Ground Break - Ithaca Beer Company

LI_PO12

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle into Tulip

Appearance-Deep gold with orange hues, fairly hazy, 2 fingers of fluffy white head that hangs on for a while.

Aroma-Hay, citrus, pear, apple, some banana, light breadyness, farmhouse funk, slightly spicy

Taste-Crisp, belgian yeast though not as complex as the aroma was, breadyness and light malt, a little tart, finishes dry and crisp.

Mouthfeel-Medium full bodied with good carbination no real alcohol present.

Overall-I like this a lot and could easily see this as a great summer brew. Crisp and refreshing American version of the style, especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:47:59 | More by LI_PO12

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

P- Wegmans

A- wheat gold color that has a fluffy 2 finger head that has some staying power. Gorgeous lacing on my pint as well.

S- banana, pepper and hints of clove come through. Very nice and well complemented.

F- banana and pepper come out in the mouth more dominant.

M- smooth and not as dry as you would think. almost like a juicy taste.

O- good beer. when you have to little about it, i believe it is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 17:16:55 | More by Dodo2step

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A- Straight from the 12oz bottle into my goblet with a fairly hazy golden-orange body. A head forms quickly to one finger in height. Creamy textured cap retains for a decent time period and falls to a thick pillow/ring around the top. Spotty lace in some places on the glass.

S- Reminds me a lot of a Witbier but I guess the two styles overlap in certain ways. Banana, clove, bubble gum, sweets, black pepper and Belgian malts are prominent here. Slight light-skinned fruit hints as well as some citrus zest.

T- A lot going on and almost all of it comes from the yeast it seems. A lot of fruit and spicy hints. Big orange peel, black pepper, clove, banana, grapes, apple and something floral. These flavors are all quite strong but get along nicely. Some biscuit malts, cracked grains and sweets in there as well.

MF- Fairly sweet overall feel for the style and I would say that is the biggest problem present here. Light overall with a pretty silky high end carbonation. Slight bitterness finishing it all off.

Honestly this is pretty good for an American made Saison for such a low price. It is kind of sweet and a bit too fruit forward but I enjoy the overall flavors presented.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 03:02:41 | More by cbutova

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

L- Clear golden yellow with a thick off white head. The head is long lasted and leaves some nice lace on the glass.

S- Peppery spices, banana, clove, a hint of floral hops, and wheat.

T- Pepper and spice to start things off, a bit of banana and clove make an appearance at the middle. The finish is bone dry with a bit of funk. A classic Siason finish with a hint of spice in it.

M- Medium in body but feels light in the mouth, the carbonation is a bit more than medium and gives this a nice refreshing fizzy feeling.

O- Nice job Ithaca, classic Siason with enough twist to be interesting. The 6.2% ABV is a little dangerous I could drink several of these with out realizing it's this high.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:16:05 | More by ToddT

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Golden yellow/light tan, fizzy 1/4 inch head with minor lacing.

Smell - Funky yeasts, banana, lemon, floral fruits, spices, grassy barnyard aroma. Some wheat and bready.

Taste - Starts out with a sour/Brett like flavor, mixed in with some sweet yeasts, and peppery spices. Very floral, plenty of fruits like pear, banana, lemon and orange. The malts are second in flavor, there sweet and bready, but not as present as other flavors. Has the classic farmhouse funky finish.

Mouthfeel - Sourness coats tounge , floral hops, sweet yeasts come in on palate to sweeten things up. The finish is sour, floral and funky.

Overall - Nice beer, a little different then most saisons, nice sour note mixed In with some sweet yeasts. Nice complex and balanced flavors. Worth a drink for saision fans but might be to much for a first time drinker of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:25:24 | More by wvsabbath

Willytee3

New York

4.16/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a golden yellow with orange hue. Pure white head with a consistent foamy, bubbly film.

Smells of candy funk and citrus hops. Jolly rancher sour with some bread dough, complex.

Tastes of banana wheat and spring flower funk lingering into the bitter after taste. Has a spicy bite.

Effervescent sharp carbonation almost foams mouth a bit too much. Thin to medium body a bit off balance.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 03:53:24 | More by Willytee3

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Groundbreak pours a hazy yellow straw color with a lean and loose head flaoting on top. The head fades quickly and leaves no lacing.
Aroma is that of malts, spices, yeast and light hops. Yeasty esters give the beer a general wheat beer aroma.
Taste is half desent with a solid malt base, a bit spice from cloves and a sprinkle of hop flavor. I can percieve some barnyard funk too.
All in all, pretty good. Average, but good.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 10:42:17 | More by micromaniac129

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.01/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – Pours a hazy orange-amber color with a big three finger white head. The head has nice retention slowly fading to leave a very nice level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is a mix of lots of yeasty and spicy smells. Mixed with these aromas are strong smells of a haylike funk, green apples, sour grapes, wheat and pepper. It is a rather potent smelling saison in many of the aromas you would expect.

Taste – The taste begins with a lot of wheat, yeast and an orange citrus taste. As the taste advances flavors of spice begin coming to the tongue with clove coriander and cardamom being the strongest. Along with the spice so too comes a souring and haylike funky taste. Sweeter flavors of a light banana and tangerine also come to the tongue more toward the middle giving the brew a rather sweet taste. The flavors are soon met with a strong grass and herbal like and sour grape like taste more toward the middle to the end of the taste. In the end a moderately citrus sweet, yeasty, and funky taste are left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is rather light in terms of creaminess and thickness with a carbonation level that is on the medium to slightly above average side. Both are quite nice with for the funky and citrus flavors of the brew and make for an easier drink.

Overall – A fairly sweeter and tasty saison. Lots of citrus, yeast and a nice sour bite that is balanced nicely by the herbal and sweeter flavors of the brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:33:57 | More by Darkmagus82

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.89/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

best before May

A: Thick head that dissipates quickly leaving lots of lacing.

S: Sweet, yeasty, bready, spicy. Some alcohol on the nose.

T: Sweet, full breadiness, prominent yeast, white pepper, dry with an herbal hop bitterness on the finish. Some tartness at points and on the finish.

M: Surprisingly full given the dryness.

O: This comes out too early in the season. This would be super drinkable in the heat.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:23:19 | More by greybeardloon

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.2/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12 fl. oz. bottle into a Delirium tulip at low altitude in NY. I believe this will be my first trying an "American Style Saison."

A: Pours a slightly hazy yellow color with a small creamy white head. Decent retention, but not much lacing to speak of.

S: Malty wheat notes are the most prominent, with some characteristic "barnyard" funk in the background. A relatively light smell overall.

T: Opens with malted wheat flavors followed by some yeasty funk. The finish brings along some soapy character that leaves a rather unpleasant bitterness long after the last sip. Besides the soapiness, I this would be a pretty solid saison.

M: Light- to medium-bodied with a slick mouthfeel. A bit overcarbonated in my opinion.

O: A decent take on a saison. Not sure if the soapy bitterness was the "American" aspect here, but it would have been better without that.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:41:28 | More by schlimenhaumer

russwbeck

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is a very clear yellow color with a huge white head. Retention is pretty decent, as is the lacing. The bubbles initially surge through the liquid, but slow off rather quickly.

S: Spicy esters with some banana and it seems like Belgian yeast. It's pretty sweet at least, with the level of spices you'd expect from a saison. Not quite funky or boozy.

T: The taste is also more sweet than I expected, with the spices coming second and lingering on the palate for a long time after the liquid is gone. The fruits, bananas specifically, carry the beer, with the spices and esters providing some balance. I wanted another layer to this. It's balanced and tasty, but not that much better than average.

MF: Medium body with a level of carbonation that drops off after the initial pour. It's almost silky on the tongue. The aftertaste on the palate makes me want to keep drinking the beer, but the drinkability could be better. The overall taste wore on me after a while.

O: This was a nice offering and I'm glad I tried it, but there's nothing here to bring me back for more. Give it a shot if you like saisons, if not, you can probably skip this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 01:12:19 | More by russwbeck

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. 12oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a nice golden color with great clarity. Huge rocky white head forms and never subsides. Thick rings of lacing cement themselves to the glass. The clarity of it throws me for a loop. Did they filter this?

S: Nice and yeasty with pepper and spice and a perfumey floral scent. Clove. Fruity and nutty. Underlying biscuit and pilsner malt. Great nose.

T: Big hit of clove and black pepper on the attack. Strong yeast character, as in the nose. Chalky and a touch earthy. Very spicy. Underlying tropical fruits and a hint of tartness. Slightly rustic. Malt character is biscuity and nutty. Mild hop bitterness with light floral and orange peel tastes. Finishes with chalky and spicy yeast.

M: Medium bodied. Highly effervescent with an aggressive scrubbing carbonation. Creamy in texture and smooth.

O: One of the better American-made saisons I've had, and an excellent choice for a spring seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 03:49:36 | More by ryan1788a5

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought about 3 cases over the summer as they were on closeout at my local distributor. Think I bought each one for roughly $15 a pop. Poured the last one I had into a snifter for review. Think I read somewhere that they use both American (1056?) and saison strains along with ample American hops.

A: Pours a cloudy golden yellow with nice rocky white head. Some belgian lacing clings to the glass. Some lazy carbonation is evident.

S: Smells has a musty, almost barnyard like aroma. Not sure if this was intentional, but this smell does take on some Brett-like character. There's also some lemon zest with citrus, spicy peppery notes, and a fairly noticeable aroma like kick.

T: Light malt character with citrus and lemon zest. I'm assuming a good portion is coming from hops while the saison yeast strain is doing the other work. Nice bitterness to it.

M: Finishes nice and dry. Feels light and highly drinkable although the alcohol is quite noticeable after a few. Kept me from pounding through these after a hot, humid summer night.

O: A great summer thirst quencher. This was one of my favorite finds for this past summer. Would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 21:44:49 | More by jwhancher

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a Victory tulip

A- pours a cloudy shade of orange with a one finger white head. Looks pretty solid. Nice head, not overcarbed

S- nice floral aroma, as well as a good bit of citrus....smells very sweet and juicy

T- some very light spice and sweetness, and juicy citrus. Very nice

M- medium bodied, on the thin side

O- very good saison

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 20:34:26 | More by bigfnjoe

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a vivid orange gold with a large creamy head. Exceptional retention and lots of creamy lacing. The aroma is quite nice and stylistically accurate; lots of saison yeast; fruity hops and esters, spices and black pepper; a hint of peach that's very appealing.

The flavor follows the nose fairly closely; plenty of yeast; citrus and peach; moderate bitterness lingering a bit in the aftertaste. Some light sweetness that dries up well in the finish. Nice and spicy, although their is a faint metallic note detected in both the aroma and flavor.

Moderately light bodied with very spritzy, tongue-prickling carbonation, but still has a bit if creamy smoothness. Extremely crisp and refreshing. The only knocks for me on this beer are the vague metallic aspect and the carbonation, which could be toned down just a smudge. Otherwise it's rather outstanding!

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 03:24:59 | More by tobelerone

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Color was a nice golden amber with a 3 finger thick milky white head. Head was foam at the bottom, but creamy at the top. Aroma was citrus herbal with a bit of bitter acidic in the back. Flavor was peppery, a bit of spicy kick. Felt a little overcarbonated in the mouth for my taste. Coated well, but left too much tingly feeling on the insides of the cheeks. Overall not bad. No real negative traits to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 22:50:55 | More by mountdew1

ujsplace

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a nonic.

This brew boasts a massive, soapy head with plenty of chunk and lace to go around. The liquid is a deep orange colored, hazy brew with flecks of yeast suspended throughout. A dirty looking brew - nice.

Smells fruity, bready and spicy. Very nice.

Tastes of bright fruit, slightly tart, hoppy citrus overtones, spicy with a dry finish.

Light medium mouthfeel, well carbonated and crisp.

Wow, this is some good stuff. Nice flavors all come together very nicely. Great drinking brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 01:19:06 | More by ujsplace

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear dark golden orange to copper in color. The beer has a three finger tall off-white head that reduces to a medium sized thick patch near the center of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of citrus - grapefruit, orange, and lemon - along with spices (black pepper and clove).

T: Similar in taste to the smell but the spice flavors are far more intense than they smell. There is also a moderate amount of citrus flavors (more lemony). Light hints of grassy hops and Belgian yeast lend to the bitterness.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry in the finish.

O: Easy to drink but a little too strong to be sessionable (higher ABV than I usually have for a session beer). I like the citrus flavors/aromas, they make this one pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 22:54:13 | More by dbrauneis

magine

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Duvel glass.

Pours a cloudy, honey orange. Massive, massive chunky lemon meringue pie like head here. Tons of tiny tight bubbles cascading to form this huge head. Big chunks of head here, tons of lace. Fantastic looks here. Lots of malty yeast making this head like this I imagine. Really one of the most impressive pours I have seen. Exceptional.

Brew smells of big lemon zest, yeast, cloves, spices and orange. Great nose here, could smell it as I poured it. Impressive nose here.

Brew is smooth and creamy up front, spiced in the middle and peppery semi dry finish. Great tastes here; complex spices and malts working in harmony here. Cloves, spice, lemon, orange rind all fill a complex palate. Stickiness to it and some semi sweet and tart flavors here. Great flavors, and great drinking brew. Awesome stuff here.

This is one of the best saisons I have tried. I love Hennepin and feel that is the best of the style, but I think this matches. I would love to try this side by side with Hennepin. Tremendous brew here.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 01:54:24 | More by magine

aranheaney

New York

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Stone Nonic Pint Glass:

A-beautiful yellow, great Saison Head, on a par with Hennepin (my gold standard for Saisons)

S-Clove, pepper, banana and oh yeah heaven

T-Clove, pepper, banana and oh yeah heaven

M-Perfect, carbonation is spot on

O-on a par with Hennepin (my gold standard for Saisons)

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 13:02:49 | More by aranheaney

superspak

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best by April(yeast was heavily caked on the bottom, this could be a year or more old). Pours hazy golden orange color with a very nice 2 finger dense and fluffy white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some nice soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big lemon, apricot, pear, herbal, floral, coriander, pepper, bread, earth, light funkiness, and yeast spiciness. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of big orange, lemon, pepper, pear, lime, coriander, bread, earth, herbal, floral, grass, clove, light funk, and yeast spiciness. Very slight tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruit, citrus, pepper, clove, earth, herbal, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic balance of sweetness and spiciness; with great flavor complexity. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly syrupy and extremely crisp mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small amount of warming noticed after the finish. Extremely smooth and easy to drink. Overall this is an outstanding saison. Great balance and flavor complexity. Nice touch of funk rounds it out as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:31:43 | More by superspak

Thickfreakness

New York

4.53/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a hazy golden/banana yellow into my DFH glass. A thick and fluffy bright white head cover this golden elixer! Thick and chewy lacing hold onto the rim of the glass for it's life. It looks like summer in a glass! PERFECT!

S- Banana's with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with black and green peppercorn flakes. Hints of citrus peel, Big League Chew gum, compost, fresh cut hay and wheat with little notes of pie spice mixed in. It has just a little bit of Belgian funk... wish it had more! This is one of my favorite Saison's!!!

T- Over ripe banana's, touches of funky yeast, spicey black/red/green peppercorns. Sweetness from the wheat and grains, some clove, allspice and fresh nutmeg. Real big notes of freshly zested lemon and grapefruit peel. Has a nice tartness that lets the honeysweet grains and spiciness shine thru as well. This is damn near perfect.

M- Really crisp, refreshing, and full of tropical fruit goodness! Electrifying carbonation that tickles the tongue! Wonderful Belgian yeastiness, peppery, lemony, and sweet banana and wheat malts. No hint of alcohol at all.

O- I'd give it a 4.75 if I could. This is another brilliant example from one of NY's best and most creative brewery's. I gotta buy up all I can of this before it's gone for the season.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 20:25:47 | More by Thickfreakness

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a weizen glass. Pours a hazy apricot color, with a one-inch off-white head that is slow to reduce.

Has a funky farmhouse aroma, with cardamon, parsley, cilantro, and hints of pepper. Hints of banana and clove, like a wheat beer, but with more of the saison spice than a typical wheat beer.

Taste starts spicy and aromatic, with a tart, almost sour funky beginning. Lemon, straw, and dandelion greens combine for a very fresh taste. Oak undertones develop mid-sip, finishing tar, dry and slightly bitter.

Has a crisp, fresh feel, light to medium bodied, with a bit of dryness on the tongue.

An enjoyable, if slightly intense saison, with plenty of funk, tart, herb and spice to keep you satisfied. Great for a full-tasting beer, but too much to have more than one before moving to an easier drinking brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 00:57:19 | More by TheHoppiest

match1112

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: clear bright gold body with a thin white head.

s: bread, yeast, fruit and a touch of earth.

t: yeasty bread up front giving way to a crisp light fruit flavor. on the finish is a touch of earthieness from some hops i'm guessing.

m: medium body, prickly carbonation tickles the tongue. and a dry finish.

o: pretty darn tasty. worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 02:12:43 | More by match1112

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy yellow-orange color with more than one finger of white fluffy head with pretty good retention.

The scent is of sweet fruit, notes of bread, and notes of herbal hops.

The taste is of lightly bitter herbal hops, sweet fruit, some citrus, bready malt, some notes of yeast.

Light bodied, smooth and refreshing, moderate carbonation.

This was a very flavorful beer, both refreshing and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 19:44:23 | More by BeerCon5