Ithaca Pale Ale

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

Amber-yellow with a thick, fluffy white head. Not impressed with the aroma - it has a strange metallic/citrusy/slightly sout thing going on. The flavor is much better - spicey and piney hops, with just enough malt to back it up. Smoothly carbonated, medium bodied.

Bottle (12oz). Poured bubbly slightly hazy amber-gold with a large white fizzy-foamy head. Pleasantly sweet aroma, very light malt, apple and pear hints, dry mild floral vaguely evergreen hops, some yeast character - not bad at all, although it’s quite skittish. Maybe because I drank it from a De Koninck glass it reminded a a bit of that beer, sweet grain, aggressively carbonated, sweet character held somewhat in check by yeasty/citrusy mild hops - average body, quite a bite to it - I like it, perhaps it would be better on tap where the carbonation would take more of a backseat. Easy to drink.

Jan. 25, 2006; 12 oz. bottle

Quite a departure from other pale ales I’ve sampled. Reviewers here have mentioned pears -- yup, that’s it! -- *sour* pears and bread. Significant fruity aroma. The eyebrow-raising hoppiness ultimately redeems this brew somewhat.

The brew does have some "issues," not the least of which might be its low 4.6% ABV . . . Interesting to sample, but don’t know if I’d seek this out again.

Pretty good brew. Nice lacing head, and a good dark tan color. Aroma is faint, but nice. Flavor is tea leaves and bittersweet hops. Flavor lingers with pears and apple skins.

Cloudy amber body, decent sized head. Hops here are definitely English. English hop aroma with pears. Flavor is big time pears. If you like pear flavor this is the beer for you. Solid Pale Ale.

Bottled. Aroma is nice, peppery & hoppy, slight hint of malt. Head pours off white, laces the glass nicely as it’s getting drank; flavor is hoppy, almost like an IPA. A good bitter finish, which stays with you for awhile. Color is a nice copper. Nice mouth feel. I’ll buy this again.

UPDATED: DEC 13, 2008 [draft at MacGregor’s - Rochester, NY] Amber pour with a white head. Very nice hoppy and floral aroma. The taste is very floral and peppery, with a slight malt backbone and a nice bitter, hoppy, peppery finish.

Had this at the Flour City Brew Fest. This is not like my standard Pale ale. This has too many hops. All I smell is hops. All I taste is hops. Too bitter an ending for me. Where’s the malt?