Brute - Ithaca Beer Company

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.24/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Listed as a "Golden Sour Ale" it's exactly that! Gorgeous golden coloring, effervescent, lively, bubbly; like a champagne.

The aromas are strong Apple with hints of pear. Sour and sweet.

Big juicy Apple sweetness with a sour airy finish the carbonation plays into the taste and feel. The bubbles dance on the tongue and lift the Apple taste and finish with a light airyness. It's inherent in the style to produce such carbonation so it is understandable that it may detract from the overall experience.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:46:24 | More by KYGunner

Gobzilla

California

4.21/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured a bubbly golden yellow in color with pale yellow highlights and a thin bubbly head that left slight wisps of lacing sticking to the glass.

S: plenty of funky brett was noticeable upfront on the nose with great citrusy notes, oaky wood character, mild vinegar coming through and slight vinous fruit.

5. The funky brett character was more apparent on the palate alongside some citrusy twang, very nice oaky barrel accents, champagney bubbly dry flavor accompanied by vinous fruit notes and a touch of vanilla.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of bubbly carbonation which had a sweet, bretty funky, oaky, citrusy, mild vinous tart and dry finish.

O: thought it was a solid brew all around and the yeast definitely brought out champange characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 05:55:19 | More by Gobzilla

oline73

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

The beer pours a clear golden amber color with a finger of off white head that fades to a ring around the glass. The smell is slightly funky with strong tart lemon and vinegar notes. I would describe the taste as very clean and extremely sour. I'm getting lemon, vinegar, and just a light funk. The finish is light and quite sour. The carbonation is creamy and foamy. There is a slight dryness in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 20:13:08 | More by oline73

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a very nice clear yellow color with a foamy white head on top. The retention was light with a subtle lacing also. The smell of the beer has a nice amount of funk on the nose but it doesn't cancel out the base elements of the beer which I like. The taste of the beer is tart up front with a sharp funky citrus in there. The finish of the beer is interesting, there is an interesting sweetness in there that might be wheat or something like that coming through. The mouthfeel of the beer is light bodied, very drinkable and nicely carbonated. Overall, very good stuff. Really nice simple complexity in there , I liked it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 20:42:34 | More by Knapp85

popery

California

4.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From notes, 1/31/11. Good sour. Pours golden and cloudy. Very little head. Just a few stray bubbles. Very lemony and vinous. Peaches, apricots and berries show up as well. Quite tart. A complex fruity sour flavor. Very enjoyable. Feel is lively and the beer is light on the palate. Some brett and funk, but it’s background to the tart fruit flavors. Quite dry. Should age well.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:33:52 | More by popery

kevanb

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a WLV Zwanze 2012 stemmed glass. Thanks to Sweemzander for the share. Review is from notes.

Pours a nice golden color, hazy complexion, a few bubbles rising to the top of the glass. A nice, taught white head rises out of the beer, a half finger high before receding into a slight film leaving no lacing. The aroma is very nice, funky brett, pale grain, light citrus, tart apple with some floral notes as well, very light, effervescent and more importantly inviting. The flavors are bit muddled relative to the nose and a bit dirtier as well, the funky brett is definitely there but it's a bit mustier and earthier than in the nose, light citrus, tart fruit, apples for sure, light sweet grain, a touch of acidic vinegar with some floral elements behind it, almost a bit medicinal. The body is nice, definitely has a bubbly champagne quality, lively, prickly on the tongue, but finishes very smoothly.

Verdict: An impressive sour from Ithaca. I prefer LeBleu to this one for sure, but this is certainly an enjoyable beer and worth tracking down for any sour lover.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 21:57:21 | More by kevanb

nataku00

California

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle, batch E'027, poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours a hazy golden color with a big three finger white foamy head consisting of loose large bubbles. Head dissipates after a few minutes leaving light lacing to a half a finger. Carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass.

Nose is sweet stone fruits, apricot and peaches, light lemon, lactic acid, light floral hops.

Taking a sip, light lactic acidity upfront, then stone fruits and fruity esters, lemon. Some earthy funk as the beer warms on the tongue, combined with floral flavors. Lingering acidity on the finish, with stone fruit sweetness balancing it out.

Light body and very carbonated, bubbles quickly scrubbing your tongue clean with each sip and swallow.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 07:59:16 | More by nataku00

zhanson88

Montana

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch E!037.

Appearance: Pours a brilliant, clear golden color with a good amount of carbonation. About 1.5" of white head forms, which has extremely good retention and lacing. Great looking wild.

Smell: I get a lot of funk and brett right off the bat. Some white grape flavors and a bit of honey lend some sweetness. Lots of horseblanket and lemon tartness as well. Really nice smell that has some balance.

Taste: White grapes and other pale fruit character lends sweetness initially and remains present throughout. Funk, brett, and horseblanket hit the mid palate, and some lemon tartness finishes it. Not tons of tartness or sourness on the palate but plenty of funk. Good, but probably a bit sweeter throughout than I had anticipated.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light bodied with great carbonation. About perfect in that regard. Finish could be drier though. The sweetness retracts from that aspect. Overall, a very good wild. Really enjoyed it and would have again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:38:22 | More by zhanson88

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to whoever brought this to the Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share!

Poured a hazy yellow color with a foamy white head; moderate retention and doily lacing. Slightly tart in the nose, with scents of lemon and white grape, earthy. Again I dove into a hyped-up beer and was disappointed by the taste. When will I learn? Still tasty, but not a mouthgasm as the hype would lead craft beer noobs to believe. The tartness here was very mellow, which is nice, the flavor was a bit subdued, but crisp and clean...this isn't a face-puckering sour. Lemongrass came to mind, with a mild farmhouse character, grassy, earthy, and a hint of Chardonnay. Body was pretty light, crisp, generous carbonation. Not bursting with flavor, instead humble and refined...which made the name "Brute" come off kind of ironic to me. Maybe that's what they were going for. Or maybe I'm just being to philosophical. Quite drinkable and enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 08:12:50 | More by Rifugium

brystmar

New York

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Blind Tiger during VSK. Pretty sure this was the most recent vintage (E!037).

Pours a deliciously hazy gold with plenty of foamy white head up top. Leaves good lace on my glass as the drink continues. Aroma is quite dry with effervescent champagne yeast and grapes imparting funk and complexity. Dry and yeasty, grassy, mild hops, some tartness.

Dry and surprisingly smooth on the palate. Fruity with lots of funk hanging in the balance. Mild fruits and some citrus to finish things off, and just the right amount of tartness to separate this baby from its champagne cousins. Body is much more full than I remembered which, although nice, leaves me wanting more.

I recall Brute having more carbonation (and it really needs that), so I assume the over-carbonation issue the bartenders initially had when it was tapped was over-corrected by dialing back the CO2 too far. Shame.

Overall, I didn't remember Brute being this good. I've now had every batch; batches 1 & 2 are wildly different from both each other and the two more recent releases. 2 still remains my favorite, but any Brute is always worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 20:52:23 | More by brystmar

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Batch E!037 poured into an Ithaca tulip.

Pours a very bright yet hazy orange. Huge white, billowy head settles quickly.

Smells is very musty citrus.

First taste is almost a bready funk, followed by a beatiful rush of tart citrus.

Mouthfeel is so light and refreshing. There is just the right amount of sour to make your mouth water and want more!

This beer is just awesome. One of the best sours...or just one of the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 23:31:09 | More by DaveHack

tarheels86

California

3.8/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL 2009 ed courtesy of nimbleprop. Pours a slightly hazy yellow with a thick, white head that has little to no lace (probably because of the unmalted wheat and just low sugar content in general). Aroma is Bretty, lemonade, cotton candy. Taste is tart, lightly acidic, lemonade, lemon squares. Reminds me of Berliner Weiss. 6/7/2010 8/4/7/4/14=3.7

750mL 2010 ed courtesy of kramer. Poured with a massive head that left excellent sheety lacing. Much drier, more funky in the nose with powerful light fruits, apricot, dust, leather. Taste is much drier, more complex, oak and white wine dryness coming through atop minimal sourness and heavy carbonation. Lively on the palate. Much improved. 9/16/2010 8/5/7/4/15=3.9

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 21:24:04 | More by tarheels86

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2009 vintage thanks to Bearsonacid. Sunshine pour with decent white head. Aroma is bretty and barnyard with a so nice candied lemon. Nice yeast. The blend of brett, lemon and champagne yeast flavors are great. The palate is out of this world. Rich yet light at the same time. It really succeed at being a complex tasting brew while being perfectly sessionnable.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 16:57:50 | More by Luk13

wd40

New York

4.38/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage served on-tap

Golden yellow color with amber hues. Barely any head on the beer. Smelled great, lots of apple which paired with the acidic tartness. Taste was really nicely balanced between acidity, fruit, and tartness. Pretty subtle sour beer. Doesn't hit you over the head, but is really pleasant. It was not as complex as I expected, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes simplcity when executed really well is more rewarding. In fact, if I had no limitations on my ability to aquire and drink sours, I'd probably drink this one pretty regularly as a nice easy going aperitif. Part of this is due to its lack of sweetness and the dryness of its finish. Its lightness and subtly remind me a lot of Russian River's Temptation, which is one of my favorite sours. If anyone can get their hands on this, it's worth a try.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the carbonation was perfect for my taste. It was effervescent without being at all rough.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 00:25:41 | More by wd40

iadler

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle courtesy of dmeadows. Thanks Dennis! '11 Bottle.

A- Pours a gorgeous sunset yellow with a fluffy head that dissipates slowly leaving adequate lacing behind.

S- Good amount of funk upfront with some barnyard notes and vinegar followed by lemon, apricot, peach, blood orange and apple.. A nice blend of funkiness and citrus/tropical fruit.

T- Some tartness initially with sweet tarts, a bit of vinegar and hay followed by big citrus and tropical fruit with notes of peach, apricot, lemon and apple. The flavors compliment each other so well without anything being overpowering.

M- Lively carbonation with a light body and a clean finish.

O-An incredible beer in regards to complexity and balance. Not overly tart nor sweet, Brute has to be one of the most memorable beers for me recently and one of the best overall beers I've had this year.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 23:24:31 | More by iadler

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Batch E!037. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Golden orange. Huge white head. Excellent lacing.

Smell - Acidic with a lot of hay and wheat. Lemony acidity. No real funk, but I guess that isn't the point of this.

Taste - Spritzy acidity. Good lemon sourness. Same grainy malts as the aroma. Not overpowering. Just a hint acetic. Dry and oaky in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light and effervescent. Sprizty and champagney. All of those adjectives mean the same thing. Over carbonated, really, but it adds to the experience a lot more than it detracts.

Overall - Maybe not an exciting sour, but extremely well made. Technical excellence.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 23:57:52 | More by Alieniloquium

DarthKostrizer

California

3.1/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by a kind soul at Woodshop 7

Look: Pours a murky cloudy dark yellow color with a 1/3 inch white bubbly head and some spotty lace

Smell: Funky yeast, oak, lemon

Taste: Holy sourness batman this is a sour bomb. There is some lemon and oak disguised amongst the sourness but it was so much of a distraction that I almost missed it

Mouthfeel: Lighter in body and lots of carbonation. Tons of dry sourness and pretty damn bitter

Overall: If your into sour bombs drink this. This one is not for me but I am glad I got the chance to try it

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 19:55:16 | More by DarthKostrizer

warnerry

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to woosterbill for this one. Cheers! Batch E!027

A - Pours a hazy golden brown tinged orange. Head has decent retention before fading to a cap.

S - Subtle but persistent funk with some sour apple, oak, Brett and lemon. Some white bread in the aroma as well.

T - Nice sourness. Not mouth puckering, but satisfying and refreshing with a great funky base. Lemon, faint barnyard, Brett, and grain. Nice amount of citrus. Delicious.

M - Mouthfeel is interesting. Definitely has a light crispness, but there is a bit of heft to it as well. Lively carbonation.

O - I could drink this all day long. Nice sourness and funk, without going overboard in any direction. Maintains a bit of fruitiness, and the Champagne yeast adds a nice character.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 00:33:03 | More by warnerry

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour at Woodshop 7 held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours a slightly murky yellow with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some grain and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with an interesting Pez candy flavor in the mix. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is quite drinkable but smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:39:48 | More by UCLABrewN84

sukwonee

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Very good looking beer. Huge head (at least 3 fingers) with lots of bubbles and lacing. Cloudy orange body.

S: Lemon, yeast, oak, funk

Taste: Lemon, tart and sour, I also taste some breadiness, earthy-ness, barnyard, very good. Sour and puckering.

M: It's perfect. Good amoung of carbonation, mouth puckering, dry.

O: Very glad I got to try this bottle. It's been one of my top wants for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 05:54:23 | More by sukwonee

SkiBum22

New York

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch E!037

A - Pours a beautiful yellowish/orange with a huge off-white head. Great retention.

S - sour apples, oak, earthy malts, peach.

T - The taste follows the nose. Really exceptional and clean. Tons of tart lemony flavors along with a big Granny Smith apple puckering flavor.

M - Medium bodied with a playful champagne-like carbonation.

O - One of the best sours I've ever had. This easily stands up to any of the RR sours. I hope they brew this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 00:36:17 | More by SkiBum22

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle shared by Sammy, 2011 vintage - batch E!037. Into a tulip.

Hazy gold with a brilliant bubbly white head. Good retention and light lacing. Nose of tart apple, champagne yeast, a bit of sourness, lemon, a bit of funk and general fruitiness. Tastes quite tart, some lemon, a bit funky and yeast notes again. Effervescent mouthfeel, champagne yeast stands out. Tart, medium body, and no alcohol. A very drinkable brut, but not the best I've had in the style. Still very well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 01:39:03 | More by liamt07

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Funky aroma. Golden coloured bodied and lacey. Bg mouthfeel. Strawberry and grape tartness, as well as lemon in the finish. Good drinkability for its sourish characteristics. Not as good as the hype, still a very interesting.
Thanks Tim for saving me one.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 20:20:47 | More by northyorksammy

FosterJM

California

4.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1367th Review on BA
Bottle to Ithaca Excelsior! Tulip
750ml Cap/Cork

Batch E!037

Thanks to Mjtiernan for this one

App- When the cork pops a little bit of a champagne fizz came out. Expected yes! The color of a ripe peach with a good mix of oranges/yellows and golds in the glass. A good density for a sour. Nice coloring. Giant head that was quick to gizz with a nice pond layer of bubbles.

Smell- Just a ton going on in this sour. Amazingly straightfoward but utterly complex. I think the BA below said it best, "Can you smell fizzy?" This was fizzy, brett, citrus, funk and sour. Not overly done either way and close to amazing.

Taste- This was one hell of a sour. Most people wont give credit to the champagne yeast but really adds a wonderful depth of character with the brett bringing a stinging barnyard, funk and earthiness to it. The sour is crisp and biting and a wonderful amount of citrus ties it all together.

Mouth- While a tad thick for such a bubbly sour I found it worthwhile none the less. So bubbly with a light medium body while shouldve been a little lighter. A very high carbonation keeps everything prickly and nicely balanced. Nice residual Brett and funk.

Drink- Huge thanks to Matt for the trade and was glad to drink while my boy who is all of two days old slept next to me in his rocker. Would loe another bottle of this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 00:15:05 | More by FosterJM

cosmicevan

New York

4.7/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

surprised not to have a review for this one...must be in the backlog of notes? none-the-less opened E!037 and filled a russian river tulip.

a - brew poured a transparent yellow orange with visible champagne like carbonation. a massive bubbly head filled half the glass and slowly fizzled away leaving spotty but chunky lacing on the side of the glass. fairly frothy for all those bubbles.

s - wonderful tart. acidy citric peach and tropical fruit with a glaze of sour candy sweetness. you can almost smell the fizziness.

t - really well balanced and complex sour flavors. the perfect meld of fruitiness and sourness. the taste is really spot on. oaky. extremely refreshing. fruitiness is orange peel mixed with citrus with a hint of peaches and a tropical almost kiwi like splash to finish it off.

m - prickly carbonation. finishes a bit dry and bitter...just a BIT. easy drinker, light and thirst quenching...ideal for the current heat wave.

o - overall, i've always dug brute, but i forgot how great it is. this is truly one of the better sours out there. the balance is mind blowing. if you don't like over the top sours, but still enjoy sours, this is your beer. wonderful tropical fruit flavorings with a nice burst of sour. non offensive...really well crafted sour.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 00:45:15 | More by cosmicevan