What's On Tap? (Ithaca: 4/7/2015)

Lots of new & seasonal brews on tap this week from Hopshire, Ithaca Beer, Bandwagon, and more!

Ithaca Beer Taproom this Wednesday hosts is the return of Cayuga Cruiser - Ithaca's Berliner Weisse style summer brew - along side a cask of Cruiser aged on raspberry puree on Wednesday (whoa!).

• Beersebub (Helles)
• SaScotch (Nitro Scotch Ale) 
• 'Nother Day IPA
• Daydreamer 
• Imperial Saison 
• 17!

Northstar: 

• 21st Amendment Bitter American 
• Catskills Freaktractor Wild Ale
• Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra
• Founders KBS 
• Founders Black Rye
• Ithaca Beer Java Power
• Ithaca Superstout
• Ommegang Hop House
• Ommegang La Chouffe
• Southern Tier Sonnet
• Southern Tier Tier De Garde
• Troges Nugget Nectar 2013

Bandwagon Brew Pub: 

• Hidden Rabbit Hefeweizen
• Ezra Red Ale
• Pucker Up
• Svante's Legislative Session IPA
• No Kettle No Cry (Massively dry-hopped ale)
• Humble  (American Wheat)
• High Step Weizenbock
• Pirate Eye IPA
• Sully's Irish Stout
• Tuesday Night Circus (3xIPA)
• Pucker Up (Sour Rye)
• Doc Rocker Porter
• Doc Blocker Smoked Porter (Coming soon...)
• Slime IPA (Coming soon...)
• Catskills Freaktractor Wild Ale
• Three Heads Brewing The Kind
• Smuttynose Findest Kind IPA
• Break & Skiff 1911
• Bell's Oberon
• Cortland Brewery Black Widow Russian Imperial Stout

Ithaca Coffee Company:
Triphammer:

• Upstate Honey Porter
• Ommegang Glimmer Glass
• Sam Adams Rebel IPA
• Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu
• Ritterguts Gose
• Ithaca Java Power
• Green Flash Soul Style IPA
• Rogue Dead Guy Ale
• Rogue Brutal IPA
• 3 Heads Double Skunk
• Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
• Rogue Irish Style Lager

Gateway:

• Cortland Black Widow Stout
• 3 Heads Buffalo Soul Jah
• Wagner Valley Coffee Porter
• Shiner FM966
• Wagner Valley Sled Dog
• Sackets Harbor War of 1812 Ale
• Wagner Valley Maple Porter
• Harpoon UFO Gingerland
• Wagner Valley Hop Tropic
• Ithaca Beer Excelsior! 17

Hopshire Farm & Brewery 

• Beehave
• Brambles (Raspberry Wheat Ale)
• Shire Ale
• Sympathy (Belgian strong golden)
• Near Varna 
• Hop Onyx 
• Hopscene Gesture (new Double IPA)

Ithaca Ale House

• Abandon Brewing Black Currant Amber
• Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra
• Galaxy NY Attitude (Belgian Pale)
• Harpoon UFO White
• Beak & Skiff Cidery - Hopped Cider
• Stella Artois
• Ithaca Daydreamer
• Leinenkugel Summer Shandy
• Wachusetts Blueberry Ale
• Alpine Beer Company Duet IPA
• Bell's Two Hearted
• Cortland Beer Industrial IPA
• Saranac Prism
• Stone Enjoy By 4.20.15 IPA
• Founders KBS
• Guinness
• Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Southern Tier Goat Boy
• Ithaca White Gold
• Schneider Porter Weisse

Finger Lakes Beverage Center

• Great Lakes Christmas
• Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose
• Saranac Tramonay Rouge
• Abandon Porter
• Horseheads Orion Belgian IPA
• Cortland Industrial IPA
• Ithaca Red Rye IPA
• Southern Tier 2Xmas
• Smuttynose/Stone Clusters Last Stand IPA (new!)
• Sam Adams Helles Bock
• Angry Orchard Crisp Hard Cider
• W E Salle Birch Beer Soda

#317: Ithaca Beer Co. » Beersebub (Helles), Imperial Saison, SaScotch (Nitro Scotch Ale)

BBB is back after a week off, starting up a prosperous new day job. A surprise birthday party for a friend I haven't seen in far too long was a good spark to get back in the review game at Ithaca Beer, where the were offering up four new 5 BBL offerings ('Nother Day session IPA not reviewed).

Beersebub (Helles sytle) | ABV: 5.5%
A great start to the meal after waiting to order until seated. An easy drinking, dry, bittersweet brew with a brief, clean finish. Nice session weight to start things off.

Imperial Saison | ABV: 8.7%
This one peaked my interest as soon as I walked in - Grains of Paradise, ginger, & orange peal in a weighty Saison? Yes, please. It's smoothly spiced, backed by soft carbonation, and faint threads of earthiness. Wonderfully blooming white fruit esters follow with well-balanced notes of ginger, rind, and pith peak through. There's a mildly sharp creaminess to it too.

SaScotch (Nitro Scotch Ale) | ABV: 8.3%
Here's another highly enjoyable, limited brew from IB's new Manhattan Project. An excellent choice for Nitro, this scotch ale is deftly smooth with soft, nutty undertones threaded with mild butterscotch, caramel, and a faint hint of rye.