Ithaca Cascazilla

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Ithaca, New York USA

Hazy red body, off-white creamy thick head. Interesting aroma... fruity hops that almost have a bright, fruity brett character. Maybe it isn’t brett, but it is a fleshy, tomato-like thing that maybe I’ve noticed in a bretty beer. Fizzy body, fleshy fruit hops. Some toasty malt. It isn’t too bad, but just not in my alley. The flavor is kind of old tasting, but I’m not sure it was there to begin with. That and the fizziness makes it awkward.

On tap at the Fuel and Fuddle in Oakland, Pittsburgh. Pour is brown like darker iced tea or lighter root beer. Floral hop aroma. Do you know what chewing on green grapefuit peels tastes like? Well if you don’t give this stuff a try. Oppressive and overpowering in the hops category, a little too much for my girlie taste buds. IMHO most IPAs are one sided, and so is this so I guess it’s a good example of it’s style. Medium hop bitterness keeps going and going on the finish. Overall, just like many IPAs I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, rather objectionable.

Great beer. Enjoyed the dry host taste till the end. Small hint of malt, but gets topped off my a great hop taste at the end.

Bottle. Pours clear orange/amber with small white head. Aroma is citrus hoppy. Taste has a lot of citrus and piney hops. Pretty basic IPA. Usually I would rather something a tad more interesting, but this went great with my BBQ today.

12oz bottle, kmweaver-exclusive non-RBSG pity-party tasting 2007. Pours a brilliant, clear light mahogany color; off-white head with good lacing. Light, earthy and citrus hop aroma. Medium mouthfeel: lively citrus hoppiness at the forefront (approachable; chewy), held up by an earthy and red fruit maltiness; definitely doesn’t showcase the dank, resiny hop profile that one likes to see from an IPA (this seems like more of a well-hopped red ale than anything), but it’s still a tasty beer. Medium, dry citrus hop finish, with some sugar and earthy notes.

22 oz bottle via TomDecapolis (thanks!). Pours a clear dark copper with a quickly dissipating average sized head. Nose is citrus, pine, toasted grains. Taste is the same as the aroma with a bittersweet floral hoppy finish. A bit of a metallic aftertaste. Medium body and moderate/high carbonation.

(Tap) Pours a deep amber color with only a slight amount of head. Good lacing. Pine and citrus from the hops overwhelms the slight aroma of caramel. Moderately hoppy taste, with a smooth mouthfeel and a light caramel maltiness. More interesting than most red ales, but not as extreme as the description wants you to believe. Overall, a pretty good brew.

(Bottle, BB May 07) Pours a clear amber body with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel, toasted oats, and nuts. Flavor of caramel malt, nuts, and hops; quite malty for an IPA.