Beer Review: Ithaca Country Pumpkin Ale

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 6.3 percent

Appearance: Country Pumpkin poured a light amber color with some vivid orange hues on the outside portions in the body. A half-inch wide head crowned the top and faded into just a thinner layer of white foam. This rescinded to a white ring about a third of the way into this drink. The lacing that was left on the inside of the glass was a bit above average, though. I couldn't notice much carbonation, but there was what I thought was to be a few specks of sediment.

Smell: Spice clean-up in aisle five. There was a potent scent of spices in this, but that was about it. The ones I noticed were cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. I love getting a beer with nutmeg (or in anything for that matter) as it acts as a sweeter and mellow compliment.

Taste: I mainly felt the tingle from the spice content in this. Still, the spices were too close to the front of my tongue for my liking and seemed to drown out any pumpkin flavor that was present if at all. There was a small bite of hops on the finish. I wasn't left completely disappointed, though. The aftertaste surprisingly had some pumpkin flavor in it.

Overall Rating: 

This was an alright drink. I was a bit confused at times, but came out somewhat pleased with it in the end. The spice bill on this is a bit much, but I've had pumpkin brews that are completely ruined by too much of them and this was a good bit tastier than most of the brews that hail in that neck of the woods.

Beer Review: Ithaca Apricot Wheat

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 4.9 percent

Appearance: Apricot Wheat looks like a golden witbier after it's poured, but after everything settles you see a pretty orange tone in this beer's body. It's actually one of the more appetizing beers I've come across. The head is very white and thin, but disappears almost immediately and has no lacing.

Smell: This beer has a strong wheat scent. The apricot comes right behind it, but seems to be just a tad overwhelming.

Taste: There was too much apricot for my taste. I also picked up a small bit of lemon behind the apricot and the wheat which added the perfect amount of tartness to the beer.

Overall Rating:

I love the idea behind this beer, but I think it needs to be modeled closer to a type of witbier. I definitely would want this beer again, though.

Beer Review: Ithaca Flower Power IPA

Serving Type: Bottle

ABV: 7.5 percent

Appearance: Flower Power pours a dark gold color. It's not exactly what you would classify as a "blond beer" though. It comes off as a little darker. It's a bit hazy, but appears to be unfiltered (which again means that you can see through the beer). The head wasn't anything to write home about. It wasn't even a finger's width and didn't remain atop the beer for very long.

Smell: This beer gives off an aroma of multiple fruits. I received a definite hint of grapefruit and orange, while others report a strong scent of pineapple. This is the perfect beer to have on a beach. Hell with Corona and lime. This beer already has the power of fruit brewed into it.

Taste: If you don't enjoy a glass of grapefruit juice then you might not be enthralled with the taste of this beer. I love citrus fruits, so it was an awesome experience for me. Grapefruit, orange, lemon and mango were all present. The aftertaste is a bit bitter.

Overall Rating:

Overall, this was an excellent drink. It's perfect after a hot day at work or on vacation, but I'm not sure that I can come up with a decent food to pair it with since it's so fruity. This is mostly the reason I've rated it four instead of a perfect five.