Ithaca Cascazilla

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Amber Ale
Ithaca, New York USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

Thanks to Seth for this bottle. Pours a murky reddish brown with a hefty beige head that recedes very slowly to a rocky cap with lots of carbonation feeding it from the bottom. Aroma is sweet with caramel malts and some toasted bread alongside the spicy floral and light citrus hop combo. Taste starts with some pineapples and lemon zest before the caramel malts and bready malt base come in. The finish has a slightly resinous pine character. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with high carbonation and overall very lively on the palate. This is a hop-forward amber with the cascade really bringing the hop complexity to the beer. It’s not as big and hoppy as Nugget Nectar but it’s in the same vein.

12oz bottle from the andersons in toledo. Deep copper-red pour with a frothy light tan head. Aroma of sweet caramel and grassy hops. Tastes are earthy malts, light bitterness, grapefruit and lemon. Even dry bitter finish. Ok.

The bottle this comes in is fantastically ugly. It looks like a GeoCities web page. I wish they could find a way to animate it as I think that would be the only way to improve upon this masterpiece of graphic design. As far as the beer, the color is a deep orange, nearly brown w/ a giant white head of mixed colors which fades rather quickly. The nose is deep piny and woody hops w/ a clove-like spice and a bit of bread yeast. As if December of 2010, this is classified as an IPA on RateBeer and I would say it is a bit malty for the style--not that that’s a bad thing. I might put this in the same category as Arrogant Bastard or something like that. It is hoppy enough to be an IPA but rather sweet comparatively. The malt flavor is strong and caramelly w/ a lemon iced tea note from the hops. The texture is medium bodied, which suits the malt flavors but the carbonation is a bit on the high side and the two elements sort of clash a bit. Overall, this is an interesting take on a strong, hoppy American ale and pretty good just in general.

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is pine and citrusy (grapefruit) hops, and some caramel malt. Taste is just like the aroma, it’s all pine/citrusy hops and caramel malt. There’s good balance between the hops and malt, and there’s also a nice lingering bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s a bit creamy and is well carbonated. Drinkability is good, I think it’s easy and enjoyable to drink. I think it’s a good beer, I’d buy this again.

UPDATED: JUN 22, 2011 Pours a reddish brown with a bit of haze and a bit of tan head that laces. It has a very nice hoppy aroma with some floral, earthy hops, and a bit of fruit, along with a slightly sweet, bready and caramel malt aroma. It is medium bodied and very smooth with a nice lingering hop finish, although it isn’t all that bitter. Lots of hops and lots of malt that balance each other out very well and make for a complex, enjoyable beer. (I have had the standard Cascazilla which I gave a 3.7, but also had a limited release cask version that was dry hopped with Cascade hops, which I gave a 4.0. Since there are no separate entries for dry hopped beers, the 3.8 rating reflects both scores)

12 oz bottle. Pours a real nice reddish amber with a nice white head, lasting lacing. Nose is floral hops, kind of yeasty. Medium body, nice amount of carbonation adds a little tingle. There is a nice balance but the hops still take the front seat, with a kind of rotten grapefruit taste. Finish is very bitter. Overall a beautiful looking brew and a solid IPA.

UPDATED: NOV 2, 2010 Bottle. Pours a slightly hazed red gold color with a fluffy slightly off white head. Big aroma of sweet malt and fruit type hops characteristics. Whoa, such a malt bomb! Very sweet up front with a kick of hops in the end that lingers on. Medium mouthfeel and chewy. The balance is just ok with it being just a little too skewed to the malt side but overall not a terrible beer. Slight warming alcohol apparent.

Bottle at the LIC Craft Beer Festival. Clear amber pour with standard white head. Aroma of hops and caramel. Cascade hops and a bit of caramel in the flavor. I like the slight caramel sweetness in the finish. Simple but solid.