Partly Sunny - Ithaca Beer Company

phiberoptik

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells of lemon and spice. Pours a cloudy yellow with a lot of head even with a careful pour. Overly carbonated causing me to burp. Has a tangy kick to it which is uncommon for most beers. Tastes of lemon/orange and spice, and I had to edit this to add the banana in the finish. I agree. I dont know my spice notes well enough to dissect them. It has a light body to it so its very drinkable other than the carbonation. I would pick other beers before this one in the category but I wouldnt complain if this was what I had to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 01:56:53 | More by phiberoptik

rlee1390

Indiana

2.98/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Clear yellow-orange. 1 finger foam head that dissipates quickly, does not leave behind any lacing. Highly carbonated

S-Lemon, wheat and bananas

T-Mainly lemon, not real strong. Some banana at the finish but once again not a strong flavor.

M-Light, carbonated and dry

D-Too dry and carbonated to be very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 02:46:09 | More by rlee1390

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Thanks to Shrek806 for sending this.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color with a huge creamy white head. The golden color is party, if not mostly, sunny.

Smell: The nose has a little something different - robust citrus in addition to the orange peel, along with a wide variety of spice. Coriander, ginger, and cloves are all present.

Taste: Although the secondary flavors give this a nice twist, the primary malt is a bit lacking. Some good spices though, and the lemon zest adds a nice touch. I actually get a little banana and some floral and citrus hops - maybe a bit much? - toward the end.

Mouthfeel: Crisply carbonated, light to medium body, zesty.

Drinkability: This is a little bit different than the regular beers in the style, and I liked it, but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 04:53:53 | More by KickInTheChalice

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. thanks tom!

Pours a hazy straw yellow with golden hues. A fair head bubbles up, retaining well with some streaks of lacing around the glass.

Scents of pleasant wheat with clove, spice, and some fruit sweetness, although the overall presentation is pretty light.

Begins with a nice tropical fruit sweetness including banana and pineapple. Some spice flairs through with cracked black pepper and some clove. Finishes with a touch of warmth and spice.

Lighter feel with plenty of carbonation and dryness towards the finish. Pretty solid session beer from Ithaca, but not really memorable in flavor or scent.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 05:10:32 | More by xnicknj

jrallen34

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle poured into my Narke tulip...Pours a clear light gold, copper hint. A full white head of three fingers, over one finger hangs for awhile, good lacing...The aroma is pretty nice, lots of clove and wheat, sweet and nice, surprised...The taste is not good at all, the clove turns in banana vodka, harsh, alcoholic, astringent, not good.

This is a bad wit, don't bother.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 23:43:27 | More by jrallen34

cpanossian

New York

3.8/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass - pretty hazy gold color with a large foamy white head. Pleasant bitter wheat aroma with traces of spices like nutmeg or cloves. Hint of citrus/lemon.

Very dry tasting - not sweet at all - like a very dry champagne with some spice seasonings. Very thirst quenching - great season maker - perfect for an outdoor lounging.

This is not meant to be a put-down but Partly Sunny seems familiar to me - like it's from a brew kit I once purchased and made. By this I mean Partly Sunny is bringing me back to happy memories.

Pair this with some nice mild cow milk cheese.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 22:13:54 | More by cpanossian

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 9/16/2010 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a cloudy gold color, with a short white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains wheat, light malts, lemon, spices and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with strong flavors of lemon, clove and coriander. Then bready flavors of wheat and a hearty malt character come in. The hops presence is very mild but about where it should be for the style. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this a decent lighter beer to drink for a while but there are others in the style that I would pick first.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2010 16:02:31 | More by TheManiacalOne

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy orange color with a two finger frothy head and little to no lacing. The aroma is of wheat and citrus with hints of clove. The taste has a nice wheat backbone with a big lemon taste, almost too much, and is balanced out by clove and a touch of banana. The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and light in body. The drinkability is good, the lemon taste might be a little to bitter to make a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 16:08:52 | More by goblue3509

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I visited Ithica Beer Co. on a hot, sunny day as part of a beautiful tour of the gorges, town, and of course, moosewood vegetarian cuisine (wanted northstar but...not open). I had heard that Ithica Beer Co. made a mean ginger ale (a bit too heavy on the sweetness, but had a nice bite), but I knew nothing about their beer. I took a very casual tour of their thrice expanded facility, learned the basics about their Apricot Wheat (best seller w/ real apricot puree), and got to sample all the beers offered. I took a variety pack, including this partly sunny, home with me and I am finally getting to open it up tonight.

Appearence:
This wheat ale is a hazy butterscotch (yay unfiltered!) with decent carbonation, but not much of a head. It is definitely more of an orange-yellow compared to most unfiltered wheats.

Smell:
This is definitely a spicy saison. I sense a citrusy grapefruit zing, a little ethanol/plastic (?), and Belgian yeast aromas (almost a cherry lambic smell when well aerated). It is definitely different than other wheat ales I've had, but has some similar elements, such as the coriander and lemon, that make it a classic summer enjoyment.

Taste:
This beer is averagely strong with nice flavor from the yeasts and spices. I would recommend drinking this beer cold as alaska (24 hours of darkness cold) because when warmed up there is a much undesired lingering aftertaste (remember when you questioned my "plastic" description?). A good gulp will give you all the flavors of an above average summer wheat ale.

Mouthfeel:
I thought this beer felt great, aside from the poor aftertaste. Like I said before, it's well carbonated and leaves a nice trail of bubbles to follow the gulp. Its a thicker beer, as a Belgian wit bier interpretation should be.

Drinkability:
I would definitely give this beer some points in the drinkability section. It's a summer beer, so take it at face value, but don't expect something super hoppy, roasty, or malted down. I enjoyed this beer and could easily knock back a few before leaving for work in the morning or after a hard day of physical labor.

Cheers, Ithica.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2010 04:09:00 | More by ThePorterSorter

GarrettMD

New York

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a slightly hazy pale yellow with about 3 fingers white foamy head. Head retention is great, lacing as well.

S - Very citrusy, clove-like scent. Slight malt scent coming through. Smells very sweet.

T - Same citrus notes as the scent, malt is more pronounced and well balanced. Clove taste appears in the finish. I've only had one saison, and it was by Ithaca, this shares a lot of the same tastes.

M - Light to medium bodied with a lot of carbonation.

D - Good drinkability, its simple yet complicated at the same time. Lots of changing tastes as the beer goes on.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 19:01:29 | More by GarrettMD

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very dark orange and cloudy with a nice sized head. Light carbonation. Smells like wheat and spices with a little fruitiness. Nicely balanced flavors of spices and citrus; its more sweat than tart. The flavor is very good albeit on the mild side. It has a nice tiny zing on the tongue that livens it up and goes down incredibly smooth due to its lightness and is very refreshing and perfect for summer. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 02:20:55 | More by Blanco

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange with some bubbles rising. No real lacing. Nice foamy white head.

Tart aromas, with some wheat and yeast. The sour is lemon-like. Ok.

Very tart up front, with sour/lemon elements. Then you get sweet wheat and yeast. Some light bitterness. The sourness is a turn off. It isn't horrible, but just -- eh.

Lighter bodied, with good carbonation.

It is ok, but real hot weather beer. The sourness is a bit of a turn off. Just odd complexity. Good to try.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2010 23:24:16 | More by OtherShoe2

animalchin

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a light orange that becomes burnt in the pint glass. Certainly a good amount of cloudiness. The head has a very loose quality that doesn't stay for very long. Minuscule amount of lacing to go along.

S - Orange and spicy aromas with some sweetness to follow. Picking up banana/clove quality that resembles a hefeweizen. Very pungent and apparent.

T - The spice provides a real robust taste that is held back by the fruitness - a very well balanced situation. As with the smell, a bitter banana quality comes through in the aftertaste, but it's a nice complement to accompany.

M - A little sharp with the carbonation - not surprised by this due to the appearance.

D - This experience with witbier is surely positive. I have always been a fan of Ithaca's approach and take on various styles, and this shines through for me. This particular brew strongly resembles a hefeweizen; not sure if that was intention. I wasn't the biggest fan of the corrosive carbonation, but it may have just been the bottle/storage. Otherwise, excellent work.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 21:02:26 | More by animalchin

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Allagash chalice very enticing appearance with beautiful sunrise orange golden glow to it semi cloudyed large bubbled slightly off white head that forms a nice clouded texture about three fingers thick rising above the rim of my glass. Aromatics are slightly spiced maybe very light coriander and citrus tones coming through almost perfume like smells great. Taste hits with the lemon/citrus pith tones and heavy layer of spicing it has to be coriander this is tasting pretty witbier like. Leaves a nice bitter finish with the citrus peel tones overall a nice summer ale. Mouthfeel is light on the carbonation a very mellow experience Belgian yeast and spices leave their mark on my palate. Body isn't thin this has some malts given it a bit of girth, in the middle between light and medium bodied not watery or heavy. Drinkability is decent no trouble getting through a glass I will check out their sampler pack this summer, with fresh Cascazilla, Pale, Partly Sunny, and the Groundbreak Saison that makes for a fun 12 pack sampler.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 14:28:46 | More by WVbeergeek

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up this beer in Totowa not expecting much since this is a summer beer and those tend to go down pretty easily. Of course this did, but it actually had just the right amount of body to it that I wouldn't confuse it with a "lawnmower beer"! For the weather we've had lately, this fit in pretty nicely.

The pour was good - nice and foamy with a decent cloudy golden hue to it. The lacing left more to be desired but the taste and appearance of the lead led me to jokingly refer to this is a "lemon pledge" beer. It's a bit soapy in its consistency but there's wheat and a slight amount of pepper-like spice to the taste. Just a bit bright and if there was honey in this, it wouldn't suprrise me either. Not gonna feel the hops here but then again, that wasn't what I was after when I opened this up.

This certainly fits the bill for a session beer and I could easily see myself having 2 or 3 in a sitting. This won't win any awards but it's always nice to find a summer beer that doesn't take the art of craft brewing lightly. If it was up to me, I'd rename this "mostly sunny"!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 21:44:19 | More by JerzDevl2000

bourbonbock

New York

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Ithaca Beer Co storefront. It poured a clear golden orange with a seemingly frothy head (it was a small glass). The flavor has very good depth with a spicy sweet flavor that consisted of wheat, citrus, and pale malts. It was very refreshing and could be a very good session beer for a summer afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 03:34:21 | More by bourbonbock

capaneus

New York

4.3/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(A) i poured this into my watou's wit glass producing a golden-hued brew with a very faint amber quality. The head lacks much body, and is composed of large, soapy-looking bubbles which quickly recede to spotty lacing. i would've preferred my "partly sunny" was partly cloudy, but this was crystal-clear.

(S) i really enjoyed the aroma of this beer - very BELGIAN. the phenols mixed with wheat bread smells gave a rich spiced dough character, with less of the artificial citrus tones that plague some of this style.

(T) the taste reminds me of a spicy hefe, with a nice banana bread character. the hop character is slightly more pronounced than most wheats i've had, though skewed more towards bittering and not quite as much flavor as i'd like. that being said, the hops are pretty subtle here. the finish is mildly acidic. this is definitely working for me.

(M) the zingy carbonation paired with a somewhat more viscous mouthfeel than one would expect for the style produce a very satisfying feeling for each gulp.

(D) a perfectly adequate summer wheat, in fact, better than most overly-citric soda-like summer seasonals i've had the misfortune to encounter this year.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 04:21:53 | More by capaneus

mstyne

New York

3.88/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Really nice spicy/fruity aroma after prying off the cap. Significant light foamy head, at least an inch or so, little to no lace. A nice amber color in my pint glass.

Lemon and spice dominate, though they are not overpowering This is a very refreshing brew, and a nice seasonal from Ithaca. I've actually had it once previously but didn't review it at the time. I enjoyed it enough to buy more, if that puts it into perspective.

Looking forward to Ithaca's Fall and Winter offerings.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 18:34:27 | More by mstyne

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: minimal head, clear, amber in color

Smell: orange, cinnamon, clove, and wheat

Taste: orange, lemon, light coriander, clove, and wheat

Mouthfeel: slightly sweet, light bodied with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: This is an ok witbier that has a touch too much spicing. Fairly undistinguishable, I will pass on this in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 13:25:05 | More by tigg924

schoolboy

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After trying several Ithaca's and being surprised with the outstanding quality, I expect a lot from them. This one, though, with a cutesy name, didn't have my expectations too high.

Good thing, because it's just not all that special. It is a very drinkable light wheat. A bit fruity. Clean tasting. But nothing extraordinary.

It is difficult for beers of this style to distinguish themselves. This one doesn't.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 23:12:02 | More by schoolboy

TheDeuce

New York

3.93/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Ithaca Partly Sunny...

Appearance-light golden color, poured into my wit glass, hazy white head appears, medium height but it does stay.

Smell-spicy aroma, light malt, hazy wheat and grainy smells throughout.

Taste/Mouthfeel-medium bodied, alcohol appears, nice mix of spice and grain, light hop finish with residual sweetness. Hazy alcoholic bang at at the end.

Drinkability-maybe a little spicy, but hell I like this kick every once in a while.

Overall-nice beer, the spiciness kicks it up a notch, has more going on than some others of the same style. Enjoyable. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2010 18:25:32 | More by TheDeuce

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Decent wheat beer. Pours golden, with lasting white foamy head. Refreshing aroma, a tad of spice. Flavourful wheat,a little orange-lemon,corriander and maybe cardomon, carbonation right there. Drinkable though nothing to drink frequently.Perhaps a little too spicy for everyday.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2010 02:03:44 | More by northyorksammy

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bright golden color with 2 1/2 fingers of fluffy white head.

The scent is of citrus and wheat.

The taste is of citrus and wheat, a little watery.

Light bodied, smooth and refreshing. low carbonation.

Very easy to drink, it was a little too watery for me and could have a bit more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 03:14:13 | More by BeerCon5

jwc215

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clouded golden yellow with a thin white lasting head.

The smell is of coriander, orange/lemon, wheat tang and a touch of honey.

The taste is of a honey-like sweetness with bready wheat and tart lemon/orange. It has a somewhat medicinal drying spiciness in the finish.

It is light-bodied with ample carbonation.

Spicy with some sweet and tart. Not a bad American Wheat with witbier inspiration at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2009 16:55:13 | More by jwc215

Celt44

New York

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - cloudy light yellow straw. Small head and thin lacing that last throughout.

Aroma - lemon zest with slight malts up front. Faint spice towards the end. Ginger...

Taste - Citrus lemon with a malt presence. Ginger pops its head up again....

Mouthfeel - nice and smooth - no suprises here. Designed to go down easy and fast on a hot summer day..

Drinkability - A very nice Witbier. Definitely will try this again. I've had more flavorful wits, but this hits the spot...

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2009 00:56:36 | More by Celt44