Cascazilla - Ithaca Beer Company

Dantes

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Package: ½ gallon screwtop growler (and draught pints)

Cost: $5 growler refill at the brewery; $3.50 pints at The Chapter House

Presentation: Shaker pint glass at ~45º

Appearance: Pours a clear, medium amber brown; with a densely foamy, off-white head. Carbonation appears very fine, with tiny bubbles streaming through the glass. Head resolved down slowly, lacing the glass pretty thickly.

Smell: Ithaca Beer’s brews tend to be very distinctive. The hops used don’t have that overwhelmingly citrusy, grapefruity character. Instead, they express a very floral, fresh, herbaceous aroma that intrigues with its spiciness. They also tend to balance the hops very well with a nice cushion of hops. Overall, this beer smells quite similar to the Flower Power IPA, with more intensity.

Taste: Here’s where the beer departs from the Flower Power IPA, while still bearing a family resemblance. The flavor extraction here is much stronger, with the higher alcohol levels and greater hopping levels intensifying the hops balance beyond the more English-like Flower Power. One reviewer commented that this beer doesn’t have the classic “Cascade” flavors. No, it doesn’t, because the name “Cascazilla” probably refers to Cascadilla Gorge and Creek that run through Ithaca, and not necessarily to Cascade hops, (or it’s a combination thereof). Ithaca Beer does use Cascade and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were used in this beer; but as usual, Ithaca has expressed the floral, fruity, and spicy characterstics, which I really like. In a way, this beer seemed like a “baby” version of Ithaca’s Double IPA. Finishes fruitily and long.

Mouthfeel: Exhibits a medium to rich mouthfeel and body, with the now-expected smooth carbonation. Encourages a full savoring of the flavors before swallowing.

Drinkability: I think most of Ithaca’s beers are amongst the most drinkable in their categories, and this is no exception. Despite the relatively high ABV, this is very quaffable and provides much of the flavor impact of the Double IPA at a lower ABV level. Much like a British ESB, this can be quite a session beer. Our first growler didn’t last 15 minutes. However the Pale Ale probably makes a better session beer.

Backwash: Maybe I’m way off the mark, but this is now IB’s best beer, aside from the super-limited Double IPA. Ithaca Beer has chosen to explore a fairly consistent (and I think very successful) house style rather than making another West Coast IPA clone. If you crave citrusy, grapefruity flavors, you might want to look elswhere; but you’ll be missing some pretty interesting, flavorful beers. I for one haven’t had too many American micros that really do “finesse” as well as Ithaca does, and these latest beers have improved upon the slight lack of flavor concentration apparent in some earlier beers (actually the whole line seems to have improved, especially the reformulated Pale Ale).

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2004 18:46:54 | More by Dantes

NJB145

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%

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BColton1

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-19-2013 21:03:46 | More by BColton1

Noonan425

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-19-2013 02:45:41 | More by Noonan425

cbord459

New York

3/5  rDev -22.5%

05-17-2013 17:23:38 | More by cbord459

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-17-2013 12:21:30 | More by InspectorBob

CoreyClark

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-15-2013 17:26:14 | More by CoreyClark

earlholman

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-14-2013 13:27:50 | More by earlholman

Bill235

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-13-2013 11:17:39 | More by Bill235

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

05-12-2013 21:09:58 | More by twenty5

ShanShantheRocket

New York

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

05-12-2013 20:34:42 | More by ShanShantheRocket

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.64/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Looks like iced tea with a head on it. Opaque brown with almost no light coming through. Looked like there was some sediment at the end of the pour. Thin tan head recedes pretty quickly. Some lacing. Hops and hay in the nose. Piney. Some nuttiness on the palette, very malty for an IPA. Pretty bitter. Medium to heavy mouthfeel, fairly creamy. Pretty enjoyable but not mind blowing. Reminded me a lot of a home brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 22:57:15 | More by Burkbom23

rdooley

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -16%

05-02-2013 01:12:46 | More by rdooley

Chinaskifan1

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%

05-01-2013 01:57:37 | More by Chinaskifan1

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-30-2013 21:10:18 | More by Jason1337

Mark5252

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-26-2013 00:46:17 | More by Mark5252

Bones10

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-24-2013 16:10:09 | More by Bones10

randylangford

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-24-2013 02:49:53 | More by randylangford

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-23-2013 01:49:42 | More by hoppymcgee

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-22-2013 20:53:52 | More by Kelp

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Humungous 22oz pour. Deep garnet in color. Sports a coarsely hung off-white head of an inch. Laying slathered on-top for awhile.

Forward notes of pine and tangy grapefruit. Ruggedly toasted in the malt backbone. Earthy and bitter aromas. Perhaps some bitter orange and a hint of cooked rhubarb.

Dry profile with earthy hops with tea and pine notes. Unripe citrus without the sour. Pithy and savory. Notes of bitter greens and mollusk shell. Sounds strange, but it's like an oyster IPA... or maybe I'm nuts. Latent bitterness, but not spicy. Alcohol under veil here. Definitely not that hoppy. Earthy notes accentuate that balancing malt toastiness. Carbonation is a medium-plus. Viscosity is a little weak. Not a whole lotta body.

Doesn't hold a candle to Flower Power. Needs some more fruitiness, but the umami notes are delightful.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 04:10:50 | More by thecheapies

brewsadedotcom

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-20-2013 23:52:58 | More by brewsadedotcom

MPPHISH

New York

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-20-2013 03:38:59 | More by MPPHISH

JJStorm

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

04-20-2013 02:29:10 | More by JJStorm

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.59/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a hazy copper color with a one half finger white creamy head. The has a pretty nice level of retention, slowly fading to leave a good level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of a toasted malts and a lighter caramel smell. Mixed with these aromas are notes of some hop being of a citrus and pine nature, but with some lighter aromas of a floral nature as well.

Taste – The taste starts out with A toasted malt flavor with a bit of a caramel malt sweetness. Upfront there are some flavors of citrus hop being of a more grapefruit flavor. As the taste advances however, some more hop flavors begin meeting the tongue, overwhelming the little bit of grapefruit hop. Hop flavors of a pine and floral nature then find their way to the tongue. These mix with an almost roasted cocoa like flavor as well as some more sweetness at the end to leave a moderate resinous and malty flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the brew is on the slightly thicker and creamier side with a carbonation level that is rather average. The creamier body is quite nice for accentuating the hoppier pine and floral tastes at the end of the brew as well as the toasted malt flavors mixed with a bit of rye that are in the base of the brew.

Overall - A decent American amber. It has a nice hop flavor blend starting with more of a citrus and developing more of a pine later on.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2013 01:00:33 | More by Darkmagus82