#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.

#318: The Lost Abbey » Red Poppy Ale 2012 (Flanders Red Ale)

The Lost Abbey » Red Poppy Ale 2012 (Flanders Red Ale) | ABV: 5.5%

I finally found the right evening to crack into this wonderful sour from The Lost Abbey -- the brew that truly launched my feverish interest in sour and wild beers.

Red Poppy starts life at Pizza Port's Dawn Patrol Dark session Brown Ale. After fermentation and during barrel transfer, it's blended with Port Brewing's Amigo Lager. Cherries are added and put through a second fermentation, than aged six months.

The result is a vibrant nose, blooming with bright sour cherry flavor and subtler notes of grape and apple, supported by a transparent nuttiness and soft, earthy funk.

Red Poppy hits the palate with a chewy, decedent, and full-bodied mouthfeel that remains elegant, never dipping into weighted tubbiness. It's puckering, with an expert balance of sour cherry and chocolate.

Further through, a venerable cornucopia of flavors peak through at every turn - lemon pith, grape skin, mineral characteristics, all with a touch of funk, rummy finish, and an afterglow that is sweeter than most sours.

Absolutely a superb beer.

#317: Great Divide Brewing Co. » Barrel Aged Hibernation Ale 2014 (Old Ale)

Great Divide Brewing Co. » Barrel Aged Hibernation Ale 2014 (Old Ale) | ABV: 10.5%

This barrel-aged version of Great Divide's Hibernation Old Ale kicks off with a plethora of chocolate and cocoa aromas, backed with a touch of raisin and rye.

It's curiously juicy on the palate. Wet, dark fruit tartness permeate deep flavors of chocolate and raspberries. This barrel-aged brew is far lighter on it's feet than expected for 10.5% and is quite drinkable, even a touch quenching. Not a stupendous beer, but highly enjoyable, especially for the price.

#316: Bell's Beer » Mercury - The Winged Messenger (Belgian Single)

Bell's Beer » Mercury - The Winged Messenger (Belgian Single) | ABV: 4.8%

Bell's planetary series has been an adventure so far, and we're not even half-way through - from the deftly delicious Mars DIPA to the polarizingly alien Venus... we now find ourselves at Mercury - The Winged Messenger, a subtle 4.8% Belgian Single.

Mercury curiously emits gose-like nose with firm lemon zest, initially leading me to believe there may be some sour tartness heading for the tongue, but instead, my palate met with a lively carbonated, mellow brew.

Subtle savory spice puts the punctuation on an otherwise, clean and clear bear. Light and airy, with a touch of breadiness and delicate, subtle esters.

A good beer, but mild and just a little underwhelming for the price, compared to the usual value of Bell's seasonal and the rest of the planetary adventure thus far.

#315: Goose Island » Bourbon County Stout 2014 (Barrel-Aged Stout)

Goose Island » Bourbon County Stout 2014 (Barrel-Aged Stout) | ABV: 14.2%

Truth be told, there are a handful of hype beers that I legitimately get caught up in. To hell with the AB-InBev ownership... this is a damn good beer. In addition to picking up a four-pack that's slowly dwindling, I was also able to procure a snifter on-tap down at Northstar Bar, a growing favorite spot.

Planting my face firmly in my Delirium snifter, a welcoming paradise of huge coconut, chocolate, and bourbon aromas dance with threads of vanilla and mild coffee beans.

This is honestly my happiness in a glass. It's silky, sticky, and hot with strong notes of burnt sugar and toffee, all wrapped up in smooth whiskey and milk chocolate. This 2014 edition interestingly boasts stronger crème brûlée characteristics than years prior, in this humble enthusiast's opinion.

It's winter 2015 and I'm still in love with Bourbon County Stout.

#314: Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA)

(the westy: good for beer; bad for photo lighting)

Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA) | ABV: 10% | IBUs: 70

Bell's venerable Double India Pale Ale, Hopslam, gleefully permeated far further into Ithaca's beer depths this winter, hitting taps at several locations around town. I grabbed two sixers from Fingerlakes Beverage as last year (Bell's inaugural year distributing to NYS), but needed to experience this lauded brew fresh of the tap.

Hopslam serves up with a deep, translucent amber body, topped with two fingers of fluffy, bright white head. As with bottle pours, it's deeply aromatic, packed with a plethora of citrus rind from Simcoe dry-hopping.

Onto the palate, it's silky hop-heaven. Hot spice of rye and white pepper are deftly balanced with a touch of honey dipped sweetness, making this brew remarkably drinkable. Rich toffee and tropical fruit flavors swirl between citrus rind and pith notes, making this full-bodied brew a growing flavor experience.

Hands down one of my favorite beers, Hopslam was fantastic as always, this draft version boasting a bit sharper bitterness than bottles, making for a slower sipping tasting.

#313: Sixpoint Brewery » HiRes (3xIPA)

Sixpoint Brewery » HiRes (3xIPA) | ABV: 10.5% | IBUs: 115

Having missed the inaugural batch of Hi-Res last year, I grabbed a 4-pack back in January in a restock of the beer fridge, for what's been a bitterly cold winter. In between bouts of sub-zero temperatures, my partner and I have been cozy indoors with regular respites full of wonderful beers.

This massively hopped skinny can from Sixpoint barrels out of the gate with huge aromas of pithy grapefruit and rind, coupled with weighty pine and tropical fruit notes.

Hi-Res packs a tight, bitter punch, that eases off in the initial finish. Sticky pine and hop resin flavors make way for a touch of heat, swiftly moving on to a sweet finish of the liquid, followed by a long, dry, hop-heat remnants on the tongue.

This deep amber brew is rich and packed with non-grapefruit citrus flavors. Under-ripe mango and Gin-like juniper and other herbal characteristics glimmer through the dense hop-cone bitterness and throat heat.

Overall, an enjoyable big-hop brew.

#312: Anchorage Brewing » Whiteout Wit (Witbier)

Anchorage Brewing » Whiteout Wit (Witbier) | ABV: 6.5%

It's next to impossible for me to pass on buying a bottle of Anchorage Brewing beer. In Vermont, I bought one of each release in stock. On my first Let'sPour transaction, I grabbed two of everything. But, back in December in Philly, I painfully passed on picking up a bottle of Whiteout Wit, instead opting for Black Butte XXVI, Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad, and a slew of other non-NYS distributing release, while attempting to stay in budget for the weekend amongst PA's towering craft beer bottle prices.

Amazing enough, upon the return home, there's Whiteout Wit staring back at me at Fingerlakes Beverage. Transaction complete.

Never ones for a simple recipe, this Anchorage witbier is brewed with lemon peel, black peppercorns and coriander, then fermented and aged in French Oak Foudres with wit yeast and Brettanomyces. It's is elegantly paced, with a definitively bright champagne-like nose, threaded with lemon zest, mild Brett funk, and subtle pepper spice aromas.

Onto the palate, it's quite clean, again presenting champagne-like qualities. Dry and zesty flavors dance with minerally and light lemon notes, with a subtly growing funky, tarter underbelly.

Overall, Whiteout Wit a great introduction to Anchorage's line of wild beers and entirely enjoyable. It's not their most adventurous offering, but is a worthwhile clean, light-yet-complex winter offering, just don't overpay.

#311: Southern Tier Brewing » 2xPRESSO (Milk Stout)

Southern Tier Brewing » 2xPRESSO (Double Milk Stout w/ Coffee Beans & Lemon Peels) 
ABV: 7.5% | IBUs: 55

Southern Tier always manage to crank out robust, accessible craft beer at an entirely reasonable price. Their latest seasonal, 2xPRESSO quickly became one of my go-to seasonal favorites this winter.

2xPRESSO is Southern Tiers' 2XStout, brewed with espresso beans & lemon peels. It kicks off with a highly aromatic nose of milk and espresso, with a touch of lemon and clove. Onto the palate it's deep, rich, and creamy with a flicker of bright citrus, finishing dry, packed with roasted malts and pith.

Rich chocolate and coffee flavors swirl with a hint of rye and pepper, adding a hot, brightness to this deep and wonderfully complex brew.

#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.

#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.

#303: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Figgy Puddin' (Cask Brown Ale)

Figgy Puddin' (Cask Brown Ale) | ABV: 6.2%
Between the day-job and a Friday evening meeting, I scampered over Hopshire Brewing for a taste of their limited cask offering, Figgy Pudding. This brew is a variation of Round Yon Virgil (an enjoyable spiced brown ale in it's own right), cask conditioned with dates, figs and vanilla beans, which all sounded like a warming pause to a blustery and busy evening.

Figgy Puddin' introduces itself with a deep nose of red fruits with notes of sticky figs, plum, and mild red table wine peak through as well. The aromas are bright and juicy with a dab of sour cherry.

It's smooth, with a low level of carbonation. Layering notes of clove are well received against flavors of overripe red fruits and a touch of bourbon. Firm flavors of fig, cassis dance alongside smooth vanilla and punctuating vanilla extract notes rise quickly after the first few sips.

As for mouthfeel,it's not too sticky for a sweeter beer. It's wet, with a subtle spice mouthcoat that ends with a relatively clean finish for a fruit & spice brew.

Further through, a touch of sour cherry peaks through, which is a pleasant complexity balanced against the sweet fruits. All-in-all, a solid, warming brew.

#302: Ithaca Beer Co. » Daydreamer, Milkstache, Red Hot Rosie, Za Vas!, Cascazilla on Cherrywood

After a couple weeks of a nasty cold, my senses were back and it was time for beer tasting. Ithaca Beer were on a release rampage in 2014, racking in notable new releases, some hotly limited and others expanding their seasonal line. 2015 looks to be no different with the advent of Daydreamer, I-Beer's latest seasonal offering.

Daydreamer (Kölsch) | ABV: 7.0% 
Weighing in at a hefty 7%, this kölsch serves up with a bright, mineral nose, with aroma of firm, bitter euro-style hops, all threaded with sweet pineapple. The palate is washed in soft carbonation and full body, punctuated with smooth, mellow tropical fruit flavors. A zesty, drying finish caps it all off with a touch of spruce.

Milkstache (Nitro Milk Stout) | ABV: 5.2%
One of Ithaca Beer's few nitro offerings, this stout is brewed with lactose and serves up jet black with thick, creamy, off-white head. Sheer aromas of chocolate and vanilla ice cream rise up from darkness. It's especially creamy, but light on the mouthfeel, never getting too weighty or coating. A silky-soft, subtle stout with firm earthy, roasted, and cocoa powder flavors.

Red Hot Rosie (Chili Porter) | ABV: 5.8%
Now for something not-so-subtle. Brewed in honor of a departing employee, Red Hot Rosie is a porter packed with Morita Chile chipotle peppers. Unabashedly starting out with sharp chili aromas, Rosie keeps the balance with plenty of smoke and a touch of vegetable pepper notes. Onto the palate, this beer is HOT, stacked with sinus clearing action. It's full bodied porter base keeps in from spinning out of control, providing an earthy, smoky base with a touch of chocolate. The heat on this one though, definitely makes it a sipper, pairing well with the carrot/ginger soup I was savoring.

Za Vas! (Russian Imperial Stout) | ABV: 8.8%
I've run across some fairly massive Russian Imperials of late. Ithaca Beer's spin reels in the soaring ABV of recent takes on the style. Literally meaning, "To You!" is a cheers to the senses with an inviting nose of rich chocolaty aromas, backed by faint milk and earthy notes with a touch of bourbon. It's brighter than expected and lively carbonated. Flavors of chocolate, ripe plum, apple skin all swirl across the palate. A solid stout, hiding it's 8.8% well, with a perceived girth just over session.

Cascazilla aged on Cherrywood (Cask Red Ale) | ABV: 7.0%
I am skeptical and very picky when it comes to hoppy cask beers. For my palate, I've often found softening hop-forward styles on cask or nitro can loose some of the best aspects of the style.

That said, casking and aging one of Ithaca's flagship beers, Cascazilla on cherrywood was an excellent choice, it's silky, grassy nose easing my apprehension at first whiff, seemingly stacked with notably fresh hops. It's unexpectedly bright for a cask ale, but still deftly smooth with soft notes of pine, white pepper, and subtle red wine character, complimenting the dry, velvety mouthfeel and finish. I have to say, this is my favorite Cascazilla cask variation thus far.

#301: Bandwagon Beer » Barrel-Aged Red Ale

Bandwagon Beer » Barrel-Aged Red Ale | ABV: 6.7%
After an energizing rehearsal with my band Mouth To Mouth To Mouth, a crew of us decided to head on down to Bandwagon Brewpub for fry night, where there just so happened to be a brand new brew on tap.

Another creation from head brewer Stephen Bareford, this Red Ale is aged four months in 6 Mile Creek Vineyard red wine barrels. As with BWB's recent run of aged beers, this was another enjoyable brew.

This barrel-aged red starts off with a tart nose of red grapes and cranberry with a deep earthiness and a faint hint of cocoa. It's lively and puckering, stacked with dense wine characteristics. Flavors of tart berries, specifically with a touch of cranberry, and faint, soft pepper notes. It's refreshing yet dry and a touch acidic. A fruity, fun, and complex beer.