Ithaca Excelsior! Old Habit

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Barley Wine
Ithaca, New York USA

Bottle 265. This is really excellent. Very dark brown with little to no head - a scum of light brown. Nose is really distinctive but subtle: vanillin, whiskey character, light pit fruits all surrounding a central big, exciting rye malt character. Really creamy with a nice amount of carbonation, a bit of alcohol warming apparent up front and in the finish. Vanilla and whiskey in the taste but subtle and subdued - they play very nicely with a malty nuttiness. Excellent - if this is a barley wine, it is one of my favorites, although I might go towards American Strong Ale with this one, minus the hop character which plays a secondary role here.

Luckily I’d read about the gusher on opening..and I was ready. Pours foamy deep mahogany into a snifter. Head gradually dissipates leaving spots. Dark caramel, oak and rye bourbon aromas. Upfront highly carbonated vanilla, caramel and oak turning to a lasting dry whiskey barrel finish. Well done again.

Appearance: Pours a clearish, dark brown body. Sure, there’s no head, but check out the legs! Smell: Aroma of fresh rye bread and dark fruit syrup. A hefty amount of wood in the nose from the start, but, as it warms, more boubronesque notes of vanilla and light brown sugar emerge. Taste: Rich, dark fruitiness, then everything goes hot. The spiciness of the rye links up to the bright booziness to give the impression of capsaicin heat. Once you realize there’s no chili inside, you can isolate the rye and whiskey components. Afterwards, a simple syrup sweetness perks up, along with hints of vanilla, brown sugar, and more wood. Finishes sweetish and hot with a lingering woodiness. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Mild carbonation. Syrupy mouthfeel, which is not to say that it’s cloying, just very, very thick. Drinkability: It’s definitely a sipper, but an interesting one.

Bottle 666 shared by brewfiend (I’ll lay off the devilishly good flavor jokes) :-p Pours a hazy caramel amber brew with a thick fast dissolving, head that leaves behind only a fine film on top. Aroma of pitted fruits, honey, some brown sugar, and some floweyr hops. Taste is creamy with plenty of alcohol burn that has some vanilla and bourbon flavors. Finish is over the top sweet, with a nutty and spicey malt aftertaste. One of the better barleywines to date.

Pours a very dark brown, almost black color that is completely opaque with slight mahogany/plum edges when held to a light source and a two finger frothy beige head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Visible yeast chunks as well. Roasted malt aroma with touches of dark fruit, earthy hops, subtle peppery spice and a nice bit of oaky vanilla bourbon/whiskey. The whiskey presence is prominent but doesn’t dominate or overpower the other notes. Hints of chocolate, caramel and rye malt alongside some plum, raisin and vinous grape. This beer smells amazing! Surprisingly earthy and musty flavored medium body which is very complex, balancing a lot of different flavors and providing something very unique. Earthy dry hops up front are quickly countered by a rich roasted malt profile with a touch of sweetness. This sweetness is enhanced by the dark fruit notes, again mostly raisin, fig, grape and plum. Slight oaky tannis comes through toward the end of the palate with a nice whiskey presence that isn’t too overwhelming. It’s a nice change of pace to drink a barrel aged beer that isn’t dominated by hot booze. Subtlety can be a good thing sometimes. The finish is slightly dry with a bit of peppery zest. At first I thought that this beer was a bit too soily and earthy but as I make my way through the 750 and it warms I’m starting to really enjoy it.

courtesy of our man, tpd975. Batch E!007, pours cloudy brown with beige head. Aroma has a good nose of oak, vanilla and caramel malts. Taste has excellent notes of bourbon - whiskey and oak. Amazing beer, cannot go wrong with Bourbon - Whiskey barrel aged brews. Finish of light bitter hops.

Bottle courtesy of Greg at Birreria Paradiso - thanks Greg! Medium murky brown color with a thin white head that settles quickly and leaves good lacing. Aroma of oak and whisky. Flavor has lots of malt and caramel, wood and earth, and a background of light smoke. Whisky is in the aroma where it belongs, but doesn’t overpower the taste. Nice.

Poured a hazy brown color with a very persistent beige head. The aroma was malty, fruity and spicy. The aroma was full with some vanilla notes as it warmed. The flavor was very spicy, rye spicy. the finish had a spicy bite that lasted a long time. Dry finish with a full body. Nice warmth.