard
• Ithaca White Gold

The Westy have their Beer + Coffee event in collaboration with Ithaca Beer & Gimme! Coffee this Friday, Feb 13th and will have Java Power on cask plus a line of Superstout.

• Bell's Hopslam (Nugget Nectar on deck)
• Southern Tier Live
• Ithaca Daydreamer
• Ithaca Embrrr 
• Victory Hop Devil 
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (for now..)
• Allagash White
• Lagunita Pils
• Bell's Two Hearted
• Yuengling
• Stella

Hopshire Farm & Brewery: 

• Beehave
• Fiddlers Grain (Irish red)
• 'round yon Virgil
• Barley Stone (Irish stout)
• Shire Ale
• Sympathy (Belgian strong golden)
• Near Varna 
• Hop Onyx 

Finger Lakes Beverage Center

• Great Lakes Christmas 
• Southern Tier 2Xmas
• Jacks Abby Kiwi Rising
• Lake Placid Black Tie Porter
• Saranac Clouded Dream
• Abandon Belgian
• Horseheads Black IPA
• Sam Adams Imperial Stout
• Elysain Space Dust
• Angry Orchard Crisp Hard Cider
• W E Salle Birch Beer Soda 

(If you would like your bar or brewery featured in these weekly posts, contact bubbablogs (at) gmail.com)

#309: Allagash » Curieux (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel)

Allagash » Curieux (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel) | ABV: 11/0% 
I picked a bottle of Curieux up after enjoying a draft glass at Northstar earlier in the winter, its understated and deceptively drinkable character would be enjoyable on a blustery night in.

A blend of Allagash's Tripel Ale aged in Jim Beam barrels and fresh Tripel Ale, Curieux enters with aromas of soft peach & apricot and faint, sweet bourbon.

Lively carbonation and smooth, rummy flavors cross the palate without the expected ethanol, boozy notes. Firm notes of apricot, caramel, coconut and a touch of earthiness follow. Further through, there's a touch more raisin on the palate, but never dipping into the sticky realm. On the final glass, apricot skin aromas are much more defined.

Overall, another subtly potent ale from those fine folks from Maine, prompting enjoyable evenings and good conversation.

#310: Deschutes Brewery » Black Butte XXVI (Imperial Porter)

Deschutes Brewery » Black Butte XXVI (Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter) | ABV: 10.2%
One of my favorite parts about winter is the occasional night in with my partner accompanied with big dark brews. We'd picked this beauty up on our anniversary trip to Philadelphia back in December - no Deschutes Brewery distro to upstate NY, but there's always hoping.

This 26th Anniversary beer is Deschutes' Imperial Porter, 50% aged in bourbon barrels for 6 months and dry spiced with cocoa nibs, pomegranate, molasses and Oregon cranberries.

Black Butte XXVI kicks off with deep, aromatics notes of pomegranate threaded with raspberry truffle, cherry chocolate, and molasses.

Onto the palate, it's exceptionally dark and juicy with a far lighter mouthfeel than expected. Its boozy without being sharp and backed by a delightful sweetness that's just a touch sticky on the lips. The initial finish wraps up with dark chocolate, tart pomegranate and cranberry.Further through there's a growing dryness and inferred flavors of vanilla bean.

To be honest, Deschutes Brewery Black Butte XXVI is phenomenal. A deftly well-balanced and unique blend of boozy dark beer with just the right amount of tartness that somehow all remains light on it's feet. It's not cheap, but well worth the cost.

#308: The Bruery » Sour In The Rye (Wild Ale)

The Bruery » Sour In The Rye (Wild Ale) | ABV: 7.8% | IBUs: 5
If memory serves, this brew has been waiting patiently since my trek to Chicago for a one-off show. Sometimes I can't help holding off on something I'm going to love.

Sour In The Rye is brewed with a substantial amount of rye malt and barrel-aged for over a year. Strong aromas of ripe red apples and concord grapes emit from the deep, transparent amber body and quickly fading white head.

The flavor is a spark to the senses. It's impressively astringent and hot with firm pepper, clove, and herbal character. Bright, sour, and tart flavors follow with kumquat at the forefront with a hint of starfruit and a touch of grapefruit rind. Kombucha and red wine characteristics build as the aforementioned flavors stack and feedback on one another, finishing with a drying, velvety mouthfeel.

Sour In The Rye is an assertive, deftly sour American Wild Ale with plenty of body and a touch of heat. Looking forward to hunting for more of this fine, unabashed brew.

#307: Almanac Beer Co. » Golden Gate Gose

Almanac Beer Co. » Golden Gate Gose | ABV: 5.0% 
I figured I'd start the weekend off right with a stop into Ithaca Coffee Co. as they had a several lines of Three Heads Brewing. I quickly and delightedly changed my mind once seeing 'Almanac Golden Gate Gose' scrawled on the chalkboard. Almanac recently arrived in our area and while I was able to secure a bottle of Farmer's Reserve Blackberry earlier in the week, this is my first round with Almanac on draft.

Golden Gate's nose is fairly transparent, with mild mineral and apricot notes. A fizzy inch of white head quickly fades atop a hazy, light-amber body.

Onto the palate, it's smooth & tart and far silker than many of the recent American goses. Soft coriander and a touch of salt start things off, blooming into champagne-like notes threaded with distinct apricot flavors and a hint of nectarine and lemon zest. It's bright, prickly, and tart, yet rich & full bodied. Golden Gate is a solid Gose for the colder months - a cozy Gose if you will.

What's On Tap? (Ithaca: Feb 5th, 2015)

This week on What's On Tap?, Northstar House joins our growing listing!

Ithaca Beer Taproom just released a new 6.9% IPA called Citrusen Kane, packed with every variety of citrus hop they had in the house. An as yet unreleased cask ale will join Citrusen Kane amongst seasonal Daydreamer, their year-round offerings, and likely a few recent releases from their 5BBL series.

Bandwagon Brew Pub:

• Hidden Rabbit Hefeweizen
• Ezra Red Ale
• Cellar Dweller (West Coast IPA)
• Robust Brown Ale
• Sully Irish Stout
• NYS Traditional Pilsner
• Winter Brown Lager
• Thank Hank Porter
• Sauer Weisse
• Chai-Chili Porter
• 600 Waves Session IPA
• Wine Barreled Red Ale
• Udder Delight Milk Stout
• Shiny Penny Copper Lager
• Russian Imperial Stout
• Catskill Brewing Floodwatch IPA
• Catskill Brewing Ball Lightning Pilsner
• Ninkasi Believer Imperial Red

Ithaca Coffee Company:
Triphammer:

• 3 Heads Too Kind IPA
• North Coast Brother Thelonious
• Ommegang Spiced Saison
• Founders Backwoods Bastard
• Ithaca Rustic Harvest
• Ithaca Flower Power
• Ithaca Embrr
• 3 Heads The Kind IPA
• 3 Heads Tre' Kind IPA
• 3 Heads Buffalo Soul Jah
• 1911 Hard Cider

Gateway:

• Saranac Legacy IPA
• Southern Tier Helles Lager
• City Steam Innocence IPA
• Abandon Spiced Dubbel
• Horseheads IPA
• Abandon Farmhouse IPA
• Ithaca Green Trail
• Ommegang Gnomegang
• Ithaca Embrr
• Bellweather Original Hard Cider

Northstar: 

• Anderson Valley The Kimmie The Yink (Gose)
• Bacchus Oatmeal Stout
• Bandwagon Sauer Weisse
• Bandwagon Chai-Chili Porter
• Bandwagon Wine Barreled Red Ale
• 1911 Hard Cider
• Bacchus Cyclhops IPA
• Brasserie Kronenbourg - Kronenboug (Euro Pale Ale)
• Ithaca Embrr
• North Coast Old Rasputin
• Boulder Beer Dragon Hosen (Imperial Marzen)

Ithaca Ale House

• Sierra Nevada Nooner Pils (Just tapped 2/4/204)
• Saranac Long John Lager
• Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra (18%)
• Harpoon UFO White
• Southern Tier - Tier De Garde
• 21st Amendment Fireside Chat
• Harpoon Winter Warmer
• Sam Adams Boston Lager
• Stella Artois
• Wachusetts Blueberry Ale
• Bell's Two Hearted
• Stone Enjoy By 02.14.15 IPA
• Pilsner Urquell
• Horseheads Rye P.A.
• Bacchus Oatmeal Stout
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
• Guinness
• Ithaca Embrr
• Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Stone Double Bastard
• Ithaca White Gold

The Westy

• **Update: Bell's Hopslam**
• Bacchus Floras Fate Pale Ale
• Ithaca Daydreamer
• Ithaca Embrrr 
• Victory Hop Devil 
• Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
• Allagash White
• Southern Tier Live 
• Bell's Two Hearted, Bell's
• Yuengling
• Stella
• Jever 

Hopshire Farm & Brewery taps a cask of Fiddlers Grain aged with Cascade hops from Lyke Road Farms in Trumansburg plus has the following on tap this week:

• Beehave
• Fiddlers Grain (Irish red)
• 'round yon Virgil
• Barley Stone (Irish stout)
• Shire Ale
• Sympathy (Belgian strong golden)
• Near Varna 
• Hop Onyx 

Finger Lakes Beverage Center

• Great Lakes Christmas 
• Southern Tier 2Xmas
• Jacks Abby Kiwi Rising
• Lake Placid Black Tie Porter
• Saranac Clouded Dream
• Abandon Belgian
• Horseheads Black IPA
• Evil Twin Biscotti Break
• Elysain Space Dust
• Angry Orchard Crisp Hard Cider
• W E Salle Root Beer Soda 

(If you would like your bar or brewery featured in these weekly posts, contact bubbablogs (at) gmail.com)

#306: Ithaca Beer Co. » Nut Brown on Ash & Golden Secret (Golden Strong Ale)

Saturday was eventful, starting off with Trevor Pinch's lecture on his book "In The Moog", running errands, with the prospect of Whiskey Tango Sideshow in the evening. I had a short phone interview to give regarding an upcoming event and figured why not have some refreshments along the way.

Ithaca Beer Co. » Nut Brown on Ash (Cask) | ABV: 5.4%
A pleasant variation on one of Ithaca's year-round staples. The cask & ash bring out the deep roasted notes and mild earthiness of Nut Brown, with just a touch of sweetness. A more full-bodied reminder of my time in England seeking out every "real ale" along our travels.

Ithaca Beer Co. » Golden Secret (Golden Strong Ale) | ABV: 9.2%
Good conversation can be a distraction when reading information, thus I absolutely missed the weighty 9.2% on this Golden Strong Ale and wouldn't have even notice it I hadn't caught it halfway through out of the corner of my eye.

Fruity & dynamic, Golden Secret is brewed with a brand new German hop - Mandarina Bavaria. Brewed Belgian-style, there's a tasteful savory spice to it, satisfying sweetness, with a flip of dry heat in the finish and velvety mouthcoat. If this one is Belgian-style enough to be considered for their Box of Belgians, it would get my vote.

#305: Bandwagon Beer » Tuesday Night Circus (Triple IPA)

Tuesday Night Circus (Triple IPA) | ABV: 13% 
Starting the "What's on Tap?" weekly news posts has gotten a bit dangerous, now that I generally know what's on at all my favorite spots. As soon as I got wind of this hop monster, I knew I'd kick myself if I missed out.

As expected, it's a hop bomb in the nose. Piney and resinous, packed with aromatic notes of passion fruit and blood orange.

It's unexpectedly smooth up front, which deviously turns bitingly bitter with an unabashed booze heat. A hot and earthy brew with strong notes of citrus rind, rye whiskey, and soft caramel.

Timid tasters shouldn't leave just yet, though. Tuesday Night Circus has plenty of bite out of the gate, but it hits it's stride several sips in, becoming deviously drinkable. But, that could just be the 13% talking.

#304: The Bruery » Atomic Kangarue (Wild Ale)

The Bruery » Collaboration Series: Atomic Kangarue (American Wild Ale) 
ABV: 9.5% | IBUs: 32
This Smog City Brewing collaboration is a Belgian-style golden ale at it's core,  brewed with Semillon and Viognier grapes plus three types of hops, fermented with Brettanomyces Trois as well as The Bruery's house yeast strain, then blended with a sour blonde ale and finally dry-hopped with Amarillo hops. That's a lengthy list to label and in less deft hands than The Bruery, this could be a trainwreck. Instead, it's a blissful and exotic trip for the palate.

A lightly spiced nose starts things off, followed by mildly tart aromas of white grape and a hint of kumquat.

Onto the palate, it's lively carbonated and quite unique. Definitive star fruit flavor is backed by underripe mango and young white peach finish, with a touch of booze heat in the finish. Further through, the Viognier grapes peak through to my delight, as they're one of my favorite varieties for wine. A slow, lingering, tart finish of white wine and white stone fruits elegantly teases until the next sip.

Atomic Kangarue an exotic and extremely palatable brew. It's never over bearing, despite a paragraph of ingredients. The incredible minds at The Bruery have done it once again.

#300: Mikkeller » Forêt de Tronçais (Barleywine)

Mikkeller »  Forêt de Tronçais (Barleywine) | ABV: 19.3%
301...302...303...300..? You caught it. We are jumping around with our post numbers just for a moment, as I wanted a truly epic beer for review post #300, and boy is this it.

This Forêt series of six Mikkeller beers is based around a high gravity wort, fermented with champagne yeast, and aged in three different varieties of French oak barrels. Each barrel variation has a light and medium toasted variation. Fair warning, this on the far end of what can be called beer. Instead it's booze heaven.

A pungent, complex nose amply introduces Forêt de Tronçais, pluming with toffee, dates, crème brûlée, rum, cane sugar, and maple syrup.

Onto the palate, it's quite sweet and expectantly malt forward. Deep, rich flavors of fig jam, rum, sweet breads, and an inference of a very distinct pastry that I just cannot put my finger on. Further through, notes of overripe grapes & grape skin arise with threads of faint clove and cinnamon, both without the spice mouthcoat though.

Overall, a huge sipper of a brew that's highly recommended for those with an adventurous palate. Here's hoping to compare the other five varieties.