Ithaca Excelsior! Twelve

Formerly brewed at Ithaca Beer Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Ithaca, New York USA

Serve in Trappist glass

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Dark muddy brown coloured body with a thin, fast-dying lighter brown head. Aroma of nice prune sugars, some raisins, a bit of concord grape, quite a bit of earthy malts, some light chocolate and a hint of peat and smoked grain. Medium-bodied; Assertive effervescence with a rather prune and pit fruit flavour hiding the alcohol fairly well. Aftertaste shows tons of sugars, a lot of malt and a good alcohol warmth mixed with caramelised sugars. Overall, a fairly nice, if relatively potent quad, with a nice body & depth - this is just a lot of beer and a big beer. I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased earlier in the day (after sitting on the shelves? for three+ years) from Ramsey Liqours in Ramsey, New Jersey for US$8.99 sampled at home in New Paltz, New York on 22-February-2013.

750 ml. Deep brown body with ruby highlights. Fizzy, big-bubbled head, rapidly diminishing. Muted aroma of overripe fruits, candy sugar, plum, raisin. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Medium body, watery texture turning oily, lively carbonation. Taste of plums and candy and dark fruits. Not cloyingly sweet, but close. Some lingering bitterness.

bottle. Pours murky brown off white head nose honey baked ham, caramel, raisin, Flavors smokey bacon raisin, caramel mildy sour dates, thin body,

On draft at The Pony Bar in NYC. I am always excited and hopeful when trying an American quad. This beer appears a dark walnut hue with a very tiny head and no lacing. The aroma is basically missing everything I identify with a quad. It’s too sweet and a bit artificial. There is no yeasty or Belgian characteristics that I can detect. The flavor is off and finishes with an odd astringency. Oh well, I tried. Ithaca makes awesome wild ales. Quad...not so much.

750 ml bottle acquired via trade. I apologize that I foget who from, likely TheEpeeist? Thanks! Shared with the Pipeworks Crew. Pours a rich murky a brownish copper pour, dark and dulled, with a firm murky element. Brownish with some glow on the edges, with frothy cakey tannish head. Laces fairly good. Aromas offer a distinct smokey element, touches of campfire wood, gentle toffee, and toasty elements. Mellow yeasty elements, some firm smoked apple, touches of caramel. Smoke seems to take over, a touch meaty and moving into woody elements, gentle yeast, carmelization. Initial is medium bodied, a firm kiss of heat with a gentle smoke element, woody and a touch of campfire, gentle smoked apple, pear, caramel. Gentle carmelization and toast, some mellow sweet toffee, biscuits. Gentle toast, carmelization, dries out a touch, faint spice into the finish where it loses a little focus. Touches of gentle cocoa give some gentle elements. Solid and interesting. Enjoyed.

Thanks alum, pours an unclear brown with a light brown frothy head. Aroma is light, cherry, bacon, brown sugar. Flavor is a bit lighter, tootsieroll, nice trappist yeast flavor, nice nuttiness, this is actually quite good, light bit of plum, might be better a bit fresher. Really nice. A bit thin.

Bottle from a trade with RCL. Pours clear medium brown color with huge tan head. Dark fruit and Belgian yeast aromas. Raisin and dates flavors, brown sugar with doughy yeast. Medium body with effervescent carbonation. Way too carbonated for me. Slight medicinal aftertaste. Thanks Ray.

Holy big beer batman. Pours inky dark purply black with almost no carbonation. Aroma is intense plum, raisin. Taste is full bodied, loads of purple fruit and big alcohol. Silky smooth and it explodes in your mouth. Take this slow.

On tap at Tap and Mallet. Pours cloudy brown with a tan head. Aroma is sweet, with notes of brown sugar, toasted malts, and Belgian yeast. Sweet flavor with caramel malts, alcohol and mild spices. Full body with good carbonation. Warming finish, lightly spicy with some toffee and caramel.

Bottle. Pours muddy brown. Nose/taste of old dark fruits, raisins, figs, nuts, malt and brown sugar. Sweet but balanced. Medium body.