#228: Ithaca Beer Co. » Cayuga Cruiser, Poster Child, Galileo Gambit, High Roller, Honey Love, Green Trail (Bravo), Ozzy, Chardonnay-Aged White Gold, 16 Lambic

Due to shows and two bouts of summer colds, I've had a bit of catching up to do. Much of which surrounding Ithaca Beer's seamlessly endless supply of new experiments.

From their new, Berliner-Weisse summer sixer, robust 5-Barrel brews, cask & aged versions of year-round hits, and even a couple ultra-limited special releases.

Cayuga Cruiser (Berliner Weisse-style) ABV: 4.3% | Rating: 8.5/10 Bottle (8.7/10 Draft)
After last summer's 5-Barrel Berliner Weisse, I've been very intrigued if Ithaca Beer would ever include the classic German style in a more general release. Wish granted.

As their new summer seasonal, Cayuga Cruiser is a very light brew. It's far less astringent than their 5-Barrel BW, but still quite tasty. Out of the bottle, it presents a light body, mildly quenching finish, with faint notes of lemon and just a touch of pucker.

On draft, it's a bit more up my alley, with a greater nod to tradition through higher sour, acidic notes and prominent lemon. Either way, an excellent recommendation for a low-gravity, refreshing, warm-weather brew.

Poster Child ABV: 5.8% | Rating: 8.6/10
Transparent, crystal-clear straw body, topped with lacy, soapy white head kicks of this 5-Barrel brew. A beautifully strong and sharp hoppy nose follows with crisp grapefruit aromas and a hint of lime & lemon.

The taste? Smooth hop love in a glass. Strong, but soft, rolled-over flavors of pine, yellow grapefruit and a touch of tropical fruit in the bone-dry finish. An enjoyable, light-bodied, fully-flavored beer. It also pairs well with Flower Power to create 'Flower Child'.

Galileo Gambit (Porter) ABV: 5.8% | Rating: 8.7/10
Fluffy, lacy ivory head crowns an opaque, but not hazy, dark brown body with a glimmer of ruby. Aromas of dark, roasted malts invite the nose with a pinch of spice.

The flavor is a fully-bodied porter witha touch of spice heat. Wet up front with a pleasant, dry finish. The addition orange and cardamon are subtle, but exquisit, meandering their way through the traditional dark malt flavors. A uniquely drinkable porter, without the milky, earthy notes of many in the style.

High Roller (Wheat Saison) 5.3% | Rating: 8.5/10
This 5-Barrel starts with an unabashed yeasty nose with a touch of citrus. A rustic brew, with big wheat flavors, and a touch of earthiness, and mildly dry finish. (Left-most pic)

Honey Love (Barrel-Fermented Saison w/ Oats, Honey) ABV: 6.0% | Rating: 8.9/10
A beautiful, orange citrus nose blooms into a wonderful flavor bouquet of wine-like complexity having been fermented in Chardonnay Barrels, all backed by prickly carbonation. Soft, semi-sweet and breathy earth flavors of local wildflower honey peak through, firmly supported by the addition of oats. (Third-in pic)

Green Trail Cask (Session IPA dry-hopped with Bravo) ABV: 6.0% | Rating 8.8/10
Smooth, hoppy goodness in a glass. Where many cask IPAs can loose their hop-forward nature, IB has packed this one with Bravo hops for a breath of additional acidity and distinct orange and tropical fruit flavors. It's core Columbus and Cascade hop bitterness take a momentary back seat to allow it's soft malt backbone to shine through, sitting well with the aforementioned Bravo cones.

Ozzy (Belgian-style) ABV: 4.7% Rating
A highly tasty, heavily aromatic, Belgian-hybrid brew. Belgian yeasts, dance will Ella hops - an excellent choice to calm the heavy yeast flavors with mild floral and spice alongside distinct tropical and grapefruit flavors. (No pic)

Chardonnay-Aged White Gold (Oak-Barrel Belgian Wheat) ABV:  Rating: 9.5/10
In special release for their Luminous Wild Ale, Ithaca Beer concocted a handful of what I would argue as some of their finest releases to date.

This aged edition of one of my Ithaca favorites, presents a cloudy, pale straw-yellow body topped with pure white head. A beautifully fruity brew that is light on it's feet, threaded with pleasant Chardonnay notes. It's rounded off, elegant, and a touch less rustic than the original White Gold, wonderfully smoother and buttery.

The dance of white stone fruit, soft hops and white wine flavors vied to top of my already top Ithaca brews. Kudos.

16! Lambic (Lambic) 9.4/10
Last but not least. After a worthwhile half-hour wait for my two bottles of Luminous, I parked my seat at the Taproom bar for a look over their special, release-day brews. Most would only be there for the day and after a quick look, I knew there was no way I could pass on a local limited lambic.

16! Lambic bursts out with a pungently tart and funky nose. Fluffy ivory and auburn-flecked head crowns the murky, opaque, dark-caramel body.

In a word? Intense. Funky barnyard and wet hay notes meet sharp, fermented berries with spicy esters. By far the most intense Ithaca Beer I've enjoyed yet - a completely unhinged experimental success. Further in, sweet dark fruits, like past-ripe cherries, peak through the wild funk, but just barely. It's all wrapped up in a dry funk finish, that wets with each new sip. On the final sips, fine, raw Brettanomyces notes shine through. Superb.

#227: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Sympathy (Belgian Strong), Hamlet of Varna (Session IPA), Zingabeer (Belgian Pale w/ Ginger)

This past Saturday afternoon was particularly perfect weather-wise. A great day for a mid-paced flyer postering stroll around The Commons downtown, then palling up to Hopshire Farm & Brewery, having heard about their new Belgian Strong Golden Ale.

As usual, the place was hopping. We ran into several friends at the brewery, one of which had just finished up a run. His routines is a run to Hopshire to meet up with his sister for a glass. I have to say, if beer was at the finish line, I might run more.

Sympathy (Belgian Strong Golden Ale) ABV: 7.9% | IBUs: 25 | Rating: 9/10
This Belgian-style Golden kicks off with a fantastic aroma of banana, mild golden raisin, and smooth yeasts emitting from a hazy, golden body.

Down the hatch, intriguing flavors burst across the palate. An excellent use of Saaz hops for striking subtleties of herbal and spice notes, expertly balanced against always stunning Trappist yeasts.

Firm, pleasant booze notes and heat and strong esters charge out of the gate, followed by soft malt sweetness, mild mineralness, and event faint notes of pineapple; all wrapped up with a mild dry finish and plentiful Belgian spice.

Overall, a wonderful showcase of fruit flavor, Belgian yeast, and bold flavor.

Hamlet of Varna (Session IPA) ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: 45 | Rating: 8.7/10
In the surge of session IPAs over the last year, many have fallen short in the flavor spectrum, appearing as a merely mild, afterthought of a Pale Ale and a dull shadow of a true IPA.

But not here. Hopshire's Hamlet of Varna (a play on their Near Varna IPA) packs in west-coast Mosaic and Cascade hops and only light grains, Vienna & Pilsner malts for a burst of grassy hop and smooth grapefruit aromas, followed up by lively carbonation; deep, bitter hop flavors including dry pith, sharp grass and grapefruit notes, with a touch of minerals in the finish.

Overall a standout session IPA, which doesn't hold back on hop strength, instead holding the malt, and therefore gravity, in check, resulting in a drinkable, full-flavored brew.

Zingabeer (Belgian Pale Ale w/ Ginger) ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 18 | Rating: 9.1/10
Again we're met with Vienna and Pilsner malts, but this time around it's a healthy dose of Belgian malts and Abbey yeast, alongside freshly grated local ginger from Good Life Farm which take center stage. Sign me up.

Mild, spicey aromas with wisps of malt introduce Hopshire's Zingabeer which breathe up from it's transparent, deep amber body.

This brew is particularly tasty, to put it simply. A perfect balance of the aforementioned showcased ingredients along with a touch of coriander.

Expertly balanced spicy ginger, smooth caramel, and crisp malts grace the palate. The 8% ABV is completely hidden behind beautiful Abbey yeast notes, and there's even a sweet, savory notes of cashew in there. All of that wrapped up with a dry finish and mouthfeel, that also presents a mild creaminess halfway through.

A dangerously drinkable, highly enjoyable, upper ABV summer brew.