Ithaca Excelsior! Le Bleu

Brewed by Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Ithaca, New York USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Bottle with big thanks to jtclockwork! Batch #E!041. Pours hazy orange amber, perhaps a touch of pink. Dusty rose, I like that. Last third of the bottle pours cloudy as the yeast and sediment start to mix in. Small white head that laces pretty well. Aroma is lightly tart, lemon, Brett, barnyard, fruity, earthy. Flavor is the same, light sweetness nicely balanced by tartness. Very fruity, but with an earthiness. Some wood apparent from the barreling. Light body, champagnelike mouthfeel. Nice beer!

bottle share at hill farmstead’s post-3rd anniversary. pours cloudy orange-pink with a purple hue, low off-white head, some retention. dusty berries and flowers upfront and a strong minty presence, grass, moderate funk, few minerals, much more lactic than acetic - overall light acidity, nice woodsy notes. average carbonation, light body, ends minty and lightly sourish along with grass notes. enjoyed it even though mint was a bit off-putting.

Pours a hazy light purple with minimal head and no lacing. Aroma of blueberries, herbal, lactic. Taste is blueberries, lactic. Oak, herbal, light acetic, vinous. Low body and medium carb. Good blueberry sour.

Bottle (750 ml). Shared by Scott and number45forever at Hill Farmstead 3rd anniversary bottle share. Hazy orange/pink with purple reflects, minimal off-white head and little lacing. Aroma is of blueberries and other berries, menthol, light acetic presence and brettanomyces. Taste is slightly to moderately sweet with blueberries and other berries, malt, brettanomyces, oak and light tartness. Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Dry. Tart and refreshing. Quite complex too. I would love to have it again.

Batch # E!041 which I believe is the most recent. Aroma is very fruity with lots of citrus, pineapple and other tropical fruit. There is also a moderate berry note and light cherry. The aroma has a medium low barnyard funk. Pours a fairly clear golden orange with some purplish highlights. Pours with a thin white head that quickly recedes but bubbles steadily rise to the top. Flavor is immediately tart but with a faint sweetness. There is a moderately strong berry character along with faint cherry. Light tropical frit and citrus compliment. Finishes very dry with a light barnyard funk at the end. Mouthfeel is medium light bodied with high carbonation. Low astringency and medium low alcohol warmth. The acidity is moderately strong but there is still a hint of sweetness. Overall a very nice blueberry sour, but the blueberry note doesn’t dominate. The acidity is clean and very lactic and the Brett adds a nice tropical fruit and citrus note. The blueberry is a bit faint so maybe better fresh.

750ml bottle, shared by Nathan at DLD 2013. Copyright date on the bottle reads 2010. Totally hazy brown / amber color. Minimal khaki head. Berry aroma. Good tart taste. Some darker fruit. Berry. Bigger body. Lighter carbonation. More dry. Light acidic taste.

Tasted in 2010 (backlog). Deep cloudy pink appearance with a large white head. Aroma is tart and blueberries. Taste is tart, blueberry, light band-aid and oak.

i’m talkin about disneyworld . . 750ml bottle, finally get to try this! .. . pours a purple tan . .. hay, blueberry, seeds, and sweet tarts .. . mild mouth funk feel .. . good bit fizzy .. . a milder wild ale .. . . clint eastwwod talked to an empty chair, we must never forget that!!

Corked 750 ml bottle served in a Half Acre tulip. Thanks to stXSS07 for the share. Batch E!041 A: Pours a hazy orange color with a lot of floaties chilling around the bottom. Light wispy head. Minimal splotches of lace. S: A ton of blueberry. Lactic sourness with some fruity and herbal like qualities with a hint of mint. A little sweet malt base as well. T: Same fresh blueberry with a nice mix of lactic sourness. Same herbal like qualities from the nose, but not as minty. A little vanilla sweetness with a touch of oak. M: Light bodied with a prickly, medium-high carbonation. A little fluffy in the mouthfeel. O: Great mix of fruit and sourness with just a hint of sweetness. Definitely a great blueberry beer. Serving type: bottle

Opening batch 1 (E!021) this weekend means I’ve now tried all 3 vintages (21, 32, 41). Massively over-carbonated, despite a minimal pop from the cork. Dry, zesty lemon aroma; yeast is more citric than funky. Fruit has mostly dropped off, and, similar to my experience with other batches, I’d never guess there were blueberries in this brew. Not bad, I suppose, but there are many superior fruit sours out there which are far easier to obtain.